Ginkgo Biloba for Hair: What the Research Shows

Ginkgo biloba is a popular supplement, and its hair research is limited to animal studies. We found no human trial of ginkgo on hair. The studies are in mice, and the safety literature notes ginkgo can change bleeding time.

Here's what that research says.

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Key Takeaways

• We found no human hair study of ginkgo biloba.
• A leaf extract promoted hair regrowth in shaved mice, and in the same study it inhibited blood platelet aggregation.
• Ginkgo polysaccharides raised growth-factor levels (VEGF and HGF) in the skin of mice with alopecia areata and lowered inflammatory markers.
• A toxicology review notes ginkgo leaf extract can cause allergy and changes in bleeding time, and that no standards regulate its constituents.

What Is Ginkgo Biloba?

Ginkgo biloba is a tree whose leaf extract is among the most widely sold herbal supplements in the United States. It is sold for many purposes, and hair is one claim among them.

Does Ginkgo Help Hair?

Not shown in people. The hair findings come from mice, which may not carry over.

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Using Ginkgo Sensibly

• Talk to your doctor first, particularly if you take blood thinners or have surgery planned, because of the bleeding-time findings.
• Products vary. There are no standards for the constituents of ginkgo leaf extract.
• Don't self-treat patchy hair loss. A doctor can look for the cause.

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What The Research Shows

Regrowth In Mice

Researchers applied a 70% ethanolic extract of ginkgo leaves to shaved C3H mice, including mice pretreated with a high-fat diet. The extract promoted hair regrowth. It also inhibited blood platelet aggregation, thrombin activity and fibrinolysis. The authors suggested it could be used as a hair tonic (Kobayashi et al., 1993). That is a 1993 mouse study.

Alopecia Areata In Mice

A study of water-soluble ginkgo leaf polysaccharides in alopecia areata mice found that one fraction increased VEGF and HGF in skin and decreased inflammatory factors in serum. In cells, a purified polysaccharide lowered several inflammation proteins (p-p65, p-IκBα, TNF-α and IL-1β) (Li et al., 2022). This was a purified polysaccharide, not a supplement.

Safety

A review of ginkgo biloba leaf extract described biological, medicinal and toxicological effects. It notes that ginkgo exerts allergy and changes in bleeding time, that three of its components have been shown to be genotoxic, and that no standards or guidelines regulate the constituents or set exposure limits (Chan et al., 2007).

See also: Black Pepper for Hair: What the Research Shows · Pomegranate Seed Oil for Hair: What the Research Shows

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ginkgo biloba help hair growth?

We found no human study showing that. The evidence is from mice.

Is ginkgo safe?

A toxicology review noted allergy and changes in bleeding time. Check with your doctor first.

Can I use ginkgo on my scalp?

We found no study of topical ginkgo in people.

References

1. Kobayashi N, Suzuki R, Koide C, et al. [Effect of leaves of Ginkgo biloba on hair regrowth in C3H strain mice]. Yakugaku Zasshi. 1993. PubMed
2. Li Y, Sheng Y, Liu J, et al. Hair-growth promoting effect and anti-inflammatory mechanism of Ginkgo biloba polysaccharides. Carbohydr Polym. 2022. PubMed
3. Chan PC, Xia Q, Fu PP. Ginkgo biloba leave extract: biological, medicinal, and toxicological effects. J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2007. PubMed