Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain in response to darkness. It helps regulate hormones and maintain the body’s circadian rhythm. i.e., the sleep-wake cycle.
There are a number of new reports that suggest that melatonin has some benefits for those sufferring from hair loss and thinning. Make sure to also read my post on natural supplements for scalp hair growth.
The sale of melatonin supplements witnessed a major surge during the pandemic due to an explosion of cases of insomnia. Production of this important hormone declines with age.
Melatonin and Hair Growth
In a recent article on First for Women, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jose Diego Mier praised topical melatonin for its hair growth effects. Among the interesting reasons he mentioned (some proven, some not) include:
- Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that can be used to protect hair follicles from oxidative stress. This includes from exposure to pollution and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- The presence of melatonin receptors on the scalp suggests that this hormone has a role in hair cell growth.
- Melatonin may extend the anagen growth phase of the hair cycle and also act as a counter to dihydrotestosteone (DHT).
- There are not enough studies to draw any firm conclusions. However, per Dr. Mier, from what scientists can see now, it is clear that melatonin positively affects hair quality.
Recent Studies
A March 2023 literature review identified 11 human studies that included subjects with alopecia who were also applying topical melatonin. Eight of the studies noted positive outcomes after topical melatonin use in subjects with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) compared with controls.
Improved scalp hair growth was reported in all eight studies, improved hair density in four, and increased hair shaft thickness in two. Both topical and oral melatonin were utilized depending on study. Topical can take the form of serum, solution, cream and spray.
A May 2022 study from South Korea found that melatonin increasesthe volume of human dermal papilla spheroids by activating the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway. This in turn induced hair regrowth. These results revealed that melatonin plays a role in human dermal papilla cells.
In July 2020, scientists from Poland published an important paper titled: “Hormonal effects on hair follicles.” Section 3.5 in the paper is devoted to melatonin. I found the links to prolactin and estrogen of interest:
- Melatonin can directly and indirectly regulate hair growth. The direct effect is via the modulation of the serum prolactin.
- An important activity of melatonin is its ability to modulate the response of hair follicles to estrogens.
Why do they do these experiments? Topical melatonin I’m sure gives you a full head of hair…
Bro when is stemsons therapeutics going to start human trials they’ve been doing pig trials for Three years now. It feels like there not going to start human trials until around 2025-2026.and where’s junji Fukuda he said he was going to start human trials for his hair cloning method using French Fry oil this year! And nothing has happened he’s not even close to starting human trials why does he have to get everyone’s hopes up like that?… And shouldn’t Dr tsuji be starting human trials also right about now if he said he wanted his hair cloning technology out by 2026 how’s is that supposed to happen how is that even feasible when Dr tsuji hasn’t done any human trials yet and he’s not even close to to starting anything. And dnovo promised the world to us balding people and they just disappeared!we never heard from them again.
The sleep cycle impacts stress, cortisol and the release of various hormones. Not surprising that melatonin can impact the hair growth cycle.
They always come with these off brand treatments that supposedly ameliorate androgenic alopecia but No RESULTS….. no one cares about Male Pattern baldness and our suffering and it’s sad, like WHAT BRAND OF TOPICAL MELATONIN. Where can the general public find it throw us a bone please!!
I tried this from Murray Ave RX, did nothing. Susan the owner never met a treatment that she didn’t like and could generate revenue off of.
baldness will be cured by artificial intelligence, almost there …
Pfffff I haven’t heard of anyone using it yet specifically for hair loss or hair cloning. Junji Fukuda was supposed to start human trials this year with his French Fry oil, but nothing happened,neither is Dr tsuji! We all have to wait until 2031 for stemsons therapeutics,hopefully dnovo gets hair cloning down by then but I doubt they’ll even exist by then.
I think lorence was being sarcastic, but there recently has been – https://www.life-code.ai/haircare
I wasn’t being sarcastic, within 10 years thanks to AI we’ll be able to cure many things.
Off topic (sorry admin) but I’m getting over covid (second time with it and it was terrible this time around but I’ll live). What’s interesting is, my hair is insanely thinner. Like noticeably. I hope to heck it goes back to the way it was. Unreal if this is from covid. I can’t think of anything else it could be from. In five days?! Crazy.
When is stemsons therapeutics going to start human trials already they’ve been doing pig trials for several years now, when is junji Fukuda going to start human trials too and Dr tsuji. Scube3 is not a real cure only hair cloning is.