Capixyl for Hair: Benefits and Side Effects

Capixyl for hair is a natural alternative treatment for hair loss. It won’t just inhibit your DHT hormone, but it will also regenerate the tissues surrounding your follicles! Read on to find out more!

Has your thinning hair become a cause of concern? Does it scare you when you see tufts of hair lying on the shower floor or in your hairbrush? Have you tried altering your diet to suit your hair needs but still see no results? If your answer to these questions is yes, then do not worry, you aren’t alone.

Capixyl is a complex of red clover extract and peptide that acts by reducing the substances that damage the hair (dihydrotestosterone) and promotes the growth of hair. Capixyl is a plant derived product and is generally available in the form of hair serums.

Let’s dive deep to find out how Capixyl is beneficial for hair and understand its side effects, if any. Before getting into Capixyl for hair loss, let’s understand the process of hair growth and hair loss and then chalk out what could help in terms of treatment and diet.

Hair, its Stages of Growth, and How to Care for it

Growth takes place in stages, and that is a given because you don’t wake up one day with a head full of hair! That would be convenient, but unfortunately, like everything that takes time, hair growth also takes time; this time is spread across four stages, the anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen phase.

Anagen Phase (growth phase)

This phase, also known as the growing phase, lasts longer than the others. It lasts anywhere between 2 to 7 years of age. During this phase, the cells in the root of the hair divide rapidly, adding to the hair shaft, and your follicles push out hairs from your scalp [1].

Most of the hairs on your head are still in the anagen phase!

Catagen Phase (Transition phase)

This phase begins as soon as the anagen phase ends and lasts for a good 10 days or so. During this phase, your hair growth is slowed down since your follicles start shrinking and separating themselves from the strand of hair. Only about 5% of the hair on your head remains in this phase since it is very short-lived [1].

Telogen Phase (Resting Phase)

This phase is essentially when nothing, in particular, happens to your hair. Only a tiny part of the hair on your scalp stays in this phase that lasts for around 3 months. Your hair doesn’t fall, but neither does it grow. However, new hair starts to form in the follicles that have just finished the catagen phase [1].

Exogen Phase (Shedding Phase)

The telogen phase is split into two phases; one we already discussed, the telogen phase, and the second being the exogen phase. In this phase, the hair from our scalp is shed, and we lose about 100 to 150 strands a day. This phase lasts for a few months and happens as new hair grows in the follicles [2].

Now that we are acquainted with the various stages of hair growth let’s look at how to care for hair. Haircare consist of two parts– external care and internal care

External Hair Care

A hair care routine is more or less like having a skincare routine. Finding the right products and techniques that will work for your hair, in particular, might take time; however, once you do find a routine that works for you, the chances of you making a change to that is quite slim.

To find a routine that works for you, certain factors that you must keep in mind are,

Your natural hair type and texture
Whether your hair has been chemically processed, bleached, or dyed

Any specific concerns you might have
Your regular hairstyle

Excluding these factors, a basic routine would encompass,

Cleansing
Conditioning
Moisturizing

Detangling
Styling and protecting
Spot-treating

For your hair routine to show results, it is best to stick to one and stay consistent. Noticing results will take some time and will not happen overnight.

Internal Hair Care

When we say internal hair care, we really just mean adding the right nutrient to your plate that can benefit your hair and its growth. Like every other part of your body, your hair thrives based on the intake of nutrients.

A deficiency can lead to hair problems like hair fall, greying, unhealthy scalp, etc.

To maintain healthy hair and a healthy growth rate, a few nutrients that should be a part of your diet are,

Vitamin A
B Vitamins

Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E

Iron
Zinc
Protein

At times, even though we take utmost care of our hair, we might just have to turn to alternative treatments for hair loss, one of them being capixyl.

What is Capixyl?

Capixyl is a topical product used to stop and prevent hair loss and improve hair growth. It is sold as an anti-aging hair care complex or a hair fertilizer and is owned by a company by the name Lucas Meyer Cosmetics. It comprises two main ingredients or compounds– Red Clover Extract and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3.

Red Clover Extract

Red clover extract is a plant extract rich in the compound Biochanin A. Biochanin A is a compound in the flavonoid class found in various plants. One of its main properties is its ability to effectively inhibit the generation of 5-alpha-reductase, which in turn reduces the generation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a compound that promotes hair loss and thinning hair by shortening the hair growth cycle [3].

Biochanin A might also help modulate continuous inflammation and act as an essential antioxidant that restricts free radicals’ injury to the scalp.

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 is a short peptide that is composed of four amino acids. It is a biomimetic peptide, which essentially means that this compound was manufactured artificially to mimic a naturally occurring one.

