Caffeine

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Caffeine is a stimulant derived from plants, namely coffee and tea, and is arguably the most popular stimulant on the planet. Caffeine has been studied for its effects on the cardiovascular system, longevity, and hormones – some of which have also been studied in the context of hair loss treatments.

Key insights:

The in vitro and ex vivo evidence suggests that topical caffeine can increase the growth of human dermal papilla cells through upregulation of ATP. Furthermore, caffeine was able to enhance hair follicle elongation in a comparable manner to minoxidil after 5 days of treatment. Additionally, caffeine treatment was found to reduce corticotropin-induced stress in hair follicles isolated from males with androgenetic alopecia, indicating a potential for counteracting stress-induced hair loss.
There have been a number of clinical studies determining the effect of caffeine on hair growth. The vast majority of these studies reported a decrease in hair loss after using topical caffeine shampoo, as well as a decrease in hair loss when using caffeine in combination with minoxidil. Furthermore, patient satisfaction was reported to be higher when caffeine was used in conjunction with minoxidil.
Oral caffeine consumption may instead have an adverse effect on hair growth through increased cortisol release, increased hyperglycemia in peripheral tissues, and potentially decreased thyroid activity.
There have been no studies to determine if hair regrowth is sustained over time, however it’s thought, like most topicals, that its hair promoting effects will lessen over time.
If you decide to implement caffeine into your regrowth regimen, it is probably better to avoid oral caffeine altogether – especially if you have a history of insulin resistance or hypothyroidism.
From the current body of evidence, 0.2% topical and 1% caffeine shampoo concentrations appear to be the best choices.

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