Garlic has come up over and over in home remedy and online claim after online claim about hair growth, with videos on social media saying smearing garlic on the scalp can reverse hair loss. But scientific research into garlic's role in hair health paints a far more limited-and specific-picture.
While garlic is researched in the lab setting, there is not any research regarding the use of raw garlic and home remedies using garlic in terms of hair loss in humans.
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What the study focused on
In 2023, researchers published a study in the medical journal Cureus, later indexed by the US National Library of Medicine, to examine whether garlic-derived exosomes could influence hair growth. The study did not test garlic cloves, garlic paste, garlic oil or any household application methods.
These are tiny vesicles secreted by cells, carrying proteins and genetic material. In this work, exosomes isolated from garlic under controlled laboratory conditions were tested on rats by scientists.
Findings from animal testing
Over a six-week period, rats treated with garlic-derived exosomes showed an increase in hair follicles entering the active growth phase compared to untreated animals. Some test groups also showed an increase in follicle thickness.
Changes were recorded in VEGF, and PDGF-regulated biological pathways related to hair growth by researchers.
The research was thus performed on animals only and did not involve any human subjects.
Why this does not support home remedies?
Indeed, researchers indicated that garlic exosome is purified and processed, where irritating compounds are eliminated. In contrast, dermatological reports have cited skin burn, allergic reactions, and contact dermatitis as resulting from the direct application of crude garlic on skin.
It is essential to note that the study in itself does not support the application of garlic topically; it further points out that what could be achieved under laboratory conditions cannot be reproduced by home treatments.
Moreover, the most frequent forms of hair loss in humans are related to genetics, hormones, and ageing-factors which are not considered during animal testing.
Current medical position
Currently, there is no clinical evidence to indicate that any form of garlic treats hair loss in humans. For obvious reasons, doctors maintain reliance on treatments that have a history of long-term clinical data: minoxidil, finasteride and dermatologist-supervised therapies.
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The exosomes derived from garlic are a future research area but cannot be considered a treatment that is proven to work for the purposes of hair regrowth.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose any disease and is not a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment by a qualified physician. Readers are advised to consult a qualified physician for further information.
