Green Tea Extract and Hair Growth: Mechanism of Action

With more and more people being mindful of what they put in their bodies, the benefits of certain foods and drinks are coming to the forefront.

Green tea has long been thought to have multiple benefits when used regularly. Dating back more than 5,000 years and originating in South Asia, green tea is brewed from unfermented, unprocessed camellia Sinensis leaves.

Rich in antioxidant polyphenols, green tea can improve brain function, promote weight loss, control blood sugar levels, and even reduce hemp to manage cholesterol and reduce heart disease risks.

But did you know green tea extract can help promote hair growth? This article will explore the potential benefits of green tea extract used in scalp and hair care products and its scientific evidence supporting the inclusion in Divi’s Scalp Serum.

Hair Loss Causes

Many hair care products on the market are tasked with stimulating the regrowth of hair follicles or minimizing the risk of hair loss. These products will have varying levels of success, so Divi’s Scalp Serum uses a blend of high-quality ingredients that all boast potential benefits to stimulate and improve scalp, follicle and hair health.

There are three stages to the hair growth cycle: anagen, catagen and telogen. The anagen phase sees active hair growth, catagen is the transitional phase, and telogen is when the hair has stopped growing and goes into a resting phase before shedding.

After hair sheds, the hair growth cycle will typically start again unless it is inhibited. Several types of alopecia can affect a person's ability to grow hair. The most common type of alopecia is androgenetic alopecia and is more commonly referred to as male-pattern hair loss and female-pattern hair loss.

Involutional alopecia is the gradual thinning of hair as people get older, and alopecia areata is the name of patchy hair loss that can affect young adults and children. Other forms of alopecia include scarring alopecia, alopecia universalis and telogen effluvium, which is when the natural hair growth cycle is disrupted, leading to more excellent shedding.

There are many causes of hair loss that can affect men, women, and children of all ages.

Hormone Levels

Abnormal hormone levels can cause hair loss in men and women. Certain drugs can cause issues with hormone levels, as can childbirth, menopause and the menstrual cycle in women.

Genes

In some cases, male-pattern hair loss and female-pattern hair loss can be hereditary and passed down through the genes.

Stress, Illness and Conditions

High-stress levels, illness, or conditions such as anemia, diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus and eating disorders can cause hair loss.

Diet

A diet lacking the necessary nutrients can impact your ability to grow hair.

Medication

Certain drugs, such as chemotherapy, blood thinners and birth control medication, can cause hair loss.

Poor Hair Maintenance

Poor hair care can also lead to hair loss, especially if bleaching, braiding, dying and other harsh treatments are used.

What is Green Tea Extract?

Green tea extract is typically taken from leaf scraps, a bi-product of the tea processing industry. Techniques include using solvents such as acetone, alcohol or hot water before spraying, emulsification, or freeze-drying the tea leaf scraps.

This results in a concentrated mixture of decaffeinated polyphenols and is usually found as a supplement in powder or capsule form.

Why is Green Tea Extract Important to Hair Growth?

Green tea extract has many potential benefits. The primary catechin in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), can inhibit dihydrotestosterone, and testosterone levels can help slow hair loss. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can also stimulate hair follicles and prevent hair cell and skin damage.

Oxygen delivery and blood flow can also be improved by using green tea extract, as can skin hydration.

The Benefits of Green Tea Extract

The high level of antioxidants present in green tea leaf extract help to reduce the signs of aging and cell damage by reducing oxidative stress in the body. Antioxidants can also help reduce blood pressure by decreasing artery inflammation. Green tea leaf extract can improve brain function by enhancing cognitive connections.

The catechins in green tea leaf extract help regulate hormones, enhancing thermogenesis and resulting in potential weight loss. This is when the body digests food and produces heat by burning calories.

Catechins are also known to reduce inflammation, and lowering enzyme levels in the liver can improve liver health. Antioxidants in EGCG can help to balance cell death and production. This has the potential to lower the risk of certain cancers.

