Pycnogenol for healthy hair and beautiful skin during menopause

Like other symptoms related to menopause, some women will experience noticeable changes to hair quality and density during this transition phase. Those menopausal changes may include hair loss, hair thinning, reduced hair growth and density as well as altered hair quality and structure (1). For example, a 2022 study found that more than half of menopausal women experience female pattern hair loss (2).

A recently published double-blind, randomised, placebo‐controlled study reveals a natural, safe and effective path for women who face hair thinning (3). The study, conducted with menopausal women, found oral intake of Pycnogenol to significantly increase hair density, decrease trans-epidermal water loss in scalp skin and improve microcirculation in scalp skin.

Pycnogenol, an extract from French maritime pine bark is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food supplement that was shown to be beneficial for health and beauty in hundreds of clinical studies (4). 

Pycnogenol improves hair quality

According to a questionnaire in a study with peri-menopausal women, Pycnogenol reduced hair loss complaints by 43 per cent after 8 weeks (5). The above-mentioned study confirmed these observations in a randomised and placebo-controlled design with a specific focus on Pycnogenol’s effects on hair quality and density (3). 76 healthy menopausal women between 45 and 60 years were randomly assigned to either take 150 mg Pycnogenol per day or placebo for 6 months.

Remarkably, hair density was significantly improved by 30 per cent compared to baseline and by 15 per cent compared to placebo after 2 months. The effects of Pycnogenol stayed at a highly improved level after longer supplementation.

In addition, the study showed that Pycnogenol significantly reduced water loss from the skin of the subjects’ scalp, compared to the placebo group. This leads to a better-regulated scalp-skin moisture balance for healthier hair and scalp. The study also confirmed that Pycnogenol intake positively affects microcirculation in the skin, leading to a better supply of nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicle. In conclusion, Pycnogenol intake for only 2 months was efficacious in improving hair and scalp health and significantly reduced hair loss in postmenopausal women (3).

How does Pycnogenol improve hair quality?

There are several mechanisms of action that can explain Pycnogenol’s efficacy for hair health and beauty.

Pycnogenol improves microcirculation

Healthy microcirculation is vital for maintaining good hair quality as it leads to a well-functioning supply of nutrients and oxygen to the scalp and the hair follicles. In several previously published studies, Pycnogenol was shown to improve microcirculation in small blood vessels in the body, like the very fine microvessels in the skin, fingertips and the inner ear or the retinal capillaries in the eye (3, 6-12). 

In a 3-month study on diabetic retinopathy, Pycnogenol supplementation improved the retinal blood flow by around 30 per cent compared to no change in the control patients (7). In another study with patients suffering from coronary heart disease, microcirculation on the fingertip improved significantly in 54 per cent of the patients, taking Pycnogenol and in 33 per cent of the placebo patients after 4 weeks (8). A third study showed improved microcirculation in the legs by 34 per cent after Pycnogenol intake, in patients with diabetic microangiopathy (9). In addition, Pycnogenol positively affects microcirculation in the inner ear, relieving symptoms of tinnitus (11, 12).

Pycnogenol has anti-inflammatory effects

In addition, Pycnogenol protects hair follicles by capturing free radicals, generated either by stress, sun rays, pollution or inflammation. In many studies, it was shown that Pycnogenol has potent anti-inflammatory activities (13-15). Already after 5 days of daily intake, a study reported that Pycnogenol significantly prevented the up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory enzymes 5-LOX and COX-2 (13). In another ex vivo study, plasma samples of volunteers after intake of Pycnogenol showed to statistically significantly inhibit NF-κB activation by 15.5 per cent and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) release by 25 per cent, two important regulators in the inflammation process (14). In a similar study, statistically significant inhibition of inflammatory molecules COX-1 and COX- 2 was observed after intake of 300 mg Pycnogenol (15).

Pycnogenol is a strong antioxidant

The antioxidant activity of Pycnogenol has been investigated in a number of clinical studies (16-23). Orally administered Pycnogenol has been shown to both increase the plasma antioxidant capacity, expressed as oxygen radical absorbance capacity (20), and decrease the plasma oxidative stress measured as plasma free radicals (24). Pycnogenol has further been shown to protect lipids from peroxidation by free radicals in elderly people and people with coronary artery disease (16, 17). The protective effects of Pycnogenol on DNA oxidation were shown in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of children with ADHD, by measuring the level of oxidised purines (18).

Pycnogenol benefits skin elasticity and hydration

Further reinforcing scalp skin health, Pycnogenol strengthens the extracellular matrix by binding and thus protecting collagen and elastin as well as by stimulating the production of new collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin (14, 25-27).

In a study with 78 subjects, who work outdoors in an urban area, the water loss of the skin during the hot summer season could be reduced by 14 per cent with Pycnogenol supplementation for 3 months and only by 5 per cent with a placebo (25). In this placebo-controlled double-blind study, the skin elasticity was shown to be improved by 13 per cent after supplementation, compared to an increase of 1 per cent in the placebo group. 

Interestingly, clinical investigations of Pycnogenol supplementation for 12 weeks with menopausal women, aged 55 to 68 years revealed increased hyaluronic acid synthase levels within the skin by 44 per cent, leading to improved skin hydration (27). Hyaluronic acid synthase is the natural source of water-binding hyaluronic acid in the dermis, which moisturises the skin and keeps it taut and smooth. Consequently, an average skin-hydration increase of 21 per cent in the group of Pycnogenol supplementation was found, particularly in women presenting with dry skin before Pycnogenol intake. In this study, Pycnogenol was also shown to improve skin elasticity by 25 per cent and decrease skin fatigue by 30 per cent. The results were paralleled by Pycnogenol’s ability to generate skin´s connective tissue collagen on average by 40 per cent.

In addition to stimulating the synthesis of new collagen, Pycnogenol metabolites can inhibit the release and activity of destructive enzymes (metalloproteinases 1,2 and 9), which break down dermal tissue proteins, like collagen or elastin (14, 28). The reduced activity of these lytic enzymes saves the connective tissues from degradation, representing the basis for maintaining an elastic, smooth and youthful-looking skin.

Pycnogenol relieves menopausal symptoms

Apart from improving hair quality, Pycnogenol is very efficient for different other conditions or disorders connected to menopause. To date, almost 500 menopausal women have taken part in different studies investigating the effects of Pycnogenol on climacteric symptoms (5, 22, 29, 30).

A randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled 6-month study with 155 peri-menopausal women found all symptoms of the Women’s Health Questionnaire (WHQ) to be significantly improved in the Pycnogenol supplementing subjects, as compared to placebo controls (22). The symptoms of the WHQ include somatic (tiredness, headache) and vasomotor problems (hot flashes, sweating), depressed mood, memory and concentration issues, attractiveness, anxiety, sexual behaviour, sleep, and menstrual problems.

In another study, the symptoms of 70 women in menopausal transition were evaluated with 38 subjects being supplemented with 100 mg Pycnogenol per day for 8 weeks (5). The scoring system included 33 common signs and sympto