Beneficial Effects of Pumpkin Seed Oil as a Topical Hair Growth Promoting Agent in a Mice Model

January 2019 in “ DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) ”

Valiollah Hajhashemi, Parvin Rajabi, M Mardani

pumpkin seed oil PSO minoxidil testosterone hair follicles male pattern alopecia androgenic alopecia Rogaine

From the encyclopedia

An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

Studysummary This study in mice found that topical pumpkin seed oil promoted hair growth and could be a promising alternative treatment for male pattern alopecia.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

In 2019, a study was conducted on male Swiss mice to evaluate the hair growth promoting activity of pumpkin seed oil (PSO). The mice were treated with testosterone, PSO, and minoxidil for three weeks. The results showed that testosterone prevented hair growth, while PSO increased hair growth. After three weeks, the percentage of hair follicles in the active growth phase was 44.4±15 for the testosterone-treated group, 75±5.3 for the PSO group, and 91.3±4.4 for the minoxidil group. The study concluded that PSO promoted hair growth and could be a promising alternative for treating male pattern alopecia. The exact mechanism of PSO's effect was unclear and required further investigation.

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