Pycnogenol supplementation may support hair density in menopausal women, says recent study
Menopausal women saw improvements in hair density and decrease in transepidermal water loss following six months of supplementation with the French maritime pine bark extract.
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A recent study1 found that supplementation with the French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol (from Horphag Research; Hoboken, NJ), may help improve hair density in women with menopause, during which time women are more likely to be affected by female pattern hair loss. In the single center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 76 menopausal women took either placebo or 50 mg of Pycnogenol three times per day for a total of six months. Subjects were assessed at baseline, after two months, and after six months.
Results showed that supplementation with Pycnogenol was associated with a significant increase in hair density at month two (30% increase) and month six (23% increase). Researchers observed that the improvement in hair density may be due to a decrease in resting flux of the scalp skin, indicating an improvement in microcirculation. Subjects taking Pycnogenol also saw a significant transient decrease in transepidermal water loss in the scalp skin.
Reference
- Cai, C.; Zeng, B; Lin, L.; Zheng, M.; Burki, C.; Grether-Beck, S.; Krutmann, J. An Oral French Maritime Pine Bark Extract Improves Hair Density in Menopausal Woman: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Intervention Study. Health Sci. Rep. 2023, 6 (1): e1045, DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1045
