Hair loss is more frequent in men due to male pattern baldness, but it’s a condition that affects a large number of women as well. Around 50% of women experience hair loss at some point in their life, based on medical research, and the risk increases as women age.
Keranique is a hair products company targeted to women which claims to regrow hair. In this article we’ll review the ingredients of Keranique and determine whether it's likely to be effective based on medical studies.
Active Ingredient
The active ingredient in Keranique Hair Regrowth Treatment is minoxidil 2%, which is an FDA-approved ingredient for hair loss. It’s arguably underdosed in Keranique’s formulation.
Minoxidil is typically used at concentrations of 5% or 2%. A medical study on the efficacy of minoxidil for female hair loss found that 5% was more effective. The 2% dosage was still more effective than placebo, but the 5% dose “demonstrated statistical superiority” in patient assessment of benefit.
Another study found that women with androgenic alopecia responded better to twice-daily 2% minoxidil compared to once-daily 5%, so perhaps using Keranique twice-daily is a superior solution.
Minoxidil is proven to be an effective ingredient for female hair loss at the dosage contained in Keranique’s Hair Regrowth Treatment. Using it twice-daily may lead to greater efficacy based on medical studies, but either way it should be effective on average.
The Hair Regrowth Treatment contains no harmful additive ingredients, so we think it’s a fine option for women seeking hair loss aids.
Effectiveness of Other Products
The Hair Regrowth Treatment spray sold by Keranique is only one of four products in their Regrowth System. The other products are a Scalp Stimulating Shampoo, a Volumizing Keratin Conditioner and a Lift & Repair Treatment Spray.
Keranique Scalp Stimulating Shampoo
The shampoo formulation seems like a somewhat standard commercial shampoo, but it’s a positive sign that they don’t include fragrance, an ingredient which can be harmful and is included in many shampoos.
Keranique’s shampoo includes biotin, which as we detailed in our chlorophyll for hair review, is medically proven to be effective for improving hair quality and hair loss.
One concerning ingredient in the shampoo is methylisothiazolinone, which is a preservative banned in Canada (which has stricter consumer safety regulations than the US) due to toxicity concerns.
We would not recommend this product due to the inclusion of the preservative.
Keranique Volumizing Keratin Conditioner
Keranique’s conditioner called Volumizing Keratin Conditioner contains the same preservative, so we can’t recommend it for safety reasons.
This product should be effective for hair quality improvement, but not growth, since keratin is proven in medical research to be beneficial for hair.
Keratin is a protein found in hair, and applying it topically does show benefits. One medical study using a specific type of keratin found that it was effective in treating chemically damaged hair. Another study found that keratin was effective for improving overbleached hair.
It’s unfortunate that Keranique includes the preservative in their shampoo and conditioner, because otherwise these formulations seem to be effective for hair quality and regrowth in women.
Keranique Lift & Repair Treatment Spray
The active ingredient in this formulation is biotin, so while it should be effective, it seems a bit unnecessary in our opinion for consumers to purchase all four products since the shampoo already contains biotin.
This spray also contains keratin.
This product contains the best formulation in our opinion, since there are harmful ingredients and several ingredients which are effective for hair quality improvements.
We would recommend this product for women seeking a styling spray product, since it should be effective and safe.
Minoxidil and Facial Aging Risks
While medical research has established minoxidil to be effective for hair loss and relatively free of concerning side effects from a health perspective, there’s a potential side effect most consumers aren’t aware of in regards to skin aging.
Collagen is the core structural protein in our skin responsible for much of its appearance. Young children naturally have much higher collagen levels in skin than older adults, which primarly explains the difference in facial skin appearance.
Minoxidil has been shown in medical research to inhibit collagen production. This is probably one reason it can be effective for hair loss, because pattern baldness stems in part from increased local collagen production.
But since collagen is responsible for youthful skin, reducing its levels may accelerate skin aging.
This hasn’t been conclusively proven, but it’s definitely possible based on the science we have available. Perhaps women seriously concerned about hair loss could minimize this risk by taking oral collagen supplements along with minoxidil, so that the supplementation could theoretically replenish collagen lost from the hair loss treatment.
