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A herb used in China for more than a thousand years to 'blacken hair' could offer a real glimmer of hope for people who are thinning on top.

In a promising breakthrough, He Shou Wu - also known as polygonum multiflorum - was found to reverse androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss in men and women.

Instead of acting on just one cause, as standard treatments do, the herb appears to work on several fronts at once.

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The new study, published in the Journal of Holistic Integrative Pharmacy, indicates the herb reduces the effects of DHT (the hormone that shrinks follicles), protects hair cells from dying off too soon, switches on growth‑linked signalling pathways, and boosts scalp blood flow to feed follicles - all at the same time.

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Androgenetic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern hair loss, affects millions in the UK. Men typically see a receding hairline and thinning crown, while women notice diffuse thinning along the parting.

The condition is driven by genetics and hormones, and it can dent confidence just as much as it thins hair.

Lead author Han Bixian notes that descriptions in centuries‑old texts line up strikingly with today’s understanding of hair biology - a rare case where traditional claims and modern mechanisms seem to rhyme.

The study says the herb could support actual regrowth, not just delay further thinning - although that promise still needs to be proven in rigorous trials.

However, the review is not a clinical trial. The paper pulls together existing evidence rather than running a large test on real‑world patients.

The authors themselves have call for high‑quality trials to confirm benefits, settle on safe doses, and compare the herb to today’s go‑to drugs.

The review says properly processed polygonum multiflorum has a favourable safety profile in traditional use. However, outside research has linked some unprocessed or high‑dose products to liver injury.