Coffee and hair loss: have we found an ally?

Progressive and unforeseen hair loss represents a widely felt problem against which we struggle, still, to find a remedy of certain effectiveness. Alongside drug therapies, which must necessarily be prescribed by a doctor after careful evaluation of the individual case, there is also a wide range of natural remedies that, for some, have helped counter the problem.

Coffee, surprisingly for some, can be a valuable ally against hair loss: in fact, on the one hand there are scientific studies that seem to confirm that caffeine stimulates growth, and on the other it can be used as the basis of compresses and other homemade solutions that bring benefits. Let's see, then, what are the benefits of coffee against hair loss and, in general, what "alternative" uses of the tasty beverage we can employ for our health.

Coffee and hair loss: what does science say?

A study from the University of Jena published in the scientific journal International Journal of Dermatology titled "Effects of caffeine and testosterone on the proliferation of human hair follicles in vitro" highlights how caffeine, a principle found in coffee and other foods, stimulates hair growth, in vitro. A finding that has led to speculation that coffee consumption may indeed be considered a valuable ally against hair loss.

This is not, moreover, the only research along these lines. In fact, a project by the Charité University of Berlin in collaboration with the Peter and Seeber Studio in Hamburg showed, on a group of 39 volunteers of whom 79 percent showed signs of severe hair loss, that caffeine has the ability to penetrate very quickly and effectively inside the follicle. By administering coffee to them, it was found that the rate of hair loss was significantly reduced.

Although these results are very reassuring, the trial is still ongoing and it is too early to say that sufferers should increase their daily coffee intake. In fact, this could expose them to other problems such asinsomnia and the other contraindications associated with blood caffeine abuse.

Treatments and compresses: alternative uses of coffee against hair loss

While it is therefore important not to rush to drink too much coffee with the hope of reducing hair loss, in recent years many cosmetic companies have put caffeine-based products on the market with the same goal.

Grandma's remedies

The original idea, perhaps, was "stolen" from the tradition of grandmothers. In fact, one of the typical home remedies against hair loss involves a massage with lukewarm coffee, preferably very concentrated. An equally effective alternative to improve the condition of the scalp and reduce hair loss is to make a compress with coffee grounds, massaging the head for at least ten minutes and waiting until the grounds are warm before putting them on your head.

Commercial solutions

The products we can find, however, on the market are generally caffeine-based treatments designed to counteract and slow hair loss. The principle is that caffeine stimulates the action of the hair bulbs, consequently improving the internal structure of the hair, which, made stronger and healthier, will tend to fall out less.

Experts recommend combining caffeine treatments with shampoos containing rosemary and lavender, as well as avoiding washing the hair too often and keeping it tied daily: all these elements together, in fact, increase the effectiveness of the action against hair loss.

Coffee as a natural remedy

Speaking of the healing power of coffee, there are also other camps and other opinions that claim that with one espresso a day, administered in the most creative ways, one can even keep the doctor away.

Such is the case with Prince Charles of England, who, a loyal follower of the "Gerson cure," is convinced that the use of enemas of the energizing drink represent a valid preventive therapy for cancer.

Beyond the tales told about the British royal family, the Harvard School of Public Health has shown that people who drink an average amount of coffee daily, between 2 and 4, run a lower risk of suffering from depression.

While Tel Aviv University has given a definite and scientifically based answer to a question that many have asked themselves, at least once: does coffee cause halitosis? Here, the results of the Israeli research are reassuring because they confirm that a cup of espresso does not cause the annoying problem.

Finally, there are those who, in order not to waste a single grain of coffee, have tried using it as a body scrub. It seems that the ideal, in this regard, is to create a mixture with olive oil and that's it. Did you know the power of coffee against hair loss and, in general, as a valuable home health ally?