Hold your hair! Scientists claim to have found an extract from mangrove trees that can cure BALDNESS by stopping a hormone that causes unwanted bald patches
- Avicennia Marin Extract contains the main chemical Avicequinon-C
- Researchers tested this on 50 balding people, men and women
- It was found to stop hair loss and promote growth in all participants
Thai researchers claim to have found an extract from mangrove trees that can cure baldness.
A small study of 50 people suffering from androgenic alopecia – the most common form of baldness – indicates that the extract stops hair loss and also promotes hair growth.
The substance, called Avicennia Marin, contains the main chemical Avicequinon-C.
This active is thought to reverse hair loss by interfering with enzymes that lead to increased hormone levels that cause baldness.
Researchers hope the findings can help people suffering from androgenetic alopecia reverse their hair loss.
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A small study of 50 people suffering from androgenic alopecia – a form of baldness caused by imbalanced hormone levels – found that the chemical stops hair loss and also sees bald patches disappear when hair returns
Professor Wanchai, who led the study, said: ‘The mangrove extract will be tested on more volunteers before it can be officially approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration’
Scientists at Chulalongkorn University have been studying Avicequinon-C for years and have recently won an award from the National Research Council of Thailand.
The extract was tested on 50 male and female participants suffering from androgenic alopecia who applied the substance to their scalp every day.
The Thai researchers regularly photographed the progress of the 50 participants and saw universally visible improvements.
Professor Wanchai Deeknamkul, from the Faculty of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, said the substance not only prevents hair loss, but also promotes hair growth.
The extract was tested on 50 male and female participants who applied the substance to their scalp every day. This condition is the scientific name for age-related balding and is characterized by a receding hairline as well as thinning of the hair on the scalp
Pictured, mangrove trees that naturally produce the chemicals thought to reverse the balding process
What is Androgenic Alopecia?
Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women.
In men this condition is also called male pattern baldness.
Hair is lost in a well-defined pattern, starting over both temples. Over time, the hairline recedes to form a characteristic ‘M’ shape.
Hair also thins at the crown (near the top of the head), often progressing to partial or complete baldness.
The pattern of hair loss in women differs from baldness in men.
In women, the hair thins all over the head and the hairline does not disappear.
Androgenetic alopecia in women rarely leads to total baldness.
It is believed to be caused by elevated levels of powerful hormones called androgens, including dihydrotestosterone, which are powerful precursors to the male sex hormone testosterone.
Credit: Medline Plus
Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women. In men this condition is also called male pattern baldness
‘We discovered that it had many advantages. First, it stops the enzymes from producing hormones for hair loss and second, it can also help produce the protein that stimulates hair growth, ‘he said.
A private company has bought the patent for the technology to turn it into a commercial product that could be on the market in six months.
Professor Wanchai added, “The mangrove extract will be tested on more volunteers before it can be officially approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration.
‘We screened more than 50 herbal extracts and more than 20 pure substances and discovered that Avicennia Marin extract contains the active ingredient avicequinone C, which inhibits the enzyme that produces hair loss hormones.
Plus, Avicennia Marin Extract helps build proteins that can also promote hair growth. Thus, it helps to solve the problem of hair loss completely.
Several cosmeceutical products that claim to treat hair loss are mostly chemically synthesized drugs.
‘That can cause unwanted side effects, especially allergic reactions and skin inflammation, and affect the body system.
‘Moreover, almost all of them have not been scientifically proven or studied to determine the mode of action of the substances used.
‘In the past we imported synthetic drugs from abroad, both topical and oral medications, but they only showed results of 30 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
In addition, the side effects were also much more. Therefore, extracts from the Avicennia Marin plants in Thai mangrove forests will reduce the import of those synthetic drugs. It can also be an export product that also creates market value for the country. ‘
Androgenic alopecia is the scientific name for age-related balding and is characterized by a receding hairline as well as thinning of the hair on the scalp.
It’s caused by high levels of powerful hormones called androgens, including dihydrotestosterone, which are precursors to the male sex hormone testosterone.
Men in their 20s are often affected by the condition, and about half of all men suffer from it by the age of 50. Women tend to show symptoms only in their 40s and it affects fewer women than men, with about a quarter of all women affected.