Propolis: A New Superfood for Hair Loss

When men and women suddenly find less hair on their heads than in the past, they often panic. Losing hair can be stressful and influence a person’s self-esteem- not to mention the recent studies that link hair loss with a higher risk of developing health problems like heart disease.

With so much social pressure on women and men to have full, healthy heads of hair, it is no wonder that losing hair can cause stress. But wait, stress is also a cause of hair loss!

Although your first instinct may be to reach for a bottle of Rogaine at the first sign of impending baldness, you may want to hold off on purchasing that bottle of hair growth potion after reading about the new hair regrowth study from Japan.

A new study conducted by Japanese scientists and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2014 has found that a substance made by bees- called propolis, may be beneficial in reversing the signs of hair loss when it was tested on mice.

How can a product made by bees help prevent hair loss? Find out more about this curious connection below.

What is Propolis?

Propolis is a substance made by bees as a coating for beehives. Propolis is a wax-like substance that has a similar effect to caulking, which is used to make the hive air and weather tight. Propolis is made mainly from tree sap and is high in compounds known as flavonoids, which are extremely beneficial for the health of the body in numerous ways. Studies show that propolis has strong antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-microorganism properties.

In the past, propolis has been used to treat many health conditions, particularly for wound treatment, respiratory illnesses, and oral hygiene.

How can Propolis Prevent Hair Loss?

The researchers in the 2014 study on hair loss wanted to know if propolis extract could encourage the growth of hair in mice. The mice were shaved and then half were given a topical application of propolis. The mice given the propolis treatment grew their hair back faster.

The researchers stated that since some hair loss is linked to inflammation, applying a soothing anti-inflammatory topical treatment could prevent some permanent hair loss that some women and men face as they age. The researchers found that not only did the mice with propolis treatments have faster hair growth, the propolis actually increased the number of cells engaged in hair growth.

“These results indicate that propolis stimulates hair growth by inducing hair keratinocyte proliferation,” the researchers concluded. This indicates that in some cases, propolis may help stimulate the growth of hair follicles that have stopped producing hair- causing hair to grow even in balding individuals.

Human Testing

The Japanese study only examined the effects of hair re-growth on mice that could already grow hair- not on balding mice or balding humans. More testing is necessary before researchers can prove whether propolis can help regrow hair in balding individuals. However, as propolis is a natural product that is easy to obtain, it cannot hurt to try a topical treatment in hopes of reducing inflammation and encouraging hair to grow again.

Where to Find Propolis

Propolis is sold in health food stores across the country and online in various forms, including powders, capsules, ointments, and creams. For best results, either make your own cream using powdered propolis and a carrier oil or try to find raw propolis in resin form and apply it directly to the skin. Some individuals have an allergic reaction to the ingredients in propolis. Before applying propolis to a large area of the body, test for a reaction on a small area of the skin first.

Propolis: Part of a Healthy Hair Growth Plan

Although no studies have directly examined how propolis resin may benefit balding women and men, the preliminary studies indicate that it may be a viable option for men and women who want to re-grow their hair. In combination with the other steps outlined above, propolis can provide the last level of protection that can prevent hair loss and regrow healthy hair in abundance.