Is There Scientific Evidence that Panax Promotes Hair Growth?

Abstract

In cosmetology, although the use of natural products can be considered as a fancy, research related to the hair growth has been considered. Some synthetic products, as minoxidil and finasteride have been used to stimulate the hair. However, several important side effects have been reported with these drugs. Natural products are gaining popularity mainly due to, in general, their fewer side effects and better formulation strategies. Hair loss is a dermato logic disorder and urges the necessity of alternative treatments with hair growth promoting potential, as the medicinal plants. Among the medicinal plants used to treat the hair loss and to promote the hair growth, there is the Panax ginseng. The purpose of this study was to review the published researches concerning the use of Panax ginseng in investigations involving the hair growth using the PubMed database. Eight studies have reached the inclusion criteria to be analyzed. Considering the selected papers, there is a predominance of experimental procedures with the compound ginsenoside. The aim of the works was mainly related to investigation on the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for hair growth in presence of Panax gin seng or a compound related to this natural product. The number of publications in PubMed with the keyword Panax ginseng involving hair growth is about 0.43 %. The results indicate that Panax ginseng has stood out as a promising natural source with relevant effects in treatment of hair loss, despite the small number of publications selected involving the keywords “Panax ginseng” AND “hair loss”. Putting together the findings, it is concluded that the use of Panax ginseng and its chemical products could be an important strategy to manage the loss hair.