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 Folliscope® (Aram Huvis Corporation, Seoul, Korea). RESULTS: The hair thickness at the V-point improved from 0.089 µm at the baseline to 0.094 µm after using the shampoo for 3 months (P=0.028), and the hair density at the P-point increased significantly, from 75.24/cm² at the baseline to 81.33/cm² 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.