Hair growth promoting effect of white wax and policosanol from white wax on the mouse model of testosterone-induced hair loss

The study from May 1, 2017, examined the effects of white wax (WW) and policosanol from white wax (WWP) on testosterone-induced hair loss in mice, a model for androgenetic alopecia. The study used 20 mice per group and found that both WW and WWP significantly reduced hair loss and promoted hair growth, with 10% WW and 1% WWP being the most effective concentrations, surpassing the performance of 2% finasteride, a known hair growth drug. The treatments increased follicular length, density, anagen/telogen ratio, and hair bulb diameter. WW and WWP also inhibited the activity of 5α-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and enhanced the proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) in vitro. Despite being less effective at inhibiting 5α-reductase than finasteride, WW and WWP showed high selective efficacy in promoting hair growth. The study concluded that WW and WWP could be promising treatments for androgenetic alopecia. The research was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China and Special National Public Welfare Forestry Research.