Aloe Vera as a Hair Loss Treatment  

There are a number of  herbal supplements out there that claim to work as a treatment for  hair loss.   Whereas there is no question that marketing is over-reaching at best in order to sell a product, the real question that any hair loss sufferer asks is: will this product help combat  baldness or is there any chance that it will  regrow hair?   To date however, it is important to understand that there is no hair loss cure, therefore  realistic expectations must be kept when considering any hair restoration product.

Below I decided to take a look at an herbal supplement that has been said to combat hair loss.   This product is an “active” ingredient in a few hair loss remedies such as HairMax MD.    Aloe Vera  is also sold as a stand alone product  in local drug stores.  

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera, native to Northern Africa, is a short stemmed plant approximately 90 cm tall. Its leaves are thick and fleshy, grayish green in color. Aloe produces a yellowish flower on a spike toward the top.

Aloe Vera is typically used to treat various skin conditions including cuts and scrapes, and very commonly used for burns such as excessive sunburn. The sap from the Aloe Vera plant allegedly eases pain and reduces inflammation though the evidence that it facilitates wound healing is seemingly contradictory.   For those who have undergone hair transplantation, Aloe Vera is typically used to help with postoperative redness and alleviate scalp dryness, dandruff, and itchiness.

In particular about Aloe Vera and hair loss, I have found a number of websites that promote and sell herbal products claiming that Aloe Vera may be a benefit to balding individuals, yet I have not found any scientific evidence of it being studied as a hair loss medication . A few additional websites seemed to reference that such studies exist, but the studies themselves are seemingly impossible to find. According to those promoting these herbal hair loss products, Native Americans and Caribbeans have used Aloe Vera to promote healthy hair and supposedly prevent hair loss long ago. It allegedly works to promote scalp health by balancing pH levels and cleansing the pores.

Despite the claims however, in my research, I have not come across any clinical studies for Aloe Vera as an effective hair loss treatment.

Conclusion:

There are a number of supposed hair loss treatments out there without any real clinical evidence of efficacy.   In my opinion, Aloe Vera seems to be one of them.

In my opinion, it would be better to stick to the hair loss drugs that have been proven: Propecia (finasteride), and  Rogaine 5% (minoxodil). As an adjunct hair restoration treatment, Nizoral shampoo  or Revita shampoo  both containing active ingredient ketoconazole  may also be helpful.

Bill Seemiller
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

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