If your hair hasn't been thriving, dysbiosis (an imbalance of your microbiome) on your scalp could be why. But there’s good news—OS-01 HAIR is clinically validated to support the scalp microbiome.*
As always, we’re sharing the data so you can see the benefits of OS-01 HAIR for yourself. Let’s dive in.
*Based on increases in Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Micrococcus luteus and a significant decrease of Alternaria sp and Cladosporium sp.
Why Does Your Scalp Microbiome Matter for Hair Health?
Think of your microbiome as a bustling ecosystem of microorganisms composed of bacteria and fungi that live on your skin, scalp, vulva, mouth, and gut. You even have microscopic animals called Demodex mites that live within and around your hair follicles. Like any ecosystem, maintaining a balance here is crucial for overall health. For example, imbalances in the gut microbiome can be associated with gastrointestinal inflammatory, metabolic, neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory conditions and illnesses.[1]
Your scalp microbiome plays a similarly vital role in the health of your hair. The scalp is uniquely rich in sebum and densely packed with hair follicles and sweat glands, creating an ideal environment for microbial activity.[2] If this delicate ecosystem is disrupted, it can contribute to conditions like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, and even potentially hair loss.[3,4] Supporting a healthy scalp microbiome is key to maintaining homeostasis and preventing inflammation.
How Was The Clinical Study Conducted?
During our clinical study on the effects of OS-01 HAIR on hair regrowth—which you can read more about here—an expert technician gathered microbiome samples from participants, which a third-party organization, HelloBiome, then analyzed.[5]
Using Next Generation Sequencing technology and pulling from the latest research within the field, HelloBiome analyzes the diversity and composition of each participant’s microbiome before and after treatment to determine whether the observed changes are helpful or harmful.
In this study, 30 participants ages 22-55 with healthy skin/scalp and self-perceived thinning hair applied OS-01 HAIR to their entire scalp twice daily and dermarolled daily for 6 months.[5] Scalp microbiome swabs were taken from the scalp at baseline and month 6 after an overnight washout of all skin care and beauty products to isolate their skin microbiome.
Types of Analysis
To understand the impact of OS-01 HAIR on participants’ scalp microbiomes before and after treatment, HelloBiome analyzed the microbiome changes using the following analyses, which are standard within the field.
- Taxonomy for bacteria and fungi: Identifying the species and relative abundance of each species of the microbiome.
- Bacterial/fungal ratio: The ratio of bacteria to fungi, which can be indicative of the health of the microbiome.
- Shannon diversity to measure alpha diversity: A measure of the composition and relative abundance of the species within the microbiome.
- Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity to measure beta diversity: A measure of the similarity between the microbiome compositions.
What Were the Results of OS-01 HAIR’s Clinical Microbiome Study?
HelloBiome researchers found that there were no adverse effects on the scalp microbiome, but that OS-01 HAIR induced changes that may improve scalp function and hair health:
- Significant decreases in Alternaria sp and Cladosporium sp are known to increase with hair loss.
- Increases in beneficial Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus luteus, which are known to decrease with hair loss.
- Decrease in M.restricta/M.globosa ratio, which is known to be associated with less dandruff and a healthier scalp.
| Species | Known Associations | Effect of OS-01 HAIR | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternaria sp | Alternaria sp. is found in higher abundance in hairless patches and more abundant in people with androgenic alopecia (pattern hair loss)[6,7] | Alternaria sp. abundance significantly decreased after treatment with OS-01 HAIR | Suggests OS-01 HAIR promotes a scalp microbiome shift that may support hair health by reducing microbes linked to hair loss. |
| Cladosporium sp. | Scalp infection with Cladosporium sp. has been shown to lead to hair loss and mild pruritis in the scalp, which is improved through inhibition of Cladosporium sp.[8] | Cladosporium sp. abundance significantly decreased after treatment with OS-01 HAIR | Suggests OS-01 HAIR may support scalp health and hair retention. |
| Staphylococcus epidermidis | S. epidermidis Cicaria strain metabolites were shown to be effective against hair loss showing almost a similar efficacy to Minoxidil.[9] Additionally, it may protect against hair loss in androgenic alopecia (pattern hair loss)[10] | Staphylococcus epidermidis abundance significantly increased after treatment with OS-01 HAIR |
Suggests OS-01 HAIR may support scalp health and hair retention. |
| Micrococcus luteus | Micrococcus luteus has been shown to promote HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) in vitro, which is involved in the formation of new hair follicles.[11] | Micrococcus luteus abundance significantly increased after treatment with OS-01 HAIR | Suggests OS-01 HAIR may support new hair follicle formation. |
| M.restricta/M.globosa ratio | A lower ratio correlates to less dandruff and a healthier scalp.[4] | A lower ratio was measured after treatment with OS-01 HAIR | Suggests OS-01 HAIR promotes a change associated with less dandruff and a healthier scalp. |
Let’s break down the associations and findings from the chart above.
Microbiome Grade
Based on the microbial compositions of each participant, a microbiome grade was assigned before and after treatment with OS-01 HAIR.
