The Study
Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
This study gave some men pumpkin seed oil and others fake pills, then counted their hairs to see if the oil helped. It found that the men who took the oil grew a bit more hair, so we can say the oil probably helped — but it didn't make everyone's hair grow back completely.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Men with thinning hair took pumpkin seed oil pills every day for 6 months to see if it helped their hair grow back.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 555 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — a 40% increase in hair count is meaningful and noticeable, especially since it happened without side effects.
- 2Hair count went up 40% with pumpkin seed oil, but only 10% with placebo.
- 344% of men on pumpkin seed oil looked better to doctors, but hair didn't get thicker.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM
Year
2014
Authors
Y. Cho, S. Y. Lee, D. Jeong, E. Choi, Y. Kim, Jeong Gyu Lee, Y. Yi, Hyeong Soo Cha
Related Content
Claims (8)
Pumpkin seeds contain a natural compound that may block a process in the body that turns testosterone into a stronger hormone called DHT, which some people want to reduce.
A study found that men with hair loss who took pumpkin seed oil pills every day for 6 months were much more likely to see noticeable hair growth when a doctor looked at their scalp photos, compared to men who took a fake pill.
Taking pumpkin seed oil pills every day for 6 months doesn't change the level of testosterone in the blood of men who are losing their hair due to genetics. So, if it helps their hair, it's probably not because it's affecting their hormones.
Taking a pumpkin seed oil pill every day for 6 months may help men with thinning hair grow more hair—about 40% more—compared to just taking a fake pill.
Men with thinning hair who take pumpkin seed oil pills every day for 6 months say they notice better hair growth and are happier with the results than men who take dummy pills.
Taking pumpkin seed oil pills every day for 6 months doesn't make your existing hairs thicker, but it might help you grow more hairs overall — so you look fuller, not coarser.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.