Phytotherapy And Hair Health: Evidence-Based Integrative Approach For Alopecia And Hair Disorders
February 2025
Studysummary This integrative literature review reported that herbal therapies may be a promising alternative for treating hair disorders like androgenetic alopecia, potentially offering similar efficacy to conventional treatments but with fewer side effects. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This integrative literature review examines the potential of herbal therapies as alternatives to conventional treatments for hair disorders, particularly androgenetic alopecia. The study analyzed 15 articles from 2020 to 2024, focusing on the efficacy of plant extracts. These extracts work through mechanisms such as inhibiting the enzyme 5α-reductase, prolonging the anagen phase of hair growth, modulating cell signaling pathways, enhancing dermal papilla cell proliferation, and providing antioxidant effects. The findings suggest that herbal treatments may offer comparable or complementary efficacy to conventional therapies like minoxidil and finasteride, with fewer side effects, positioning phytotherapy as a promising strategy for managing hair disorders.
