Elastatropin® in Scalp & Hair Conditioning

The causes of hair thinning are more diverse than most people realize. Although much attention has been focused on the activity of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), there is growing evidence that other reasons, including UV damage to the Extracellular Matrix Proteins in the scalp, can cause thinning and loss of hair. This damage is observed in the significant difference between the elastin in the scalp of infants compared to adults.

Elastin is both closely associated with and produced by the hair follicles themselves, forming dense, well organized bundles running through the epidermis and deeper into the dermis. Not only is elastin and its precursor, tropoelastin, synthesized by the cells in the hair follicles, but the follicles themselves appear to depend on elastin and the structure of its matrix for their function and vitality. Observations of genetic defects in humans, mice and other animals strongly suggest that the protein elastin is both synthesized by and essential for the complete functioning of hair follicles. Elastin damage by aging processes and sunlight contribute to the loss and thinness of hair as we age.

Solar damage to elastin in the scalp of adults (solar elastosis) interferes with elastic fiber interactions with each other and with hair follicles, and may be a major contributor to hair thinning and loss. Sections of adult scalp show extensive elastin damage and loss of organization, presumably due to UV-induced changes in the elastin proteins themselves. These figures show a marked change in the elastin in the skin of adults compared to infant scalp skin.

The loss and thinning of hair is a troubling experience for many men as they age, and even for some women. Male pattern baldness can begin in early adulthood for a few individuals, and leads to the eventual complete loss of hair except for a "fringe" around the sides of the head.

One method of restoring elastin lost during aging would be the use of a small molecule that stimuates the body to synthesize more tropoelastin. No safe and effective molecules yet been found that stimulates elastin synthesis in skin. Another approach is to provide human elastin to the scalp in a formulation from an outside source. Human elastin is known from clinical trials5 to penetrate the skin on the face and become absorbed.

We have recently evaluated the topical application of Elastitropin® - human tropoelastin, the precursor to elastin, to the scalp of a volunteer showing the signs of male pattern baldness. If damage to the structure and matrix of elastin in the scalp contributes to the thinning and loss of hair, then providing an external source of this human protein could help reduce ongoing hair loss and stimulate new hair growth. The elastin formulation was applied twice per day for 5 weeks and the scalp hair photographed, as shown below:

These results suggest that a topical application of human tropoelastin may diminish hair loss and even stimulate the growth of new hair.