Data published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology indicated that the dietary supplement, which if formulated with a combination of vitamins, minerals, blends of botanicals, amino acids and a probiotic, was associated with improvements in appearance, texture and volume.
"Current hair growth treatment options for women are limited," wrote the researchers, led by Dr. Isabelle Raymond from Nutraceutical Wellness LLC, Nutrafol’s parent company. "Considering that veganism, vegetarianism and other animal-restrictive diets are more popular among women, this population may benefit from tailored therapies for hair thinning.
"By leveraging plant-based ingredients with clinical support for hair growth, the vegan nutraceutical studied here aims to fill the nutrient gaps from removing animal-sourced nutrients. In doing so, the results support improved hair growth, quality and satisfaction of the subjects' hair in a population that is plant-based. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate significant improvements in hair growth and quality in a plant-based population with these ingredients."
Hair supplements
The market for hair growth supplement and treatments has been growing steadily over the last several years. Some market data sources pegged the global hair supplements market between $1.2 billion and $2.1 billion in 2022, with estimates that it will grow to between $3.5 billion and $5.3 billion by 2032.
"Hair thinning affects upwards of 50% of women by age 50, impacting their social-emotional wellbeing," explained Dr. Raymond and her co-workers.
Nutrafol (Nutraceutical Wellness) is one of the leading brands in the U.S. category. Unilever acquired a majority stake in the company in 2022. Nutraceutical Wellness funded the new study.
Study details
The new study included 95 women eating a plant-based diet. The women were assigned to consume four capsules per day of the supplement (there was no placebo group in the study) for six months.
Results showed that terminal hair count at day 180 compared with baseline—the study’s primary endpoint—increasing significantly in the women, while increases in total hair counts and the terminal-to-vellus ratio were also recorded. The researchers also reported that the supplement was associated with a significant decrease in shedding.
"Hair growth and quality have documented impacts on the quality of life, especially in women," they wrote. "Women are also about twice as likely than men to describe themselves as vegetarians. The data presented in this study show that the subjects reported improvements in hair quality, volume, growth and coverage.
"It also decreased the impact of 'problems with their hair on feelings of self-consciousness, attractiveness and socializing.' The nutraceutical was also reported to be well tolerated and easy to incorporate into a daily routine, making this an important tool given the current landscape of hair growth solutions for women following a plant-based diet."
Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology
August 2024, Volume 23, Issue 8, Page 661-668, doi: 10.36849/JDD.8421
“A Prospective, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of a Vegan Nutraceutical to Improve Hair Growth and Quality in Females Following a Plant-Based Diet”
Authors: R.K. Sivamani, et al.