HGH & Hair Loss

HGH, a protein produced in the pituitary gland, stimulates growth and cell reproduction. The synthetic form is used for treating deficiency and poor growth in children and adults. HGH may affect hair growth, but some marketing may be deceptive in this respect.

Claims

• HGH can help take a decade off a person's physical appearance, according to TestAmerica.com. It cites clinical testing of HGH as an anti-aging drug because 38 percent of participants reported thicker hair that grew quickly and true to color.

Warning

• Companies sell supplements that trigger and stimulate the pituitary gland to produce and secrete more HGH itself as part of the "anti-aging" market. These claims are unfounded because amino acids taken by mouth do not stimulate growth hormone release, according to Stephen Barrett, M.D. for QuackWatch.com.

Research

• Results of a study on rats suggests that HGH affects intermediate follicles, enlarging them and increasing the number of growing follicles, according to PubMed.gov.

Forms

• HGH therapy is injected into the body by licensed physicians in its "true" form. Nutrition supplement companies sell "growth-hormone releaser" pills for bodybuilders. They are also marketed in this form as anti-aging products for skin and hair rejuvenation.

Controversy

• HGH therapy for children has been a controversial topic for decades because of ethical and social implications, partially due to access and high cost.