The Experimental Study on the Effect of Herbal Extracts on Hair Growth and Acne
January 2006
in “
The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
”
TLDR Rubus coreanum may help hair growth but not through the tested mechanisms, and none of the herbal extracts help with acne.
In the 2006 study, the effects of four herbal extracts—Rubus coreanum, Acorus calamus, Morus alba, and Rehmannia glutinosa—were tested on hair growth and acne. The study found that Rubus coreanum extract significantly promoted hair growth in C57BL/6 mice by inducing an earlier anagen phase in the hair cycle, but did not affect dermal papilla cell growth, mouse vibrissae follicle growth in vitro, 5α-reductase enzyme activity, or mRNA levels of growth factors. Acorus calamus extract had a weaker hair growth effect, while Morus alba and Rehmannia glutinosa had no effect. None of the extracts showed antibacterial properties against skin pathogens. The study concluded that while Rubus coreanum may promote hair growth, it does not do so through the mechanisms tested, and none of the extracts were effective against acne-related bacteria.