When it comes to improving the quality of the skin, green tea leaf extract has been shown to produce improvements. This improves appearance and hair health as the scalp is healthier and moisturized.

The antioxidants in green tea leaf extract can improve recovery after exercise and reduce muscle fatigue. Blood sugar tolerance can also be improved by the catechins found in green tea leaf extract and EGCG.

Conditions Helped by Green Tea Extract

Divi uses high-quality, clean ingredients shown to improve scalp and hair health, including green tea extract! This can stimulate hair growth and minimize the risk of hair thinning symptoms.

Scalp and Skin Related Issues

Green tea extract has high antioxidant and soothing, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial properties to help with the overall quality of your skin and scalp.

Some of the symptoms green tea leaf extract can help to minimize include:

• Itching scalp
• Dry scalp
• Dandruff
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Folliculitis
• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Sensitive scalp

Hair Loss

Improving skin and scalp health promotes better blood flow and hydration, allowing hair follicles to thrive and enjoy the nutrients and conditions needed to promote hair growth. In green tea extract, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been shown to protect hair cells and stimulate follicles.

It can also inhibit hormones shown to cause hair loss and have a calming effect on the brain, which is beneficial for physical stimuli capable of causing hair loss or damage.

Below are some of the hair loss types that can be reduced by implementing a scalp and hair care regime consisting of green tea extract:

• Male-pattern baldness
• Alopecia
• Alopecia areata
• Female-pattern hair loss
• Telogen effluvium
• Traction alopecia
• Trichotillomania
• Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
• Frontal fibrosing alopecia
• Receding hair

Female Hair Loss

While female hair loss can occur due to several reasons that also affect males, the following causes of hair loss can be slowed or reduced by some of the ingredients in Divi’s Scalp Serum, including green tea extract:

• Post-pregnancy hair loss
• Menopausal hair loss

The Side Effects of Green Tea Extract

Side effects associated with green tea tend to be more typically associated with caffeine. Because green tea leaf extract does not contain caffeine, it is unlikely to cause any issues.

Divi's Scalp Serum formula has been carefully developed and dermatologist-tested to ensure the correct balance of all the ingredients, meaning any chance of side effects is minimal.

Green Tea Extract and Healthy Hair Growth: What Does Science Say?

A 2017 study conducted ten subjects taking a supplement containing green tea leaf extract over 24 weeks. Eight of 10 (80%) of the subjects recorded a significant improvement in hair growth.

Studies like this are helpful in some respects, but because the supplement used contained other ingredients, more research would be required to determine the benefits of green tea leaf extract alone.

A more specific study from 2011 found the application of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) reduced hair loss in mice by slowing down the telogen hair cycle phase.

A 2006 hair growth study noted significant hair growth among participants with alopecia. In this case, ECGC was applied directly to the scalps of the test subjects.

ECGC can stimulate the hair follicle and prevent hair cell and skin damage. This can lead to improved hair growth in some cases.

Hair requires good blood flow to receive the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow and strengthen. Research has found that green tea extract can help increase skin blood flow which helps to deliver oxygen.

Other tests noted a marked improvement in the skin hydration of test subjects. These findings confirmed that nutrient and oxygen delivery to the skin and scalp is integral to hair growth. Many tests have been carried out to show green tea extract has the potential to help against hair loss and promote hair growth.

Which of Divi’s Products Contain Green Tea Extract?

Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract can be found in Divi’s dermatologist-approved, highly rated Scalp Serum, which is one of our banner products for improving your scalp.

How to Use Divi’s Scalp Serum

Divi's Scalp Serum should be applied to the scalp each day where results are desired, or throughout the scalp. This can be done in the evening or morning and massaged into towel-dried or dry hair. Divi’s Scalp Serum is a leave-in scalp product, so you don’t have to worry about rinsing or removing it after application. Just apply 1ml to the scalp and go about your day or go to sleep with confidence that green tea extract – and other ingredients – are fast at work.

Order your bottle of Divi’s Scalp Serum to begin giving your scalp and hair follicles the care they need and deserve.