Do Ginger and Green Tea Stop Hair Loss from Male Pattern Baldness?'

Name: Esmaeel

Question: I recently downloaded an e-book regarding the regrowth hair loss program. The content of this book suggest using quercetin (in green tea) and gingerol (in ginger) to stop hair loss and regrow the hair. Do you approve such claims? I would be highly appreciated to know about your home use treatment program. I am suffering from the male pattern baldness (Androgenic alopecia)

Answer: Hi, Esmaeel. We are not aware of the specific ebook or hair loss programme you are referring to, however, these are commonly touted natural 'remedies' for androgenetic alopecia.

Quercetin has not been proven to have any beneficial effects on hair loss and, whilst green tea does contain quercetin, it is in relatively small amounts. Raw caper berries, by comparison, contain far higher levels, having 234mg per 100g versus green tea's 2mg per 100g. The reason green tea is often claimed to be beneficial to people with thinning hair is due to the leaves' anti-inflammatory properties. A study using mice found that drinking green tea could reduce stress and, therefore, by reducing stress - a key trigger and accelerant of hairloss - could reduce shedding and help promote normal hair growth.

Ginger is another anecdotal DIY natural hair loss remedy with various myths suggesting it should be eaten, applied to the scalp as a paste or used to massage the scalp in order to encourage hair growth. Again, these come from the fact that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties but, in addition to having no proven hair growth benefits, ginger has also been linked to skin irritation when applied topically.

Whilst including these ingredients in your food as part of a healthy, balanced diet should not do you any harm, they will have no effects on your hair loss condition. There is no dietary cure for male pattern baldness - the only MHRA licensed and FDA approved methods of dealing with male hair loss involve two key medications: finasteride 1mg and minoxidil. These are the only proven products designed to, respectively, inhibit the underlying cause of male pattern hair loss - an inherited sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - and promote hair growth, and they can be used individually or together.

Additional hair growth supporting products may also be used alongside these clinically-proven medications as part of a custom hair loss treatment course. These range from handheld laser devices to Hair Vitalics food supplements containing an array of highly targeted nutrients, including biotin, selenium and zinc, for the maintenance of normal healthy hair growth and scalp care.