Adegen is a hair loss brand that sells everything from shampoo to topical serums to hair brushes. The brand names a number of bold claims, such as the suggestion that their founder has discovered "the only actual cause of hair loss."
But do Adegen products contain research-backed ingredients for promoting hair growth, or are they a waste of money? Does Adegen use any questionable additive ingredients? Are the health claims on the brand's website actually proven to be true? And can microneedling cause hair growth?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of Adegen's most popular products (Topical Serum and Shampoo) based on research studies to give our take on whether or not they're likely to be effective for stopping hair loss and promoting hair growth.
We'll also highlight some questionable health claims on the Adegen website and feature a video that discusses whether microneedling can be effective for hair regrowth.
Ingredient Analysis — Topical Serum
The ingredients in Adegen ARB Topical Solution are shown above.
Minoxidil is a pharmaceutical ingredient that's one of the most well-studied hair loss compounds.
A 2019 medical review on minoxidil concluded that the compound delivered "remarkable benefits to patients with hair disorders."
Minoxidil is the primary active ingredient in this formulation, but Adegen's topical serum contains other research-backed ingredients.
Caffeine is clinically shown to slow the progression of hair loss, as we documented in our Fortero Shampoo reviews article.
Adenosine was shown to increase hair growth and hair thickness in a clinical trial published in The Journal of Dermatology.
Adegen ARB is a "proprietary linoleic-oleic organic fatty acid complex." We can't find any clinical trials proving this complex to be effective for hair loss, and we find it strange that a brand would fail to transparently publish the chemical compounds in this complex if it's not clinically proven to work.
Overall, we consider Adegen ARB Topical Solution likely to be effective for hair loss, and there are no ingredients in this formulation that we consider to be unhealthy.
Before analyzing the ingredients in Adegen's shampoo, we want to highlight some questionable health claims on Adegen's website.
Questionable Health Claims on Brand Website
There are a number of questionable and uncited health claims on the Adegen website at the time of publishing this article, that we want to draw readers' attention to.
As shown below, Adegen claims, without citation, that there is "one true cause" of hair loss:
However, hair loss is multifactorial in nature. A medical review from all the way back in 1989 states that "Hair loss has many possible causes."
We also find it highly strange that Adegen claims that minoxidil (which is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in their own hair loss serum as documented in the previous section of this article) "fail to solve the problem."
The brand goes on to suggest that reducing levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a poor choice for hair loss formulations because DHT is a "natural and healthy hormone":
Two things can be true: DHT is a natural hormone and can also cause hair loss.
As we documented in our iRestore reviews article on a hair loss helmet brand, DHT is clinically shown to inflame hair follicles and cause hair loss.
The most absurd (and, in our opinion, dangerous) claim made by Adegen is the uncited claim that hair loss is a disease like cardiovascular disease:
The brand provides no proof to back this claim, and we have not come across any medical reviews suggesting that hair loss is a disease.
We consider it to be a major red flag when a brand makes bold health claims without providing proof to back such claims, and we recommend that consumers be wary of claims of "one true cause" of complex, multifactorial cosmetic or health conditions.
Ingredient Analysis — Shampoo
There are a large number of ingredients in Adegen ARB+ Shampoo, so we'll break our ingredient analysis into two sections. The first set of ingredients are shown above.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein is a safe and effective natural conditioner according to a 2018 medical review.
Panthenol can support scalp health, as we documented in our review of Hair Food.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that was shown in a 2020 clinical trial to be toxic to human cells.
The second set of ingredients in Adegen's shampoo are shown below:
Eucalyptus was shown to improve hair gloss and hair durability in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
Tea tree has natural antifungal properties, which suggests it can be effective against dandruff as we documented in our Pura D'Or shampoo review article.
This section of active ingredients contains two active ingredients that we consider to be questionable from a health perspective.
Methylparaben and propylparaben are part of a class of compounds called parabens, and a 2023 medical review on parabens concluded the following:
"Parabens could disturb the endocrine system by activating the [estrogen receptors] and disrupting the steroid hormone synthesis and secretion, suggesting their potential deleterious risks to the environment and human health."
Overall, we consider Adegen's shampoo likely to support optimal hair quality given its numerous research-backed active ingredients, but we do not recommend this product currently due to the inclusion of phenoxyethanol and two separate parabens.
We consider Adegen's topical solution to be a vastly superior formulation to the shampoo from a safety perspective.
Does Microneedling Cause Hair Growth?
A popular YouTube creator with a channel called "More Plates More Dates" has a video highlighting some of the research on microneedling for hair growth that has over 360,000 views:
Our Clean Hair Growth Picks
Happy Head Topical is our top hair growth solution.
This formulation uses FDA-approved hair loss ingredients like minoxidil which is clinically shown to increase hair count by 11%.
The brand also publishes the percentage concentration of each active ingredient, which is a sign of quality and transparency.
Interested consumers can check out Happy Head Topical Finasteride & Minoxidil at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Nutrafol Hair Serum is our top over-the-counter (OTC) hair growth and hair quality promoter.
This product contains Lactobacillus probiotics which were shown to promote hair growth in a medical review published in the Molecules journal.
Niacinamide is included, and a 2021 clinical trial concluded that "Our data demonstrate that niacinamide could enhance hair growth."
Interested consumers can check out Nutrafol Hair Serum at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Pros and Cons of Adegen
Here are the pros and cons of Adegen in our opinion:
Pros:
- Should support hair growth
- Topical Solution has no additive ingredients we consider questionable
- Sells minoxidil over-the-counter (OTC)
Cons:
- Expensive
- Brand makes some highly questionable health claims
- Shampoo contains phenoxyethanol
- Shampoo contains two parabens
