This study compares the effect of Alpecin Caffeine Liquid with a 5 % Minoxidil solution in men with hereditary hair loss after 6 months of use. After using Alpecin Caffeine Liquid, hair root activity increased by 11 %, while Minoxidil showed an improvement of 12 %.
Statistical analyses confirm the non-inferiority of caffeine compared to Minoxidil and demonstrate that Alpecin Caffeine Liquid is an effective alternative to the medicinal treatment of hereditary hair loss.
Millions of men worldwide suffer from the effects of hereditary hair loss. Currently, various medications (including Minoxidil) are approved by the drug regulatory authority to treat hair loss. However, these come with significant side effects.
For this reason, alternative hair care products from the cosmetic sector that do not have side effects are desirable. Findings from long-standing Dr. Kurt Wolff research show that a specially developed caffeine complex strengthens weakened hair roots and prevents hereditary hair loss.
In this randomised, open-label, non-inferiority study, the hair root activity of the participants was examined using a special "trichogram". The participants used either Alpecin Caffeine Liquid or Minoxidil for six months.
The randomised, open-label, non-inferiority study was conducted with 210 men aged between 18 and 55 years with hereditary hair loss. The test products used were caffeine-containing Alpecin Caffeine Liquid and a 5 % Minoxidil solution, which is used as a medicinal treatment for hair loss. The products were applied daily by the respective participants over a period of 6 months. The assessment of hair loss intensity was conducted using a so-called trichogram. The proportion of "active" hairs (AR, anagen hairs) was determined at the beginning, then after 3 and 6 months of application.
Over the entire application period, an improvement in hair activity was demonstrated, so that overall, after using both products, more hairs in the "active" state (the so-called growth phase) could be measured than at the beginning of the application.
After 6 months of using the caffeine-containing Alpecin Caffeine Liquid, it was shown that the ratio of "active" hairs was improved by 11 %. The use of Minoxidil (5 %) resulted in an improvement of 12 %.
Dhurat R, Chitallia J, May TW, Jayaraaman AM, Madhukara J, Anandan S, Vaidya P, Klenk A. (2017): Skin Pharmacol Physiol. ;30(6):298-305.
