From follicle science to repair actives: the next wave of hair care innovation

Hair care is continuing to garner industry attention as the category grows. Sector players are investing in the segment through research into the biological drivers of healthy hair growth, ingredients designed to repair damage, and potential pharmaceutical approaches to hair loss.

In a recent study, Amorepacific has identified a biological marker associated with stronger hair formation and is using the findings to inform peptide-based hair care development. 

Clariant has released an active ingredient said to repair hair by leveraging everyday heat styling, helping restore damaged hair and seal cuticles. The chemical solutions company underlines growing consumer demand for salon-quality results at home, positioning the ingredient as a solution within a growing category.

Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk, the company behind GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, is reportedly exploring hair loss treatments as its next therapeutic category investment. Bloomberg reports that the pharmaceutical company is looking to expand its direct-to-consumer business. 

Hair care innovation is advancing through peptide research and new technologies.

Researching hair health 

Amorepacific’s study has pinpointed how the microenvironment of hair follicles impacts the strength and quality of hair growth. 

Through the analysis of newly grown hair from healthy adults, the researchers found that expression of a specific gene in hair follicles, coagulation factor C homology (COCH), is closely associated with disulfide bonds, a key determinant of hair strength. 

According to Amorepacific, these bonds help maintain hair strength and elasticity, and a higher bond content is known to give hair higher tensile strength and resistance to breakage.

The study indicates that aging contributes to the loss of hair strength, with participants aged 50 and over having at least 21% lower disulfide bond content in their hair and at least 40% lower tensile strength compared with those between 20 and 40.

Researchers also identified a significant correlation between disulfide bond content and hair tensile strength, indicating that the follicular environment may play an important role in determining the quality of newly formed hair.

“Good hair care begins with caring for hair after it has grown and understanding how healthy hair forms,” says Byung-Fhy Suh, chief technology officer and head of the Amorepacific R&I Center. 

“We have been studying the biological mechanisms and key factors involved in hair formation and translating these findings into new ingredients, such as peptides, and incorporating them into our products.” 

Building peptide-based roots

Scientists are exploring the biological mechanisms behind stronger hair growth.

Amorepacific says that the findings contribute to the scientific foundation behind its research into peptide-based hair care solutions. In collaboration with Croda, the company has been investigating scalp and hair follicle structures to develop peptide-based ingredients that target key mechanisms involved in healthy hair formation.

Grow Peptide is Amorepacific’s hair care ingredient developed to support the formation of stronger hair by leveraging this research. The study provides further insight into hair follicle biology and the hair formation process, helping guide the development of future hair care technologies. 

The ingredient has been incorporated into Amorepacific’s hair care brand Ryo’s recently launched Root:Gen line.

“Building on research achievements, including Grow Peptide, we will develop our Hair Longevity Solution, which helps hair stay healthy for longer, into a next-generation hair care technology,” adds Suh.

The findings were published in the international journal Experimental Dermatology in a paper titled COCH Expression in the Hair Follicle Microenvironment Is Associated With Cortical Disulfide Bonding and Tensile Resistance in Aging Hair.

Heat-induced repair 

In other hair care innovations, Clariant has launched its hair care active ingredient, Genadvance Revive, designed to deliver repair through heat activation. The ingredient is touted to repair hair damaged by bleaching, coloring, and environmental stress as consumers blow-dry or straighten it, turning a routine associated with hair damage into an opportunity for repair.

Heat-activated technologies are transforming approaches to hair repair.The company says that demand for hair repair is at its highest in a generation due to increased coloring, chemical treatments, and heat styling.

“Sixty-five percent of women report regular use of heat styling tools while simultaneously seeking healthier hair and salon-quality repair results at home. The hair restoration market is set to nearly triple by 2032 – and hair-damage management products saw a €139 million (US$158,5 million) sales increase in key global markets, with over a quarter of consumer-targeted hair influencer posts now highlighting ‘damage repair’ as a leading claim,” says the company.

According to Clariant, the category’s growth and evolution are being driven by three factors. Consumers increasingly demand hair-health formulations that have efficacy at a structural level and go beyond surface-level shine. Routines are evolving toward multi-step, science-backed, and ingredient-led hair care. And in what the company calls a “home spa mindset,” consumers are progressively seeking professional-grade results from their day-to-day hair products.

Genadvance Revive utilizes the heat already involved in blow-drying or straightening as part of the repair process to offer hair repair that fits into the consumer’s daily routine. 

Aligned with rinse-off or leave-on formulation use, heat from blow dryers or styling tools activates Genadvance Revive to interact with the hair’s keratin structure, helping to seal damaged cuticles, the company explains. 

Testing on bleached hair revealed that the ingredient reduced friction by up to 47%, improving cuticle alignment and hair smoothness. It also reduced the energy required for combing by 52%, supporting easier detangling.

According to Clariant, the ingredient also improved hair protein integrity by 12%, indicating structural repair at the fiber level, and testing showed enhanced hair shine with repeated use. Genadvance Revive also helps straightened hair retain its shape under high-humidity conditions, with visibly reduced frizz, says Clariant.

“What sets Genadvance Revive apart is its unique cuticle-sealing mechanism that works with heat styling tools to repair hair from within while doing something already embedded in routines,” says Petra Kudla, global marketing manager of hair care, Care Chemicals at Clariant. 

Novo Nordisk’s hair loss expansionHair loss is drawing attention from industry players. 

Bloomberg has reported that Novo Nordisk may be looking into hair loss treatments as its next direct-to-consumer venture. The company is said to be considering its transferable expertise in endocrinology, with some of the science being pursued now for hair loss treatments rooted in the hormone-focused medical field.

Endocrinology is a field where Novo has a long history, says chief scientific officer Martin Lange, according to Bloomberg.

“We could leverage our scientific knowledge, potentially moving into that space,” Lange says. “It’s not necessarily what we’ll pursue first, but that would be a clear possibility.”

Observational studies have suggested an association between GLP-1 receptor agonist use and hair loss, although researchers note that weight loss itself may contribute to shedding, and further investigation is needed. A 2026 study from Penn Medicine, published in BMJ, states that users of GLP-1s were 37% more likely to report hair loss than patients using other diabetes medications. 

The move comes after Novo lost its lead in the GLP-1 market to Eli Lilly, causing as much as a 1.8% stock drop in the face of a lack of a concrete turnaround plan, but later recovered, Bloomberg reports.

The pharmaceutical manufacturer reportedly is pursuing areas where its expertise in selling directly to consumers can give it a competitive edge, according to Novo CEO Mike Doustdar.

Another company seeking to develop hair loss treatments, VeraDermics, states that pattern hair loss affects approximately 80 million people in the US, according to Bloomberg. With hair loss a persistent issue for many consumers, the segment is in no shortage of demand. 

Approximately 50 million men and 30 million women, the latter of whom currently don’t have any approved oral treatment options, suffer from hair loss, says Bloomberg.