Journal of Cosmetology & Trichology

Effect of Ageratum topical hair serum on decreasing grey hair in adults: an open-label clinical trial

Abstract

Sedratul Muntha, Silma Subah, Nathasha Bogoda and Amanda Rao*

Canities, more commonly known as greying hair, results from the progressive loss of melanin in the hair shaft due to dysfunction of follicular melanocytes. Oxidative stress has been identified as a major contributor to melanocyte damage and impaired pigmentation. Accordingly, antioxidant-containing formulations, such as Ageratum conyzoides, may help protect melanocytes from oxidative damage. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a topical Ageratum conyzoides formulation on reducing grey hair in adults over a 12-week period. In this 12-week single arm clinical study, a topical hair serum containing 0.5% Ageratum conyzoides was applied to the scalp twice daily. The primary outcome was the change from baseline of grey hair density in a 1cm2 temporal scalp section measured by manual count from digital photographs. Secondary outcome measures included change from baseline of the percentage of grey hairs by scalp region, and results from a hair self-assessment questionnaire. The safety of the serum was also assessed. Daily topical application over 12 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in grey hair density (p<0.05). There was also a significant reduction in grey hair percentage in the temporal, frontal and vertex regions (p<0.05), as well as a significant decrease in the average across scalp regions (p<0.05). Self-assessment showed observations of improved hair thickness and health, darker hair appearance and reduction of grey hair. These results show that daily application of a topical Ageratum conyzoides formulation over 12 weeks improved the appearance of grey hair.