Caffeine Supplementation and Hair: A Systematic Review

November 2025 | Volume 24 | Issue 11 | 8902 | Copyright © November 2025


Published online October 28, 2025

Nathalie Ly MDa, Briana Paiewonsky MDa, Sophia Fruechte DOa, Noah Goldfarb MDa,b, Maria K. Hordinsky MDa, Caitlin Bakker MLIS AHIPc, Neil Sadick MDa,d,e, Suleima Arruda MDe, Ronda S. Farah MDa,b

aDepartment of Dermatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
bDepartments of Medicine and Dermatology, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN
cDr. John Archer Library, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
dWeill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
eSadick Dermatology, New York, NY

Abstract
Background: While caffeine has been proposed to stimulate hair growth, its safety and efficacy remain unclear. This systematic review evaluates the effects of caffeine interventions on hair loss and growth outcomes.
Methods: A systematic review of seven databases, including PubMed, Medline, and Embase, was conducted in August 2023. Original studies investigating caffeine's effects on hair loss were included. Study quality was assessed using the National Institute of Health Study Quality Assessment Tools. Outcomes of interest included caffeine intervention types and their effects on hair growth.
Results: Of 587 citations, nine studies met the inclusion criteria: five randomized controlled trials, three prospective cohort studies, and one twin-twin cohort study. Most studies investigated topical caffeine; one assessed oral caffeine intake. Topical caffeine consistently demonstrated hair growth or reduced hair loss with minimal adverse effects. However, none of the studies used tattooed or marked scalp areas for hair counts.
Conclusions: Caffeine appears to be a safe and promising potential treatment for hair loss. Topical caffeine shows potential as a therapeutic option, though further large-scale randomized controlled trials with standardized outcome measures are needed.

INTRODUCTION

Hair loss is a common dermatologic condition associated with significant psychosocial distress.1 It has been estimated that 50% of men and women suffer from the most common form of hair loss, known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), by the age of 40.2 Other forms of non-scarring alopecia are telogen effluvium (TE) and alopecia areata (AA). Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved hair loss treatments for AGA include topical minoxidil, oral finasteride, and photobiomodulation. Other options are spironolactone, low-dose oral minoxidil, and platelet-rich plasma.3 Specifically for AA, baricitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, also became FDA-approved in June 2022. This was followed by the approval of ritlecitinib in 2023 and deuruxolitinib in 2024. Other options for hair loss include hair transplants or non-medical cosmetic aids such as scalp colorants, wigs, and hair extensions. Limitations such as drug-related side effects or costs of these treatments remain significant barriers to care.

Caffeine, an alkaloid methylxanthine, has been proposed to stimulate hair growth through inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase and phosphodiesterases, non-selectively.4,5 The inhibition of phosphodiesterase leads to increased intracellular adenylate cyclase activity as well as increased cyclic 3',5'‐adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels to provide more energy for the promotion of metabolic and proliferative activities.6 With limited data available on the efficacy of caffeine for hair growth, the objective of this systematic review was to focus on caffeine supplementation and hair growth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed in August 2023 across seven databases, including PubMed, Medline, and Embase via Ovid, Cochrane Library via Wiley, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The search strategy employed a combination of natural language searching
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