This compound is engineered to be more stable and effective. It helps promote the growth of thicker hair by promoting ExtraCellular Matrix (ECM) regeneration. ECM is a tissue surrounding the hair follicles and is crucial for proper hair growth. It helps maintain the hair follicle and control the hair’s volume [3].

Capixyl Benefits for Hair

Inhibits DHT

DHT is one of the most common reasons for hair loss. DHT blockers are often recommended to prevent or reduce hair loss. Biochanin A, a compound present in capixyl, is known to reduce DHT production.

It inhibits 5-α reductase, an enzyme that synthesizes DHT. By doing so, it reduces, and prevents hair loss.[4].

Reduces Inflammation

Chronic, low-level inflammation of hair follicles is known to increase balding. This is more often than not a response to an autoimmune condition. The inflammation damages the hair follicles and causes patches of hair loss.

In vitro results by the company claim a 48% reduction in inflammation on the usage of capixyl. Biochanin A found in capixyl is the compound that is known to reduce inflammation [5].

Renews ECM (Extracellular Matrix)

ECM is the tissue that surrounds your hair follicles and ensures proper growth. It is a three dimensional network that consists of extracellular macromolecules and minerals that are used to provide structural and biochemical support to surrounding cells.

Capixyl promotes this tissue regeneration and promotes the development of thicker and stronger hair. Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, a compound found in capixyl, is what plays a major role in regenerating ECM and preventing hair loss.

Stimulates Hair Follicle Stem Cells

Similar to its effect on ECM, capixyl is also known to stimulate hair follicle stem cells. By doing so, it helps ensure healthy growth. Capixyl is anti-inflammatory and ensures that the hormone DHT doesn’t affect hair growth. It also regenerates ECM and ensures health of your follicles. All of these properties directly and indirectly helps stimulate hair follicle stem cells.

Side Effects of using Capixyl for Hair

Since capixyl comprises compounds that are either extracted from organisms or made to mimic natural compounds, the number of side effects one would experience on using it is slim to none.

It is primarily plant-based and therefore not all that harmful. However, you may happen to experience side effects like

Skin rash
Itching
Redness

Muscle pain
Headache, etc

Chances are, you might be allergic to other ingredients that have been incorporated into Capixyl topical serum. If you experience any discomfort, make sure to visit a doctor immediately and then discontinue the usage of Capixyl serum until further notice.

Is Capixyl better than Minoxidil?

Minoxidil is also an alternative treatment that is known to improve hair growth. It works by increasing the blood flow to the scalp, which aids in hair growth.

Capixyl, on the other hand, is a relatively natural alternative and works by reducing DHT production and reducing inflammation, both of which can affect hair growth.

Since both capixyl and minoxidil work to improve hair growth but work in different ways, it isn’t possible to compare these two products. However, if you were to look at the overall experience of using these products, then capixyl is often preferred over minoxidil.

Capixyl has little to no side effects, whereas minoxidil might cause skin irritation, headaches, rashes, etc. Baseline being that capixyl can be used as an alternative for minoxidil, and with the same efficacy [6].

FAQs

Does capixyl help hair growth?

Yes, capixyl can help hair growth. The two compounds present help reduce scalp inflammation and reduce the production of DHT while renewing ECM that surrounds your hair follicles. These properties can help your hair grow healthy, thick, and strong.

How is capixyl good for your hair?

Capixyl can modulate and inhibit the DHT hormone and promote the renewal of the ECM around your follicles. This can help improve your hair growth and ensure good hair health.

What is capixyl made of?

Capixyl is made of two main compounds– Red Clover Extract and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3.

Red clover extract is a plant extract rich in the compound Biochanin A. Biochanin A is a compound in the flavonoid class found in various plants. Its principal property is to inhibit the DHT hormone.

Does capixyl really work?

Yes. Capixyl really does work and is used to help reduce thinning and promote hair growth. It is one of the most recent hair alternative therapies that actually work. It works just like any other alternative treatment.

How do you use capixyl?

Capixyl is often found in the form of a topical serum. You can use this once a day or a few times a week, but it is always best to consult a doctor who can prescribe this treatment and the directions to use it.

Wrapping Up

People at times go to various lengths to ensure that their hair retains its thickness and volume. Sometimes nutrition and hair care just don’t cut it, and as a result, we turn to alternative treatments.

Capixyl is one such alternative treatment that is relatively more natural than the others that you might find on the market. The two primary compounds in capixyl promote hair growth by limiting DHT production and regenerating the ECM that surrounds your hair follicles.

However, like every product, do get in touch with a professional before using them and ensure you conduct a spot test to prevent any large-scale allergic reaction.

Redensyl for hair loss, exosome for hair loss, mesotherapy for hair loss, PRP for hair loss are all a few options you could consider.