A Hair-Raising Strategy for Alopecia

A new approach to stimulating hair growth has passed an early test, demonstrating greater hair-follicle growth in culture as compared with minoxidil.

Preliminary clinical evaluation of the as-yet unnamed compound showed prolongation of the hair-follicle growth phase (anagen) and shortening of the resting phase (telogen) in healthy volunteers treated for four months.

The compound contains two active ingredients: a biomimetic peptide derived from a signal peptide and biochanin A, or red clover extract.

"The peptide stimulates several extracellular matrix proteins favoring a better hair anchoring for a direct effect on hair follicle integrity," Estelle Loing, of Unipex Innovations in Quebec City, and colleagues reported in a poster presentation at the Society of Investigative Dermatology meeting.

"The biochanin A found in the red clover extract inhibits the 5-alpha reductase activity responsible for androgenic alopecia."

The combined effect of the two active ingredients is to inhibit hair-follicle shrinkage and improve hair anchoring.

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