Topical Melatonin Hair Growth: What to Know

You’ve probably heard that taking a melatonin supplement can help you sleep better —  maybe you’ve tried it yourself. But did you know some research has also found topical melatonin hair growth products to be effective?

Melatonin promotes hair growth — sort of. There’s a relationship between melatonin and hair follicles, which are key to extending the growth part of the hair growth cycle. It’s also a powerful antioxidant. (You can add that to the list of unexpected melatonin side effects.)

That said, what the science has proven about melatonin for hair growth is a little complicated — it’s more than a placebo effect, with some unknowns research still needs to clarify.

Here’s the TL;DR on topical melatonin hair growth treatments:

• Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. Made in the pineal gland in the brain, it contributes to circadian rhythms (your body’s internal sleep-wake cycles).

• Melatonin levels are vital for normal functioning of many bodily systems. When those levels drop, it can upset normal processes beyond your sleep cycle.

• In several studies, melatonin has demonstrated benefits for scalp health and hair growth in people with androgenetic alopecia (AGA).

• Treatment of androgenetic alopecia with melatonin is a process. One study found that the most effective topical melatonin dosage was a 0.0033% or 0.1% solution applied once daily for 90 to 180 days.

Hair follicles have melatonin receptors, meaning they’re sensitive to changes in the levels of this hormone.

Your body’s production of melatonin increases in the evening to help you fall asleep. The hormone is actually produced in response to darkness, which helps explain why you feel ready for bed at six p.m. in the winter.

Then, in the morning, melatonin secretion in the bloodstream decreases to help you get up and out of bed.

Topical melatonin is a form of the hormone that can be applied directly to the scalp or hair. Synthetic melatonin supplements can also be taken orally or through a transdermal (going through the skin) patch to help with sleep.

A review of research published in the International Journal of Trichology explored the effects of melatonin on hair growth.

The good news: It found that melatonin may work to treat androgenetic alopecia (the clinical term for male pattern baldness). It looked at multiple clinical studies to draw the conclusion that a topical melatonin solution is a viable hair-growth promoter. 

In another review, researchers found that using melatonin for three to six months significantly reduced the severity of androgenetic alopecia. Besides hair growth, participants saw improvements in hair shaft thickness and hair density.

More good news: This review also found that topical melatonin was safe and tolerable by most, meaning there are a few downsides to giving it a try.

We should start by saying that researchers aren’t exactly sure how melatonin improves hair health or affects hair loss.

But some research has discovered several connections between healthy melatonin levels and healthy hair:

• Hair has melatonin receptors. There are melatonin receptors in each human hair follicle. Basically, follicles can receive signals from melatonin, kind of like antennas. That means melatonin could technically be a hair hormone, potentially with benefits for hair care.

• Melatonin extends the growth phase. Melatonin’s mechanism of action always starts after it binds to a receptor. It seems to tell hair follicles to extend the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle (when hair grows). People with male pattern baldness tend to have shorter anagen phases, so it makes sense that a longer growth phase would help with hair growth and retention.

• Melatonin is a common cosmetic ingredient. Skincare lovers may know that melatonin is an ingredient in various face product formulations. Its function in dermatology isn’t to make you sleepy — rather, the powerful antioxidant helps protect skin against free radical damage from things like UV rays, poor nutrition, pollution, and smoke.

• It might help protect and repair follicles as part of a hair treatment. Whatever it does for the face, melatonin also does for the scalp. It can help repair damaged hair follicles and protect hair against external factors that contribute to hair loss.

Generally, topical melatonin used in the treatment of hair loss comes in a cream or serum-like formula and needs to be applied daily. 

There’s also a potential link between a lack of sleep and hair loss.

Stress is really the culprit here (it can trigger a type of hair loss known as telogen effluvium, which messes with the natural hair growth cycle). But we all know stress can disrupt normal sleep patterns.

The less you sleep, the more stressed you may feel, and the cycle continues. Melatonin can help you sleep more soundly, which can, theoretically, help you regain hair lost from stress.

The best time to take melatonin is about an hour before you’re planning to fall asleep. Melatonin stays in your system for roughly four hours, so it can be a good choice for avoiding sleepless nights and the morning grogginess that often comes with sleep aids.

Unfortunately, as you age, natural levels of melatonin begin to drop.

In recent years, taking a melatonin supplement orally has become very buzzy. Usually made from synthetic melatonin, these tablets are thought to help with:

• Falling asleep more easily

• Recovering from jet lag

• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

• Migraine

• Anxiety before surgery or another big event

• Sleep disturbances caused by certain blood pressure medications

Melatonin also comes in a topical form — and that’s what’s used to address hair loss concerns.

There are several types of hair loss, but for the purpose of this article, we’re only going to explore one: androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia affects an estimated 50 million men in the United States. The condition is thought to occur because of both genetic and hormonal factors.

Your body produces a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), one of the main factors in male pattern hair loss.

The very short version of the story is that if your genetics predispose you to hair loss, DHT binds to receptors in your scalp and causes hair follicles to retract. 

Then new hair stops growing — and that’s what results in hair thinning, a receding hairline, or baldness.

Does melatonin make your hair fall out? You’re not the first person to wonder (or Google) this.

