Study: Could CBD help with alopecia?

A new study on alopecia revealed that topical CBD use over time may help with regrowth. It could offer an alternative, non-invasive treatment for the condition.

Androgenetic alopecia can sometimes be referred to as female or male pattern baldness. It can cause thin or bald patches across the head. There are different forms of alopecia such as alopecia areata that can cause hair to fall out in patches, these may connect becoming noticeable. It develops when the immune system attacks the hair follicles. It may also affect eyebrows, eyelashes and face while developing over time.

Alopecia study

The researchers stated that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may be involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating inflammatory response and regenerative progress.

The endocannabinoid system has three core components: endocannabinoids, receptors and enzymes. These receptors can be found throughout the body. Endocannabinoids bind to them to send signals that the system needs to be active and do something. The main two receptors are CB1 which is found in the central nervous system and CB2 in the peripheral nervous system. Cannabinoids are thought to bind or influence these receptors.

All of these receptors relate to hair follicle function. Researchers examined if blocking the CB1 receptor on the hair follicle with CBD could have a result in hair shaft elongation. They noted that the effects are dose-dependent and higher doses may have a different effect.

This study was conducted to determine if daily topical application of hemp oil high in CBD concentration would result in significant hair regrowth in the area of the scalp most affected by androgenetic alopecia (AGA)

Alopecia treatment

The study took 35 participants with AGA and gave them a once-daily topical dose of CBD. This was on average 3 to 4 mg per day for six months. The researchers conducted a hair count of the greatest areas of alopecia before treatment and after six months. To facilitate this,  a clear acrylic mould with a cut out was made of each person’s head.

When it came to results, the men reported more regrowth than women and the vertex area did better than the temporal ones. vertex transition point refers to the area where the scalp goes from a horizontal to vertical while the temporal areas. There was an increased average of 95 percent in non-vellus hair after six months of daily use. All subjects reported some regrowth with no adverse effects.

The researchers felt that the CBD treatment offered comparable effects to other treatments on the market and could be used alongside them to maximise the effects. However, they stressed this combination would need further testing.

The authors wrote: “Topical CBD formulation has comparable results to finasteride and comparable results to 5% minoxidil once daily foam. Since the CBD works through novel mechanisms different from finasteride and minoxidil, it can be used in conjunction with these current drugs and would be expected to have synergistic effects.”

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