A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study of Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract Capsule on Skin and Hair Health in Healthy Adults

Hair loss and skin conditions have a detrimental influence on personality, health, and quality of life (QoL). Herbs from Ayurveda, such as ashwagandha having multimodal biological activities, are being researched as potential remedies for this issue. This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparative trial was carried out to evaluate the safety and efficacy of standardized Ashwagandha root extract on skin and hair related metrics in healthy adults. Participants between 18 and 60 years with hair loss or skin conditions were randomized to receive either an Ashwagandha capsule (300 mg/twice daily) or a Placebo treatment. The participants were assessed on Day 1 and 75 for change in efficacy indices, which included Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), TrichoScan hair parameters, and quality of life (QoL). The Ashwagandha group demonstrated greater improvement in TEWL and a substantial improvement in hair-related parameters (density, growth, anagen, telogen, and anagen: telogen ratio) compared to Placebo (p < 0.05) on day 75. When compared to the placebo, the Ashwagandha group demonstrated significant improvement in skin specific QoL, evidenced by a lower DLQI score (p < 0.05). Similarly, hair-specific QoL was considerably improved, as revealed by a lower score on the Hair-specific Skindex-29 compared to the Placebo (p < 0.05). The oral administration of Ashwagandha root extract for 75 days improved skin-related and hair-related parameters. No adverse drug events were encountered. Therefore, Ashwagandha root extract can hold promises for enhancing the skin and hair quality in healthy adults.