The title of this blog may sound silly, but the reality is that this is precisely what you need if you are struggling with hair loss or thinning hair. There are many different thoughts on how to approach hair loss, some of which can be downright crazy. A recent study on a new dietary supplement ingredient (ACTRISAVETM) appears to have the solution for helping grow more and lose less hair. Before we dive into my findings on ACTRISAVETM, let’s take a closer look at what may be happening beneath the surface of hair loss.
Statistics[i]
- Around 85% of men and 33% of women sometimes face hair loss. This problem is more common than you might think. Male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia makes up around 95% of male hair loss cases.
- Over 65% of American men will have hair loss of various degrees by age thirty-five. By age fifty, around 85% of men will have signs of thinning hair.
If those numbers aren’t bad enough, hair loss also affects other areas of our lives. Emotional effects also occur, including decreased self-esteem, depression, and impact on career and relationships. About the last two points, 40% of women suffering from alopecia have had problems in their marriage due to hair loss, and around 63% claim to experience issues related to their careers.[ii]
What contributes to hair loss?
Many factors can disrupt the hair growth cycle and cause hair loss. These factors include:
- Stress
- Medication
- Thyroid disease
- Radiation/Chemotherapy
- Hormonal and nutritional imbalances
- Certain skin diseases
- Genetics
Phases of Hair Growth
To best understand why ACTRISAVETM caught my attention, we must look at the first three phases of the hair growth cycle: Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.
1st Phase: Anagen
The anagen phase is also referred to as the growth phase and is the beginning of the hair formation and growth process. This phase is the longest and can last up to 5 years for the hairs on your head. At any point, approximately 90 percent of your hair is in this phase. The average hair on your head grows at about ½ inch per month. In this phase, hair papilla cells play a pivotal role in hair formation, growth, and cycling.[iii]
2ND Phase: Catagen
The catagen phase begins when the anagen phase ends and lasts 7 to 10 days. The catagen phase is a transition phase where the hair stops growing and becomes detached from the base of the hair follicle. Approximately 1-3 percent of your follicles are in this stage.
3rd Phase: Telogen
The telogen phase is a resting period when strands remain in their follicles but are not actively growing because they have been cut off from the blood supply. This phase lasts approximately three months, and an estimated 10% of your hairs are in the telogen phase at any given time.
While the final phase (Exogen) is not critical to our discussion, I thought it would be good to understand the whole cycle. The exogen is when hair is released from the follicle and falls out. When this occurs, the process can start all over again.
What do these phases mean for hair loss?
In those who have androgenic alopecia (better known as male pattern baldness), the anagen phase decreases, and the telogen phase either remains the same or increases. The comparison of the two is called the anagen: telogen ratio. If the amount of time spent in the anagen phase decreases and the amount of time in the telogen phase either increases or remains the same, this leads to more hair loss.
What is ACTRISAVETM?
ACTRISAVETM blends two ingredients common to the Mediterranean, black rice and prickly pear cactus flowers. This synergistic blend provides both powerful anthocyanins (antioxidants), which are found in the dark-colored pigments of brown rice, with the high content of flavonoids of the prickly pear cactus flowers (PPCF). Flavonoids are naturally occurring plant compounds that, in the case of PPCF, offer benefits for skin/scalp moisture and immune support. This one-two punch produces a synergistic impact for both skin and hair.
What’s the Science Say?
In a recent seven-month study,[iv] ACTRISAVETM proved to provide benefits to hair growth in several areas:
- ACTRISAVETM supplementation raised the anagen percentage up to 80.3%
- ACTRISAVETM improved the anagen: telogen ratio by:
- 7% at three months
- 8% at six months.
- Clinical experts scoring of the hair growth cycle showed improvements of 63.4% at three months, 95.1% at six months, and 87.7% at seven months (even after completion of the supplement)
- Self-assessment scoring (product is effective at increasing hair growth):
- 8% of the people at three months
- 3% at six months
- 9% at seven months
- One Month post-supplementation, the results were almost stable.
- 3% of the subjects noticed the first results after one or two months of taking the supplement.
While there are no magic solutions to male pattern baldness, ACTRISAVETM does offer solid science for those seeking a natural approach. My preferred method for addressing most health challenges is supporting the body from the inside out. Since cells (hairs in this case) grow from the inside out, providing sound nutritional support with an ingredient like ACTRISAVETM is a great start.
References:
[i] Medihair website, Hair Loss Statistics (2023), https://medihair.com/en/hair-loss-statistics/, published 2022, accessed July 10, 2023
[ii] Medihair website, Hair Loss Statistics (2023), https://medihair.com/en/hair-loss-statistics/, published 2022, accessed July 10, 2023
[iii] Matsuzaki T, Yoshizato K. Role of hair papilla cells on induction and regeneration processes of hair follicles. Wound Repair Regen. 1998 Nov-Dec;6(6):524-30. doi: 10.1046/j.1524-475x.1998.60605.x. PMID: 9893172.
[iv] Cestone, Enza, Eleonora Spartà, Vincenzo Nobile and Vincenzo Zaccaria, et al. “Efficacy of Oryza Sativa L. (Black Rice) and Opuntia Ficus Indica L. Blend in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.” J Cosmo Tricho 9 (2023): 207.