Topical Application of Oleuropein Induces Anagen Hair Growth in Telogen Mouse Skin

In a study from June 10, 2015, researchers found that oleuropein, a compound from olive leaves, promoted hair growth in mice. When applied topically at a dose of 0.4 mg/mouse/day, oleuropein induced the anagen phase, which is the active growth phase of the hair cycle, in C57BL/6N mice. This was evidenced by accelerated hair growth, increased hair follicle size, and upregulation of genes and proteins associated with the Wnt10b/ß-catenin signaling pathway. The compound also increased the expression of growth factors such as IGF-1, KGF, HGF, and VEGF, which are known to support hair growth. Oleuropein was more effective than minoxidil, a common hair growth treatment, in stimulating hair follicle proliferation and growth factor expression. The study, which used eight mice per group and performed experiments in triplicate, concluded that oleuropein has the potential to be a new agent for hair growth, although further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in humans.