This review discusses caffeine's potential role in treating androgenetic alopecia by counteracting DHT effects on hair follicles and enhancing cell proliferation, but reports no new clinical results.
82 citations
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May 2009 in “BJCP. British journal of clinical pharmacology/British journal of clinical pharmacology” The study reported that combining the Follicular Closing Technique with the Franz diffusion cell is a valuable method for investigating follicular caffeine penetration in vitro, though kinetics differ from in vivo results.
100 citations
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June 2011 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that a once-daily 5% minoxidil topical foam is as effective as a twice-daily 2% minoxidil topical solution for hair growth in women with androgenetic alopecia, with fewer side effects and greater styling convenience.
February 2025 in “Healthcare” In this systematic review, the researchers observed that topical caffeine preparations appear safe and effective against hair loss, but most studies had low-quality evidence due to design flaws, indicating the need for better-designed trials before drawing definitive conclusions.
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.
14 citations
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October 2020 in “Natural Products and Bioprospecting” This review discusses current topical treatments, natural products, and complementary therapies for androgenetic alopecia, but it reports no new clinical results.
Caffeine in Alpecin shampoo may help prolong hair root activity and reduce hair loss.
42 citations
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July 2014 in “European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics” This study established a stable formulation for caffeine nanocrystals in specific solvent mixtures, which could be used to test their potential for enhanced hair follicle targeting and penetration.
May 2024 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology” This study found that while caffeine and adenosine can inhibit hair loss and stimulate hair growth, more research is needed to fully understand the efficacy of shampoo formulations containing specific proportions of these compounds for hair loss treatment and prevention.
25 citations
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July 2017 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” This review summarizes preclinical and clinical information on herbal products for hair loss treatment, highlighting their mechanisms, follicular penetration, and potential side effects, suggesting they may offer alternatives to synthetic drugs with fewer side effects.
1 citations
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July 2021 in “Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin/Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin” This study found that rubbing significantly increased skin permeation of caffeine but not rhododendrol, with the direction of rubbing playing a crucial role in caffeine's enhancement.
July 2023 in “International journal of research publications” In this study, topical application of 45% robusta green coffee bean extract in male wistar rats did not significantly enhance hair growth but effectively inhibited the increase of 5α-reductase type 1 levels when exposed to testosterone.
94 citations
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May 2011 in “BJCP. British journal of clinical pharmacology/British journal of clinical pharmacology” This study found that hair follicles contribute significantly to caffeine absorption shortly after topical application, with a faster absorption rate compared to the stratum corneum.
61 citations
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May 2014 in “International journal of pharmaceutics” This research describes a process for producing caffeine nanocrystals, which may enhance skin penetration by accumulating in hair follicles and maintaining stability for two months, paving the way for in vivo testing.
43 citations
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July 2023 in “Pharmaceuticals” This review explores the effects of caffeine on cancer, cardiovascular, immunological, inflammatory, and neurological diseases, including its use in sports, and discusses advancements in caffeine delivery through novel nanocarrier-based formulations.
20 citations
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June 2016 in “Magnesium research” In this study, magnesium was observed to penetrate human skin, with hair follicles significantly aiding this process depending on the concentration and duration of exposure.
18 citations
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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.
10 citations
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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.
10 citations
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June 2019 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This review discusses the potential benefits of phytochemicals for hair care and emphasizes the need for more robust preclinical and clinical studies, without reporting new clinical results.
3 citations
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April 2019 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This review discusses the use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors for alopecia, finding promising preliminary results with topical caffeine for androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium, but limited success in alopecia areata.
3 citations
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January 2018 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” In this study, researchers developed a method called the Stiffness-Angle Law and found that hair treated with caffeine-infused shampoo showed a 13.2% increase in stiffness, as measured by their novel evaluation technique.
1 citations
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March 2025 in “Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research” This publication overview describes the Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research's rigorous peer review process and their focus on genetic, biomedical, and technical knowledge research within an open access format, but does not report specific study results.
January 2025 in “Molecules” In this review, the authors discuss caffeine's potential mechanisms and benefits as a hair loss treatment, noting its possible effectiveness and safety, though they caution that existing studies often have significant design flaws.
August 2024 in “Cosmetics” This review highlights caffeine's diverse benefits in cosmetics and nutricosmetics, noting its antioxidant properties, ability to treat skin disorders like androgenic alopecia, and potential to enhance sunscreen effectiveness, though penetration into deeper skin layers remains challenging.
40 citations
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August 2018 in “Skin appendage disorders” This review examines complementary and alternative medicine for alopecia and finds limited support from robust clinical trials, highlighting the need for standardized studies to evaluate efficacy and safety.
January 2024 in “International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Research” This review highlights the potential of plant-derived molecules like Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate and Ginsenosides to promote healthy hair growth by enhancing nutrient supply and blood flow to the scalp, and notes their growing role in natural hair care product development.
September 2014 in “Hair transplant forum international” This issue contains notes by Dr. Bradley Wolf and mentions comments by Dr. Jerry Cooley, but it presents no new research findings.
47 citations
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August 2016 in “Fitoterapia” This article reviews mechanisms by which herbal ingredients may stimulate or inhibit hair growth, and it reports no new clinical findings while suggesting potential for developing hair loss treatments.
46 citations
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October 2012 in “Dermatologic Clinics” This review discusses treatment options for female pattern hair loss, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and the benefits of combined therapies, but reports no new clinical results.
24 citations
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January 2020 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” This review discusses the potential benefits of flavonoid-containing botanicals, such as Panax ginseng, in reducing hair loss and promoting hair growth, but reports no new experimental results.