A medicinal root used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1,000 years is getting fresh scientific attention for its possible role in treating hair loss.
A review published in the Journal of Holistic Integrative Pharmacy says Polygonum multiflorum may help treat androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss, by acting on several biological processes linked to shrinking hair follicles and slower regrowth.
Androgenetic alopecia, often called male or female pattern hair loss, develops gradually as hair follicles become smaller over time. As that happens, they produce thinner, shorter hairs until growth may slow sharply or stop.
The review says Polygonum multiflorum may reduce the impact of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that plays a major role in androgenetic alopecia by gradually shrinking hair follicles.
Researchers also reported that the herb may help stop follicle cells from dying too early, activate regeneration signals including Wnt and Shh pathways, and improve blood flow to the scalp.
The review says those pathways are closely linked to the shift from resting phases into active growth in hair follicles. Better circulation can also help bring oxygen and nutrients to follicles.
Researchers said that broad activity is part of what sets the herb apart from conventional treatments that usually focus on a single target.
“Our analysis bridges ancient wisdom and modern science,” said Han bixian, the first author of the review. “What surprised us was how consistently historical texts — from the Tang Dynasty onward — described effects that align perfectly with today’s understanding of hair biology. Modern studies now confirm that this isn’t folklore; it’s pharmacology.”
The review brought together laboratory research, clinical reports and historical herbal records. Researchers compared traditional claims with modern biological findings to identify areas of overlap.
It also says Polygonum multiflorum may do more than slow hair loss. By acting on growth factors and signaling pathways, it may help create conditions that support regeneration.
The authors also stressed that preparation matters. According to the review, Polygonum multiflorum is typically processed before use in traditional Chinese medicine, and that processing can affect safety and biological activity.
“When properly processed — a key step in traditional preparation — the herb shows a favorable safety profile, making it more acceptable to patients wary of side effects like sexual dysfunction or scalp irritation linked to current medications,” the article states.
The review says stronger clinical evidence is still needed. It says much of the current support comes from laboratory studies, historical records and limited clinical observations, and that large human trials would be needed to confirm how well Polygonum multiflorum works for androgenetic alopecia and how safe it is in different patient groups.
The paper is titled Research progress on the application of Pleuropterus multiflorus in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, by Bixian Han, Mingzhu Xiao, Tianze Xin, Hui Hu, Quansheng Liu and Bingqiang Xu.
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