Efficacy and safety of persimmon leaf formulated with green tea and sophora fruit extracts (BLH308) on hair growth: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that persimmon leaf extract (PLE) has an effect on inflammatory skin diseases. Previously, PLE is revealed to inhibit not only nitric oxide production but also inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression levels in mouse macrophages in vitro. Moreover, it significantly reduced IL‐6 production and 5α‐reductase expression in human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs). This study aimed to determine whether the PLE‐containing BLH308 complex improves hair growth in clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 88 participants were recruited, and were instructed to orally take BLH308 or the placebo twice a day for 24 weeks. The mean age of the test group was 38.52 ± 7.98 years and that of placebo group was 38.98 ± 8.80 years. The study was conducted for 24 weeks, and hair density, thickness, and gloss were evaluated. All participants completed a satisfaction survey questionnaire. RESULTS: The test group showed significantly increased hair density and hair diameter at week 24 compared with the placebo group (p = 0.0015 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Although not statistically significant, the degree of gloss also showed higher improvement in the test group compared to the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that oral consumption of the BLH308 complex containing PLE significantly increased hair density and thickness compared to the placebo group, showing its possible role in promoting hair growth.