Astaxanthin for Hair: What the Research Shows

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid antioxidant, and we found no study of it for hair loss. The research is on skin: a systematic review found astaxanthin improved skin texture, wrinkles and moisture in many randomized trials, and a separate safety review found no safety concerns with natural astaxanthin in 87 human studies.

Here's what the research shows and how that does and doesn't relate to hair.

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Key Takeaways

• A systematic review of 11 clinical studies of astaxanthin supplementation found improvements in skin texture, wrinkles and moisture in many randomized trials, at doses of 3 to 6 mg a day. Most studies were small and some were industry-funded.
• A safety review of 87 human studies of natural astaxanthin found no safety concerns, including 35 studies with doses of 12 mg a day or more.
• A study examined the effect of astaxanthin on allergic contact dermatitis from hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine (the abstract isn't available).
• We found no study of astaxanthin for hair loss.

What Is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring keto-carotenoid found in several bacteria and microalgae. It's studied for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and photoprotective activity.

Does Astaxanthin Help Hair?

No evidence says so. The idea comes from its antioxidant activity. The clinical research is on skin.

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Using Astaxanthin

• Treat hair benefits as unproven.
• Look at natural vs synthetic. A safety review stresses that they differ chemically.
• Ask your doctor first if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or take medication.

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What The Research Shows

Skin Health

A systematic review of 11 clinical studies, six of them randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind, found that in many of the randomized trials astaxanthin improved skin texture, wrinkles and moisture. It also appeared to protect against UV-induced skin damage, and no serious adverse events were reported. The reviewers noted most studies were small, mostly in healthy Japanese women, and many were funded by commercial entities (Ng et al., 2021).

Hair Dye Allergy

A study titled "The effect of astaxanthin on allergic contact dermatitis in response to hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine" examined astaxanthin in this setting (Trakanwittayarak & Meephansan, 2019). The PubMed record has no abstract, so we only report the title.

Safety

A review of approved dose levels found recommended doses of 2 to 24 mg a day in different countries. Among 87 human studies of natural astaxanthin, none found safety concerns, including 35 with doses of 12 mg a day or more. The reviewers noted that synthetic astaxanthin is chemically different from natural, so synthetic results shouldn't be used for natural astaxanthin (Brendler & Williamson, 2019).

See also: Caprylhydroxamic Acid in Hair and Skin Products: What It Is and Safety · DMDM Hydantoin and Hair Loss: What the Research Shows

Frequently Asked Questions

Does astaxanthin help hair loss?

We found no study showing that it does.

Is astaxanthin safe?

A review of 87 human studies found no safety concerns with natural astaxanthin. Talk to your doctor first.

What does astaxanthin do for skin?

In many randomized trials it improved skin texture, wrinkles and moisture, though most studies were small.

References

1. Ng QX, De Deyn MLZQ, Loke W, et al. Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies. J Diet Suppl. 2021. PubMed
2. Trakanwittayarak S, Meephansan J. The effect of astaxanthin on allergic contact dermatitis in response to hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine. Eur J Dermatol. 2019. PubMed
3. Brendler T, Williamson EM. Astaxanthin: How much is too much? A safety review. Phytother Res. 2019. PubMed