32 citations
,
December 2017 in “Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology” This study found that co-delivery of minoxidil and caffeine in transfersomes with an optimized polysorbate formulation enhanced hair length and weight in vivo.
31 citations
,
February 2019 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This study found that ultraviolet radiation negatively affects hair follicle functions in human scalp skin, and caffeine application may provide some protective effects against this damage.
26 citations
,
December 2009 in “Laser Physics” This study observed that caffeine-containing shampoo can penetrate hair follicles to a depth of approximately 200 μm and remains detectable even after 24 hours, suggesting a potential long-term reservoir effect.
24 citations
,
February 2007 in “Laser Physics Letters” This study found that a caffeine-containing shampoo penetrated deeply into hair follicles in just two minutes and remained there for up to 48 hours, even after washing.
21 citations
,
September 1966 in “Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology” Caffeine becomes more toxic in rats when food intake is reduced by over 50%.
21 citations
,
January 2017 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” In this noninferiority study, researchers found that a 0.2% caffeine-based topical liquid was not less effective than 5% minoxidil solution in improving hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia over six months.
18 citations
,
May 2023 in “Preprints.org” This review provides an overview of caffeine's effects on cancer, cardiovascular, immunological, inflammatory, and neurological diseases, highlighting both its potential benefits, such as neuroprotection and anti-aging, and possible adverse effects like elevated blood pressure, anemia, and migraine.
17 citations
,
October 2015 in “The Journal of Physiology” This study found that in newborn rats treated with caffeine, progesterone increased apnoea frequency by inhibiting breathing, suggesting it may not be suitable for preterm neonates without addressing allopregnanolone's effects.
15 citations
,
October 2020 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” This study reported that combining microdialysis and selective follicular closure with varnish significantly reduces caffeine penetration through hair follicles in an ex vivo porcine ear skin model.
12 citations
,
April 2020 in “British Journal of Dermatology” In this study, researchers found that caffeine can counteract stress-induced damage in ex vivo human androgenetic alopecia hair follicles, suggesting it may help prevent stress-related hair loss.
12 citations
,
December 2023 in “Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research” In this research, caffeine's versatile pharmacological actions were highlighted, demonstrating its stimulant, bronchodilator, diuretic, and potential anticancer effects through interactions with adenosine receptors, phosphodiesterase, and renal tubules, revealing valuable insights for drug development and therapeutic applications in medicine.
11 citations
,
July 2012 in “International Journal of Trichology” Caffeine may help hair growth in hereditary hair loss.
10 citations
,
July 2021 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” This study reported that larger caffeine nanocrystals, at 694 nm, increased caffeine bioavailability via transfollicular penetration compared to smaller nanocrystals, especially in long-term serum concentration measurements.
8 citations
,
April 2020 in “European Journal of Nutrition” This study found that newborn hair caffeine content reflects maternal caffeine intake during the third trimester, providing a potential method for assessing fetal caffeine exposure.
8 citations
,
January 2020 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” This article discusses the potential for topical caffeine as a natural alternative for treating androgenetic alopecia due to its ability to penetrate skin, but it reports no new clinical findings.
7 citations
,
October 2024 in “AAPS PharmSciTech” This study developed a caffeine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle gel, observing significant reduction in subcutaneous fat tissue thickness in histological tests compared to an untreated group, suggesting it could effectively treat cellulite as a promising nanocosmeceutical gel.
7 citations
,
January 2020 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” In this study using ex vivo porcine ear skin, researchers found that standard nail varnish applied gently creates effective follicular closures, preventing penetration of certain substances like fluorescein sodium salt and caffeine into hair follicles, whereas solvent-free varnish and rapid application techniques were less effective.
7 citations
,
July 2018 in “International Journal of Applied Pharmaceutics” This study found that optimizing chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles can enhance the sustained percutaneous delivery of caffeine, with certain conditions affecting stability and release rates.
5 citations
,
November 2021 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” Caffeine can damage hearing cells and affect hearing recovery after ear trauma.
5 citations
,
January 2020 in “Journal of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery” This review discusses the potential dermatological benefits of caffeine for hair growth, rosacea, and skin cancer, but notes significant limitations in available research.
4 citations
,
February 2022 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis” The conclusion is that a new method can measure caffeine and drugs in hair, finding caffeine abusers have 70 times more caffeine than normal, with a proposed cut-off value for abuse.
4 citations
,
September 1999 in “Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine” Caffeine in hair might help identify people, but it's not always reliable.
2 citations
,
January 2022 in “Materials today: proceedings” This study suggests that caffeine may enhance hair growth and be beneficial for cosmetic applications due to its high binding affinity to keratin, but further validation is needed.
1 citations
,
July 2023 in “Cosmetics” This study found that a novel shampoo formulation effectively delivers caffeine to hair follicles, with 8–9% of absorbed caffeine reaching the follicles, suggesting it may support hair retention by enhancing antioxidant activity.
1 citations
,
August 2020 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Caffeine may protect hair follicles from stress-related hair loss.
1 citations
,
July 2017 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft” Topical caffeine improves hair loss intensity, speed, and shedding, and works better with minoxidil/azelaic acid.
1 citations
,
February 2020 in “PubMed” This study found that a topical compounded formulation may improve hair density and general appearance in male patients with androgenetic alopecia after 6 months of use.
May 2026 in “Jurnal Riset Kefarmasian Indonesia” This study measured caffeine content in ethanolic extracts of robusta coffee beans, finding 221.58 mg of caffeine per gram of extract, which aligns with known levels for Coffea canephora.
January 2026 in “AAPS PharmSciTech” In this study, a novel liposomal formulation combining caffeine and cafestol significantly enhanced their penetration into human skin layers, with formulation F9 doubling caffeine and greatly increasing cafestol levels in the dermis, suggesting potential for improved topical delivery.
January 2026 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study found that neither caffeine nor N,N-dimethylglycine treatments were toxic to balding or nonbalding dermal papilla cells and could stimulate calcium influx, indicating treatment responsiveness.