Can stevia help against hair loss?
HLN, 27 October 2025
Does stevia help against hair loss? In HLN, Dr Griet Voet puts new research on a stevia compound and minoxidil into context.
Australian researchers found that an extract from the stevia plant can improve the absorption of minoxidil, a well-known treatment for hereditary baldness. In HLN, Dr Griet Voet and a professor from UZ Brussel put the findings into context.
Dr Voet explains that minoxidil penetrates the skin poorly and dissolves poorly in water, and that excipients that improve this can irritate the skin. According to her, better solubility does not automatically mean correspondingly better absorption: how long the product stays on the scalp also plays a part. Moreover, the patches from the study are not yet on sale and were mainly tested in the lab.
She points to PRP as a supporting treatment and sees the combination of medical and aesthetic treatments as the most effective approach.
Key advice
A promising lab result does not yet mean an effective treatment for people.
Minoxidil remains an evidence-based treatment, but not a miracle cure.
A combination of medical and aesthetic treatments often works best.
“I don't think a single product can solve all forms of hair loss.” — Dr Griet Voet
Want to know more? Read about Hair and scalp disorders at Clinique Dermatologie Gent.