Effectiveness of Hair Care Products Containing Placental Growth Factor for the Treatment of Postpartum Telogen Effluvium

Abstract

Background Postpartum telogen effluvium refers to a phenomenon in which some hair in the growth phase progresses rapidly to the resting phase, which leads to excessive hair loss. This causes a high level of psychological stress. Therefore, an increasing number of women are seeking treatment for this condition. Methods The subjects of this study were postpartum women in the age range of 20 to 40 years who visited a university hospital between June 2015 and May 2016. Seven patients out of a total of 25 subjects were excluded, and their final follow-up visits were not performed because they found it difficult to return for the follow-up. After screening before delivery, the subjects were provided with hair care products. They visited the hospital 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after giving birth. During each visit, the hair density and thickness were measured by photographing with a camera and using Folli-scope (R) (Aram Huvis Corporation, Seoul, Korea). Results The hair thickness at the V-point improved from 0.089 mu m at the baseline to 0.094 mu m after using the shampoo for 3 months (P= 0.028), and the hair density at the P-point increased significantly, from 75.24/cm(2) at the baseline to 81.33/cm(2) after using the shampoo for 3 months (P < 0.001). Conclusions In this study, a shampoo and a tonic in which the main material was horse placental growth factor combined with various materials, such as pumpkin extract, panthenol, and niacinamide, were clinically applied.