Black Pepper for Hair: What the Research Shows

Black pepper is promoted online as a hair-growth ingredient. We found no human trial of black pepper or piperine, its main active compound, on hair. What exists is lab and mouse work, plus safety research on how concentrated piperine behaves in the body.

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Key Takeaways

• We found no human hair study of black pepper or piperine.
• Lab assays found that extracts of black pepper leaf and fruit, and piperine, inhibited an enzyme that converts testosterone. A leaf extract showed anti-androgenic activity in a mouse hair regrowth assay.
• A review of isolated piperine in supplements found interactions with several drugs, usually raising drug absorption, and animal reproductive effects at higher doses.
• In healthy volunteers, 20 mg of piperine raised curcumin absorption by about 2000%.

What Is Black Pepper?

Black pepper is the dried fruit of Piper nigrum. Its pungent compound, piperine, is sold on its own in supplements, and the pepper leaf and fruit have been studied as cosmetic hair-care ingredients.

Does Black Pepper Help Hair?

Not shown in people. The hair-related findings are from lab tests and mice, which don't tell us what happens on a human scalp.

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Using Black Pepper Sensibly

• Seasoning is different from supplements. Studies of isolated piperine use concentrated amounts taken as a bolus.
• Don't rub pepper on your scalp expecting results. We found no study of that.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking piperine, especially if you take medicines or are pregnant.

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What The Research Shows

Lab And Mouse Findings

Researchers screening Piper species for cosmetic hair-care agents found that aqueous ethanol extracts of black pepper leaf and fruit potently inhibited testosterone 5-alpha-reductase in the lab, and that piperine did too. The leaf extract also showed anti-androgenic activity in a hair regrowth assay in testosterone-sensitive male mice (Hirata et al., 2007). These were extracts and animals, not people taking pepper.

Safety Of Isolated Piperine

A review of isolated piperine used in food supplements found interactions with several drugs in human and animal studies, in most cases increasing drug bioavailability, which may risk unintended or adverse drug effects. Animal studies at higher daily doses than the human studies suggested disturbed spermatogenesis and maternal reproductive and embryotoxic effects. The authors considered it advisable to weigh the potential health risks of isolated piperine in bolus form (Ziegenhagen et al., 2021).

How Strongly It Changes Absorption

In rats and healthy volunteers, combining piperine with curcumin raised curcumin absorption. With 2 g of curcumin, serum levels in people were undetectable or very low alone, while adding 20 mg of piperine produced much higher levels, a 2000% increase in bioavailability, with no adverse effects reported in that study (Shoba et al., 1998). It shows how strongly piperine can change what the body absorbs. It is not a hair study.

See also: Ginkgo Biloba for Hair: What the Research Shows · Pomegranate Seed Oil for Hair: What the Research Shows

Black pepper extract is one of the ingredients in FullyVital's Hair Revival Supplements. For how the evidence for each ingredient in the line stacks up, see our evidence-tier breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does black pepper help hair growth?

We found no human study showing that.

Is piperine safe to take?

A review found drug interactions and animal reproductive effects at higher doses, so talk to your doctor first.

Why is black pepper added to supplements?

In one study it increased the absorption of curcumin. It does the same for some medicines, which is why interactions matter.

References

1. Hirata N, Tokunaga M, Naruto S, et al. Testosterone 5alpha-reductase inhibitory active constituents of Piper nigrum leaf. Biol Pharm Bull. 2007. PubMed
2. Ziegenhagen R, Heimberg K, Lampen A, et al. Safety Aspects of the Use of Isolated Piperine Ingested as a Bolus. Foods. 2021. PubMed
3. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, et al. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998. PubMed