Hair loss treatments expand with personalization, supplement launches and stem cell-based topicals

15 Jun 2023 --- Androgenetic alopecia is an endemic issue faced by many, brought on by stress, hormonal shifts, tobacco consumption, predisposed conditions and other factors. Solutions to prevent this are proliferating as the gap between beauty and pharmacy closes, with new introductions of personalized treatment plans, such as “human-to-human compatible” cell-based topical solutions and supplement launches targeting hair loss.

The global hair restoration market was valued at approximately US$4.2 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.4% through 2028, according to data cited by hair loss brand More Hair Naturally.

Meanwhile, the hair loss prevention products market size was valued at US$23.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% to reach US$31.5 billion by 2028. 

Increases in disposable income and rising concerns about aesthetics are poised to contribute as a factor driving growth of this sector.

Bridging the gap between beauty and pharmacy
Health and wellness platform Hims & Hers Health unveiled a nutrition product formulated to offer multiple supplements combined into one single prescription pill. The pill is introduced alongside a range of other topical and ingestible loss solutions, which are presented to customers personalizing their own hair loss treatment plan.

More Hair Naturally has developed a topical solution that is based on three types of stem cells, designed to be most compatible with human hair growth (Image credit: More Hair Naturally).Branded Hair Blends and released within the Hers company division, the pill contains biotin, vitamin C, vitamin B5 & B6, zinc and selenium, among other supplements. 

Hers’ market insights findings indicate that women with hair loss are highly motivated and in search of a better solution, but there is a lack of accessible solutions and support when it comes to finding a personalized treatment that truly fits their needs.

“This is really about bridging the gap between beauty and the pharmacy,” says Hilary Coles, co-founder of Hims & Hers and SVP of brand and innovation. 

“We found that only one in four women experiencing hair loss talk to a doctor and so might not be aware of the doctor-trusted ingredients available to treat hair loss,” she highlights. “Women are also faced with the stigma surrounding women’s hair loss and the reality that there isn’t enough support in the market today.”

The full Hers hair portfolio of solutions includes a range of personalized options, from clinically proven topical minoxidil treatments, to oral treatments formulated with doctor-endorsed ingredients like spironolactone or minoxidil.

The range also includes topical treatments for post-menopausal women containing finasteride – which functions by stopping testosterone production – along with vitamins and supplements to support healthy hair, such as biotin.

“Customers have shared with us that they feel as if they are left to research solutions on their own – and what they are often finding is not meeting their goals,” says Coles. “In fact, our research shows 90% of women are looking for new solutions.”

“We’re stepping in to fill that gap with Hers, by providing women with access to tailored treatments that can be prescribed to address each individual’s unique needs, hair type, lifestyle and goals.”

“Human-to-human compatible” stem cells
More Hair Naturally produces topical treatments for thinning hair, which are designed to encourage new hair growth without drugs, side effects or lifetime usage.

The California-based enterprise’s flagship solution used in its range, More Hair Naturally 9, is formulated using three different kinds of stem cells – but not the embryonic stem cells often talked about in the media. 

Vitamins Revive announced the upcoming launch of its new product, the Hair Growth Vitamins Kit for Women (Image credit: Vitamins Revive).The stem cells energize the growth phase of hair, improve the condition of hair follicles and support anchoring fibers. The first type are adipose-derived stem cells (fat cells), which are donated from adult humans, intended for human-to-human compatibility.

Two other kinds of stem cells are used to aid in healing the follicle, hair and scalp. Bamboo sprouts are used because bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet. Scientists believe this is due to their rapid stem cell reproduction, so these stem cells are used in an “overall” design to help speed the hair recovery process. 

Ginseng root is also used – a specific type, “not the typical food kind” as the company details. These cells have the ability to differentiate, which means they adapt to specific human hair stem cell reproduction.

More Hair Naturally 9 also provides three different peptide complexes to help the hair absorb nutrients and probiotics that act as functional foods to combat hair loss – all of which work synergistically to inhibit the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone) on the scalp.

“This is technology that didn’t even exist ten to fifteen years ago,” says CEO Mahryah Shain. “It’s a whole new approach to hair loss. There’s no product like this on the market. You don’t have to sacrifice your health to have hair.”

Next generation of naturality
In contrast to some prescription medications targeting hair loss on the market, More Hair Naturally products are claimed to produce no side effects, and their hair growth benefits continue even after they are no longer in use. Shain, who is the second generation head of the family business, claims results can be seen in three to six months.

“All the drug products that are currently used today are the same products that were used back then – the same drug products that were used in the 70s. They’re all just the repackaging and the rebranding and better marketing of the same ingredients. Since the 70s, the research hasn’t stopped – but why are there no products out there that are reflecting the new research?”

Initially, Shain says, much of that research was happening overseas, where a great deal of work was being done on stem cells, peptide complexes, amino acids and probiotics. Many of these approaches were producing results by themselves, so the Shains decided to combine them with the help of a lab specializing in natural products.

The hair loss prevention products market size was valued at US$23.6 billion in 2021.Inspiration for More Hair Naturally began in his own family during the 1980s when Shain’s father began losing his hair. In order to grow it back, the elder Shain started to take supplements that altered his hormones and had side effects that changed his body in unwanted ways.

“He said, ‘Wait, I’ll go bald – I want my body back,’” Mahryah Shain explains.

The Shains found that even products that were less damaging did not produce hair fast enough, and the hair that did regrow tended to be weak and thin. That began the family’s hunt for a topical treatment for thinning hair that didn’t have side effects.

Addressing hair loss at the root
In other hair loss supplement launches, Vitamins Revive announced the upcoming launch of its new product, the Hair Growth Vitamins Kit for Women. The kit provides a two-month supply with three bottles: two bottles of Hair Nutra Growth and one bottle of Hair Nutra Boost.

Founded by the brand behind the brand Vitamins Hair Cosmetics, which was first introduced in 1943, the new dietary supplement kit offers a holistic approach to hair health by addressing both the symptoms and root causes of hair-related concerns. It will be released sometime early next month.

Drawing inspiration from the traditional Chinese medicine approach and the naturopathic modern approach, the kit addresses the underlying causes while promoting optimal hair growth.

One of its key advantages is defined as its fast and effective absorption. The active ingredients – some of which come in the form of liposomal, nano-sized compounds and extracts – are carefully selected and optimized for efficient absorption, claims the company.

Among other recent hair loss advancements, Personal Care Insights reported on Chinese research that leveraged AI to predict compounds that could neutralize reactive oxygen species that cause balding in the scalp. Animal tests were carried out on mice which proved to be successful in regenerating hair.

US-based University of California Riverside researchers made moves to “potentially end baldness” and hasten wound healing, through research that investigated a protein called TGF-beta regulates the process by which cells in hair follicles, including stem cells, divide and create new cells or plan their death.

Additionally, Gencor’s HairAge-Vitae – a herbal extract of Ageratum conyzoides (A. conyzoides) – was found to “considerably” increase hair density and decrease the hair loss ratio (HLR) of patients with alopecia. Following topical administration of A. conyzoides, the Gencor study observed a net increase in hair growth.

By Benjamin Ferrer