Peptides for Hair Growth and Treatment of Hair Loss and Alopecia: A Systematic Review.
Lucie Joerg, Kayla Zafar, Jared Jagdeo
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This systematic review assessed clinical trials of peptide-containing therapies for hair loss in humans. Searches of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library identified 981 studies, of which 14 met the inclusion criteria. The review assigned a grade B recommendation to formulations containing acetyl tetrapeptide-3, biotinoyl tripeptide-1, glycyl-histidyl-lysine peptide, or the penta-peptide Gly-Pro-Ile-Gly-Ser, and grade C to QR678 and QR678 Neo®. The authors concluded that clinical data support peptide formulations, particularly certain combinations, as effective and well-tolerated alternatives to conventional hair-growth therapies.
Key findings
- Of 981 studies identified, 14 clinical trials met the review’s inclusion criteria.
- Formulations containing acetyl tetrapeptide-3, biotinoyl tripeptide-1, glycyl-histidyl-lysine peptide, or Gly-Pro-Ile-Gly-Ser received grade B recommendations.
- QR678 and QR678 Neo® received grade C recommendations.
Why it matters
The review synthesizes human clinical evidence for peptide-based hair-loss formulations and distinguishes the strength of support across products. This may help clinicians interpret claims about these therapies and discuss the evidence alongside conventional options, while recognizing that the abstract does not provide comparative effect estimates or details of individual trial outcomes.
What to keep in mind
Only 14 of 981 identified studies met the inclusion criteria; the abstract provides no pooled effect estimates or details on trial size, duration, or outcomes.