Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients in Hair Loss Shampoos

While the best hair loss shampoos contain ketoconazole, a topical anti-fungal ingredient that is clinically proven to topically inhibit the synthesis of Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT (the primary hormone responsible for hair loss), the best hair loss shampoos should also contain a variety of anti-inflammatory ingredients.

There are two reasons for this.

The first reason is to prevent drying of the scalp. Ketoconazole, while moderately to extremely effective at preventing androgen-related hair loss, is often quite harsh on the scalp. Ketoconazole is actually a high-powered anti-fungal ingredient that helps prevent dandruff. Ketoconazole is considered so strong that the 2% version is available by prescription only.

Thousands of people figured out that an anti-dermatitis shampoo would help prevent male pattern baldness — especially body-builders and athletes who were experiencing hair loss from steroids. While this type of shampoo is effective, it does not contain any anti-inflammatory ingredients and even the labels suggest that it is not ideal for daily use. Anti-inflammatory and moisturising ingredients can prevent ketoconazole-induced dry scalp.

The second reason is that anti-inflammatory ingredients may help prevent hair loss. While the hormone DHT is undoubtedly the main culprit of pattern balding, a seldom-discussed component of hair loss is inflammation. DHT, by nature, is a very inflammatory hormone. This inflammation disrupts the normal growth of scalp hairs.

Since the body of research linking inflammation to hair loss is just developing, this is in no way to suggest that simply lowering inflammation (with reducing scalp or systematic DHT) on your scalp will prevent genetic hair loss. Unfortunately, certain ‘anti-hair loss’ shampoos that do not combat DHT or address the hormonal pathways of genetic alopecia claim that they will reduce hair loss because they contain certain moisturising or anti-inflammatory properties. These are not among the best hair loss shampoos and will not work.

The combination of topical ketoconazole with anti-inflammatory moisturising ingredients will prevent androgen DHT-related hair loss and prevent your scalp from becoming dried out. Shampoos containing anti-inflammatory and moisturising ingredients prevent dry scalp and may help further minimise hair loss.

These ingredients include: emu oil, jojoba seed oil and cocamidopropyl betaine, among several others. Scientists found that emu oil, when topically applied, reduces inflammation in CD-1 mice.

Jojoba seed oil has a clinically significant protective effect on the conditioning on Afro-ethnic hair chemically treated with thioglycolate-based straightening emulsion.

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a more common ingredient. It can be found as a moisturising ingredient in most shampoos. Like emu oil and jojoba seed oil, it is clinically proven to reduce inflammation when it is topically applied.