Although hair loss is normal, noticing more hair in the shower drain during particularly difficult periods – a break up, job loss – is increasingly common.
Hair loss is becoming more prevalent in younger generations, with studies confirming that millennials are more likely to experience premature hair loss than their parents.1
Hair health is considered more than just a cosmetic concern; it is intertwined with self-identity, body image, and confidence. With connotations of youth and vitality associated with hair, its loss is often coupled with psychological distress. While most people chalk this up to bad luck or genetics, the science points to a more specific cause: cortisol.
The hair growth cycle consists of four phases: anagen (active growth); catagen (transition); telogen (resting); and exogen (shedding). The first three phases cover the growth and maturation of hair and the activity of the hair follicles that produce individual hairs. During its final ‘exogen’ phase, the hair sheds.
While, in most cases, new hair is ready to take its place after shedding, this is not always the case. On a healthy scalp, approximately 90% of hairs are in anagen at any given time. Stress disrupts this balance.
Stress is the most common, and least addressed, cause of hair loss. Thanks to increasing research into stress-related hair loss, a precise biological mechanism has been identified which connects chronic stress to disrupted hair growth – also known as telogen effluvium. Typically only 15% of the scalp is in the shedding phase; telogen effluvium increases this by 30% or more.2
Cortisol, when chronically elevated, has a direct suppressive effect on hair follicle activity. It shortens the anagen phase, pushes more follicles prematurely into telogen, and reduces the anagen-to-telogen ratio. The result is increased shedding and slower regrowth. Often, this can turn into a vicious cycle: hair loss itself becomes a stressor, further elevating cortisol and compounding the disruption of hair follicles.
With hair loss products often targeting the follicle or scalp surface, the neuroendocrine trigger is often left untreated. As cortisol dysregulation is driving the cycle of disruption that causes telogen effluvium, it is important to treat the problem at its root. This has created a key gap in the market.
Ashwagandha: Managing cortisol levels
The goal is not to completely eliminate cortisol. Cortisol is an essential, life-sustaining steroid hormone which effects almost every organ and tissue in the body. It can play an important role in regulating glucose use, decreasing inflammation, regulating blood pressure and helping to control the sleep-wake cycle.3
Adaptogens provide an ideal balance here. Moving away from cortisol-blocking claims, the goal of these solutions is to reduce the downstream damage cortisol causes, including its impact on the hair growth cycle.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is the most clinically studied candidate for hair application, particularly root-derived forms like KSM-66 Ashwagandha. Used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years as a rasayana – a rejuvenating tonic – ashwagandha is now the subject of a modern rigorous clinical trial programme with published results in peer-reviewed dermatology journals.
KSM-66 Ashwagandha is a full-spectrum root extract standardized to a minimum of 5% withanolides – the primary active compound class (verified via HPLC testing). This is the highest concentration of root-only extract currently available on the market and is the defining factor which differentiates KSM-66 Ashwagandha from commodity ashwagandha powders.
Another differentiation is its cosmetic grade (COS) processing. The same plant, but processed differently, performs very differently in hair and skin formulations. COS-grade processing is specialized manufacturing, refining, and handling of ingredients which ensures strict safety, purity, and quality standards are met and suitable for topical applications.
KSM-66 Ashwagandha’s COS-grade processing is based on ‘green chemistry’ principles which are designed to maintain the natural balance of the plants’ constituents without using alcohol or chemical solvents, relevant for clean-beauty and sustainability-conscious consumers.
What does the clinical evidence show?
Topical application
A 75-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial applied standardized KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract serum to adults with moderate hair loss.4 With no adverse effects, the results showed a 4.64%, 7.28%, 3.55%, and 4.83% improvement in hair density, hair growth, hair thickness, and anagen percentage, respectively. Additionally, the hair specific skindex-29 scores for symptom scores, function scores, emotional scores, and total scores were reduced significantly by 16.81%, 21.14%, 12.49%, and 17.82%, respectively.
A 90-day trial including 60 participants evaluated the efficacy and safety of KSM-66 Ashwagandha serum on hair.5 Results showed a 12.14% and 9.34% reduction in hair loss in both hair with bulb count and hair without bulb count respectively. There was also a 17.60% reduction in the telogen percentage and an overall reduction of 9.47% in the anagen and telogen ratio.
Improvement in emotional wellbeing
The impact of hair loss on mental health is well documented. Therefore, an ingredient that can improve clinical biomarkers as well as emotional wellbeing is extremely meaningful. The results of these studies are significant as they show both topical and oral administration of KSM-66 Ashwagandha result in less distress, improved confidence, and reduced psychological burden in relation to hair loss.
Managing cortisol at a stabilized level is key to reducing the effects of telogen effluvium. And as consumers increasingly seek a holistic approach to managing hair loss, root-derived forms of ashwagandha are perfectly positioned to promote both hair health and quality of life.
References
- Belgravia Centre. Why Young People Are Experiencing More Hair Loss Than Usual.
- British Association of Dermatologists. Telogen effluvium.
- Cleveland Clinic. Cortisol.
- Yerram, C.; et al. Effects of Withania somnifera root extract serum application on hair health in healthy adults: A prospective, double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled study. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2023; 14(6), 100817.
- A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized, Parallel, Placebo Controlled Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Serum Application on the Hair Health in Healthy Adults. (Under Peer Review).
