Cannabis components improved hair growth by 236%
Could cannabis be a new cure for baldness? So says a new study that examined the effect of daily application of a preparation containing 3 different cannabinoids from the plant to the scalp for six months, and showed greater efficacy on hair growth. hair than usual treatments.
A preliminary study published in the International Monthly for Trichology (hair medicine) revealed that the components of cannabis, and more specifically the cannabinoids THCV, CBD, CBDV, may be more effective in treating baldness and regrowing lost hair, compared to treatments commonly used today.
This survey was conducted on subjects with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), as an extension of a previously published study using a CBD-rich hemp extract without CBDV or THCV. This study showed an average increase of 93,5% in hair count after 6 months of use. This subsequent study is underway to determine if daily topical application of a hemp oil rich in CBD, THCV, and CBDV would result in improved hair regrowth in the area of the scalp most affected by AGA.
The assumption that the endocannabinoid system : A central internal system which affects a very wide range of processes in the human body, can affect the process of baldness, first emerged in 2007, when studies revealed the presence of CB1 receptors in hair follicles. In 2009, a study was published which found that THC and its synthetic derivatives that activate CB1 receptors inhibited hair regrowth in mice and isolated human skin cells.
Following this, it was hypothesized that CBD, whose effect on CB1 receptors is in fact the opposite of that of THC (inhibits them instead of stimulating them), could cause the opposite effect, namely hair growth. This hypothesis was confirmed by a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2017, which found that CBD increased hair growth in isolated human skin cells.
In 2021, a preliminary study was already published that tested this hypothesis on humans and tested the effect of topical application CBD oil on the scalp in 35 subjects with typical baldness. After 6 months of daily application of the oil to balding areas of the scalp, significant hair growth was recorded in all subjects, with an average increase of 93,5% in the amount of hair in the treated areas. .
Now, the current study attempted to replicate the results of the previous study from 2021, but with a small change – this time, instead of using just CBD, the researchers combined it with two additional cannabinoids – the THCV and CBDV, which like CBD also inhibit -CB1 receptors, and therefore hypothesized to cause hair growth like this.
The 31 study subjects, who were selected after coming to a hair loss treatment clinic in Florida and receiving an offer to participate in a study of an experimental new treatment for hair loss, received a spray they were instructed to apply to the scalp. daily in the same way as minoxidil. The spray contained natural cannabis extract (full spectrum) with the following cannabinoid concentrations:
- 60% CBD
- 12,63% CBDV
- 3,71% THCV
- 0,86% CBD
- 0,18% THC
- 0,05% CBN
In addition to cannabis extract, the spray also contained inactive ingredients to enhance its absorption through the skin, such as peppermint oil, menthol, emu oil, hexfluacetone (HFA) and dimethicone.
In order to accurately measure hair regrowth, the researchers tattooed the subjects' scalps with a tiny dot-shaped tattoo, designed to mark the point of maximum baldness before treatment began, for later comparison.
After 6 months of daily treatment with the cannabis spray, all 31 subjects experienced hair regrowth at some level, with an increase in hair count ranging from 31,25% (from 16 to 21 hairs) in the subject with the least growth at 2000% (one for 21 hairs) in the subject with the most impressive growth.
The average increase in hair count was 246% (15 hairs per square centimeter) in men and 127% (16 hairs per square centimeter) in women. Subjects reported no side effects as a result of treatment
The researchers note that the mechanism of action by which cannabinoids cause hair to grow is not yet known, but it seems to be related to the fact that THCV, CBD and CBDV are antagonists that have an inhibitory effect on CB1 receptors in hair follicles, and that all three are also TRPV1 channel agonists.
The effectiveness of the cannabis spray tested in the study was superior to that of the common 5% minoxidil spray on the market, and also superior to that of the CBD spray tested in the previous study, likely due to the addition of THCV and CBDV.
The researchers write that the mechanism of action of cannabinoids is different from the mechanism of action of existing baldness drugs Propecia (finasteride) and minoxidil, which means that existing cannabinoids and baldness drugs can be used at the same time in order to obtain better results than can be obtained from each separately. However, studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of this combination are still needed.
