Preclinical and Clinical Efficacy of a Green Tea, Bamboo, and Selenium Supplement for the Management of Acute Telogen Effluvium in Women

Acute telogen effluvium (aTE) is a transient hair loss with significant psychophysical impact. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of Hair’InsideTM, a nutritional supplement containing green tea extract, bamboo extract, and selenium in supporting hair regrowth and improving hair quality in women with aTE. A dual in vitro and clinical approach was adopted. Human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) were exposed to the investigational product, and proliferation was assessed via cell density measurements. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 66 female subjects with aTE, assigned to receive either the supplement or placebo for 84 days. Efficacy endpoints included phototricogram parameters (anagen/telogen hair density and ratio), hair pull test (hair shedding), brightness (gloss), and volume (expert scoring). In vitro results showed a significant increase in HFDPC proliferation following exposure to the supplement compared to the control group (+23.4%, p ≤ 0.001). In vivo, the active group demonstrated significant improvements after 42 and 84 days of supplementation in anagen hair density (+10.3 and +15.0 hair/cm2) and anagen/telogen ratio (+1.8 and +2.7), with a corresponding decrease in telogen hair density (–6.3 and -7.6 hair/cm2) that were significantly different from the placebo. At the end of the study, a significant improvement in hair shedding, brightness and volume were also observed compared to placebo. The supplement was well tolerated, with no adverse effects reported. These findings effectively support hair regrowth and improve key indicators of hair quality in women with aTE after 42 days of supplementation. The concordance between preclinical and clinical results underscores the supplement’s biological rationale and its clinical relevance.