Over the last few years you may have heard lots of talk centered around CBD and it’s supposed benefit when it comes to inflammation and other ailments. CBD has been touted almost as a “wonder drug” of sorts in regard to almost any problem you may have, but does it actually work? Can CBD gummies or CBD oil help with hair loss too?

While there have been studies that have shown CBD to help reduce inflammation within the body, a lot of these tests were performed using much larger amounts, or concentrations, of CBD compared to what you would find in gummies or oils that are currently on the market.

But while some studies may paint CBD as nothing more than snake oil in its current implementation, there is still science that supports the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD. With that said, let’s talk about CBD gummies and CBD oil as it pertains to hair loss.

There currently are CBD based products on the market that are claiming to help with your hair loss and hair growth, but is it the CBD that’s causing the results or is it something else?

What is CBD?

CBD, or cannabidiol, a naturally occurring cannabinoid found throughout the hemp and cannabis plants. CBD does not get you “high” like THC does but does interact with the endocannabinoid system within the human body.

Because it does not have the ability to get a user “high” it has been touted as a great way to help provide relief from things like stress, anxiety, inflammation, and more, without the side effects of medical cannabis.

CBD is extracted from the cannabis/hemp plants through several different methods, but the end goal is to separate the CBD from the other cannabinoids present in the plants. This means separating it from the THC as well as other naturally occurring elements in the plant.

There has been some discussion about whether CBD is as productive on its own, or if it benefits from having the other elements of the plant working together. The main idea though is that by separating CBD from the THC, these therapeutic products can be produced and sold without the regulations of medical cannabis or the legal restrictions of mild altering drugs.

You can find CBD added into pretty much everything these days from drinks to lotions, creams, and even gummies.

Do CBD Gummies or CBD Oil Help With Hair Loss?

Now that we have an overall idea as to what CBD is and what the claims are, what do studies say about CBD helping with hair loss?

There are two main methods that people are using when it comes to treating hair loss with CBD, gummies and oils. While the gummies are obviously taken orally, the oils can either be ingested or applied directly to the scalp.

Before you ingest any CBD oil, make sure that the derivative that you are using is safe for oral ingestion. There are CBD oil products out there that are specifically made for external use only, so be sure to read the labels, or ask questions, before putting it in your mouth.

CBD Gummies

Gummy vitamins and supplements are all the rage right now, but are CBD gummies really going to help with hair loss?

The answer is a tough one. While the effect of CBD on hair loss hasn’t been researched fully, the main consensus when it comes to CBD and hair loss is that the CBD acts as a balancer, relaxant, and an anti-inflammatory, which in-turn helps reduce your stress and cause you to sleep better. Because your body can mentally “balance” itself a little better when using CBD, it has been though that this is what is causing CBD to help with hair loss.

There is no direct connection between CBD and the reduction or slowing of hair loss, but there have been studies conducted that show reduced stress, as well as sleeping better, can slow down hair loss. And since CBD is known to help with sleep and stress, as well as inflammation, a reduction in hair loss could be a beneficial by-product of those things, rather than the CBD itself.

CBD Oil

With CBD oil mixed into shampoos and conditioners, there are also topical ways to apply CBD to your thinning hair. A study in 2021 showed that applying topical CBD oil did show an increase in the number of individual hairs found in the areas that were treated. In the temporal area of the scalp, hair counts increased 74.1% in men and 55.2% in women.

Again, this doesn’t mean that the CBD itself is causing the hair to grow and the hair loss to slow down, but it does reinforce the fact that CBD’s effect on the body does show signs of helping with hair loss.

Should You Take CBD For Hair Loss?

As professionals, we only like to recommend products and treatments that are proven to be effective after testing and research has been done. And while there are a few studies that have shown potential in CBD being used to treat hair loss, there still hasn’t been any definitive proof that it really works on its own.

That being said, CBD is typically safe and has little to no side effects in most people, so if you want to try it out yourself, it probably won’t hurt.

We would recommend that you meet with a hair loss specialist to help determine the cause of your hair loss before moving forward with any sort of treatment plan though. It may turn out that your hair loss is being caused by some other external force in your life, and there may be other more effective treatments available.

At the Limmer Hair Transplant Center in San Antonio, we are happy to discuss all of the hair loss treatments available, whether medicinal or surgical. We can help determine the best course of action for each individual case and will give you our best medical opinion.

CBD may indirectly help with hair loss, while also helping with inflammation and stress, but we wouldn’t expect a “miracle cure” as zealous proponents of CBD would have you believe.