Participants experienced a balanced microbiome profile (grade B) before and after treatment, with a significant positive shift in bacterial diversity and no significant changes in fungal diversity. This indicates that overall, participants had an adequate amount of beneficial and non-harmful bacteria and fungi on the skin before and after treatment, with a significant improvement after treatment.[5]
Microbial Load Ratio
The microbial load ratio is simply the average ratio of total bacteria to total fungi. A significant shift in the bacteria-to-fungi ratio after treatment could indicate a disruption in the microbiome balance.
Since no significant difference in the microbial load ratio before and after treatment with OS-01 HAIR was measured, this indicates that the use of OS-01 HAIR does not disrupt the bacterial-fungal balance.[5]
Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity Index
The Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity Index measures the similarity of the microbiome composition. The final result is a value between 0 and 1, with 0 indicating a highly similar microbiome composition before and after treatment and a 1 indicating a highly different microbiome composition before and after treatment.
There was no significant shift in the bacteria or fungal profiles before and after treatment, indicating that OS-01 HAIR did not cause a significant change in the scalp microbiome composition. Given that the microbiome composition was balanced and healthy for each participant before treatment with OS-01 HAIR, this means that OS-01 HAIR did not negatively disrupt an already healthy microbiome.[5]
Shannon Index
The Shannon Index measures how many species are present in a microbiome and how evenly distributed they are. This provides insight into the scalp microbiome's overall richness and evenness before and after using OS-01 HAIR.
A higher index indicates more species that are more evenly distributed, and a lower index indicates fewer species that are less evenly distributed.
An increase in bacterial diversity is generally beneficial and associated with skin health. In contrast, decreasing fungal diversity is considered beneficial and related to skin health. However, determining whether a higher index is good or bad ultimately depends on whether beneficial or harmful bacteria caused the change.
After treatment with OS-01 HAIR, the Shannon Diversity for bacteria significantly increased, while no significant changes were observed for fungi.[5]
To determine whether this change in bacterial diversity was beneficial or harmful, we looked at specific species in the participants’ microbiomes.
How Does OS-01 HAIR Promote Healthy Microbiota?
Thanks to sequencing technology, the 10 most abundant bacteria and fungi in the participants’ scalp microbiomes were identified before and after treatment with OS-01 HAIR.
After six months of use, OS-01 HAIR was associated with increased levels of beneficial microbes. Specifically, sequencing revealed a significant increase in S. epidermidis and M. luteus, explaining the Shannon diversity increase.[5] While these microbes might not make up the majority of your scalp's microbiome, both have proven their efficacy in boosting hair health and even preventing hair loss:
- S. epidermidis: S. epidermidis Cicaria strain metabolites were shown to be effective against hair loss showing almost a similar efficacy to Minoxidil. Additionally, S. epidermidis may protect against hair loss in androgenic alopecia (pattern hair loss) and a decrease of S. epidermidis is shown in people with androgenic alopecia.[9,10]
- M. luteus: This microbe has been shown to promote HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) in vitro, which has been shown to be involved in the formation of new hair follicles.[11]
Not all microbes are good for the health of your hair and scalp. Because of this, in addition to testing for positive species, we also tested for negative species that can disrupt your scalp’s microbiome and health.
Researchers measured an increase in Malasseziales sp. and M. globosa, while Neoascochyta sp., Alternaria sp., and Cladosporium sp. significantly decreased. Alternaria has been found in higher abundance in hairless patches and more abundant in people with androgenic alopecia compared to controls.[6,7]
Additionally, a case study of Cladosporium scalp infection leading to hair loss and mild pruritus in the scalp improved through inhibition of Cladosporium. Therefore, a decrease in this species is positive and may promote scalp health and hair growth.[8]
At the same time, researchers measured the ratio of M.restricta/M.globosa. A lower ratio correlates to less dandruff and a healthier scalp. The ratio of M.restricta/M.globosa is used in many dandruff publications as both exist in healthy and dandruff scalp but M. globosa abundance is much higher in healthy scalp.[4]
After treatment with OS-01 HAIR, M. globosa showed a significant increase, whereas M. restricta abundance did not change, rendering a lower ratio. This indicates that OS-01 HAIR promotes a change associated with less dandruff and a healthier scalp.
Conclusion
This comprehensive data confirms that OS-01 HAIR helped shift the microbiome in a healthier direction over 6 months by increasing good bacteria, like S. epidermidis and M. luteus, which are linked to stronger hair and healthier follicles. At the same time, it reduces harmful microbes often seen in people with hair loss. Even better? It did all this without disrupting the natural balance of bacteria and fungi on your scalp. This means OS-01 HAIR supports the scalp microbiome meaningfully, safely, and science-backed.
This data supports OS-01 HAIR as a targeted, microbiome-friendly intervention for maintaining a healthy scalp environment conducive to hair vitality.
References
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6314516/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16382661/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11064082/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111%2Fjocd.16219
- Shown in 6 month double-blind, independent, third-party clinical study with 30 participants using OS-01 HAIR and dermaroller daily. Results based on self-perception reporting and clinical measurements of anagen hairs per cm2, intermediate terminal hairs, hair shaft thickness, inter follicular mean distance, hair count per cm2, and scalp microbiome.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3543859/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287120456_Presence_of_Alternaria_in_Scalp_of_Patients_with_Alopecia_Areata_Triggering_Factor_or_Coexistence
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23346670/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9414784/
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0215206
- KR20220096261A, Korean patent on strain usage
