Progress in the mechanism of probiotics in alleviating hair loss based on the gut-skin axis theory

Abstract:

The increase in people’s life pressure makes many men in the middle age suffer from hair loss, even alopecia areata or alopecia totalis, in which androgenetic alopecia is the most common. The occurrence of androgenetic alopecia is mainly due to the high content of testosterone (T) and its metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the scalp. The 5α-reductase in the hair follicle converts free T to active DHT, resulting in excessive androgen which can make hair follicles more microscopic and shorten the hair growth cycle to cause hair loss. A growing number of studies based on the gut-skin axis theory have demonstrated that probiotics can alleviate or treat hair loss. Probiotics can regulate the balance of intestinal flora and promote the expression of hair growth factors and the growth of hair follicle cells to alleviate the hair loss caused by excessive pressure or androgen. This paper mainly discusses the association between probiotics and hair growth. Focusing on the regulatory effects of probiotics on nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system, we reviewed the functions and action mechanism of probiotics, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the research and development of food and drugs alleviating hair loss.