Rest assured that while it may not be a miracle worker when it comes to regrowing hair, there’s no known link between melatonin and hair loss. So if you’re interested in trying melatonin as a natural remedy for hair loss, at the very least, it shouldn’t make things worse.

Melatonin shows promise in helping slow hair loss and potentially stimulating new hair growth. But if it were the holy grail of hair loss treatments, everyone would be slathering their scalp in melatonin — and we’d be out of business.

If you’re dealing with male pattern baldness, many other science-backed hair loss medications and products are available.

Finasteride Medication

This medication requires a prescription. Finasteride is commonly used to treat male pattern baldness, and unlike melatonin for hair growth, we know exactly how it works. 

Finasteride prevents your body from converting testosterone into DHT, which, as noted, is what makes you lose hair if you have androgenetic alopecia.

Finasteride has proven to be quite effective. One study found that over 99 percent of men stopped their hair loss from worsening by taking finasteride for 10 years.

That’s not all — of those men, 91.5 percent noticed regrowth.

Finasteride comes as a tablet you take daily. We offer prescription finasteride online after a virtual consultation with a medical professional.

Like melatonin for hair growth, minoxidil is a topical treatment. This FDA-approved medication doesn’t require a prescription, and it comes in liquid and foam formulas. 

A 2019 review of minoxidil confirmed that it works for both men and women suffering from pattern hair loss.

Though it’s not known exactly how minoxidil works, it’s believed to increase blood flow to the scalp. This stimulates hair follicles to enter the anagen phase (active growth) of the hair growth cycle.

Wondering about topical melatonin versus minoxidil? They’re both good choices for hair loss, but there’s much more science and research behind minoxidil.

Finasteride and Minoxidil Combo

Since they treat hair loss differently, many people use these two hair loss treatments together to cover all their bases.

In one randomized study, 94.1 percent of men dealing with hair loss showed an improvement in hair growth when taking both finasteride and minoxidil. 

This is compared to 80.5 percent who saw an improvement using just finasteride and 50 percent who saw an improvement using only topical minoxidil.

An easy way to use these two together is with our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray. A perfect product for minimalists (or anyone short on storage), it’s just one bottle containing both FDA-approved hair growth products.

Our Hair Power Pack also has both — but separately (you’ll get minoxidil solution drops and finasteride tablets).

DHT-Blocking Shampoo

Another option is to use a shampoo specifically engineered to thicken hair and stimulate hair growth. We offer a thickening shampoo with saw palmetto as one of its active ingredients.

This plant extract has been found to potentially reduce hair loss. It works kind of like natural finasteride, as some studies show saw palmetto partially blocks DHT.

One study compared finasteride and saw palmetto for encouraging hair regrowth. Finasteride was found to be the most effective, but saw palmetto also helped. 

Volumizing Shampoo

Our volumizing shampoo and volumizing conditioner can make thinning hair appear more voluminous at the root.

These products won’t permanently restore your hair. However, just like how a couple of push-ups before taking off your shirt makes your arms look temporarily bigger, using this duo before you head out or hop on Zoom makes your hair look fuller.

Biotin Supplements

Biotin is a B vitamin needed for healthy hair and growth. One study found that taking a biotin supplement produced faster hair growth in people dealing with thinning hair — although the supplement studied included other ingredients that could have had an effect.

Hims biotin gummies also contain vitamin D. This is important because vitamin D deficiency can contribute to hair shedding.

Lifestyle Changes for Healthy Hair

Beyond the above, there are lifestyle changes you can make to help with hair loss. 

For example, a healthy diet is crucial. Studies have shown that not getting enough iron and zinc in can be bad for hair health.

Including more zinc-rich foods in your diet — like oysters, oatmeal, beef, kidney beans, etc. — may potentially help with hair loss.

Smoking is bad for your hair, too. Researchers have found a link between smoking and hair loss. You know the myriad reasons smoking is harmful. For hair specifically, cigarettes cause oxidative stress on hair follicles (essentially meaning smoke damages hair’s DNA).

To recap, melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. It can also be taken in pill or patch form or applied topically.

While (disclaimer) it’s not 100 percent understood how it works, research has found that applying a topical melatonin treatment can help promote healthy hair growth.

Here’s what we know about melatonin hair growth products:

• For guys with hair loss — specifically androgenetic alopecia (run-of-the-mill genetic baldness) — treatment with melatonin could be an option.

• When applied topically for 90 to 180 days, melatonin works with hair follicles to extend the growth phase of the hair cycle, meaning you keep more hair.

• Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that can help fight damage from free radicals (that sounds like an emo band, but it’s things like pollution, smoke, and UV rays).

• Just keep in mind, topical application of melatonin is needed for hair growth rather than taking an oral supplement — otherwise, you’ll be very sleepy all day, and your hair won’t get any of the benefits.

Talk to a dermatologist or another healthcare provider to figure out the best treatment options for you.

On the fence about melatonin for hair loss but interested in other natural remedies? Check out our posts on saw palmetto for hair loss (spoiler alert: it’s pretty effective) and apple cider vinegar for hair loss.

You can also take our free hair quiz to explore FDA-approved, science-backed treatments.