Encyclopedia · botanical
Pumpkin seed oil
A food oil with two small randomised trials for pattern hair loss that look promising but are short, single-centre and unreplicated.
What it is
Oil pressed from pumpkin seeds, sold as capsules and as a topical oil. It is a food or supplement, not an approved hair treatment.
How it works
The trial authors describe it as blocking 5-alpha-reductase and having antiandrogenic effects in rats. That is background from animal work, not something their human data showed. Cho 2014
What the studies show
- Men (76 men, 24 weeks, double-blind, Korea): 400 mg/day of oral pumpkin seed oil raised hair count 40% vs 10% on placebo (p<0.001), with higher self-rated improvement and no difference in adverse effects. Cho 2014
- Women (60 women, 3 months): pumpkin seed oil vs minoxidil 5% foam. Both improved dermoscopic measures, and the authors call the oil promising; superiority over minoxidil was not shown. Ibrahim 2021
- Supplement reviews: a systematic review of 30 articles counted pumpkin seed oil among supplements with the highest-quality positive evidence, with rare and mild adverse effects. Drake 2023 A network meta-analysis of 19 trials found improved hair density vs placebo. Zhou 2026
Side effects and safety
There was no adverse-event difference from placebo in the 24-week trial. Seed allergy is possible.
Bottom line
There is one positive trial per sex, each short and small. The 40% hair-count gain is large for an oil, and independent replication is missing. It is a cheap, low-risk supplement that might help a little, not a replacement for proven treatments.
Studies 4
Cho YH et al. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014
Tested: pumpkin seed oil 400 mg/day vs placebo
Result: Hair count rose 40% vs 10% on placebo (p<0.001); self-rated improvement was higher; adverse effects did not differ.
Read the study ↗Ibrahim IM et al. Pumpkin seed oil vs minoxidil 5% foam in female pattern hair loss. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021
Tested: pumpkin seed oil vs minoxidil 5% foam
Result: Both improved dermoscopic measures; the authors call the oil promising; superiority over minoxidil was not shown.
Read the study ↗Drake L et al. Nutritional supplements for hair loss: a systematic review. JAMA Dermatol. 2023
Tested: oral supplements including apple nutraceutical and capsaicin-isoflavone
Result: Apple nutraceutical and capsaicin-isoflavone were among the supplements with higher-quality evidence; adverse effects were rare and mild.
Read the study ↗Zhou L et al. Dietary supplements in androgenetic alopecia: systematic review and network meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2026
Tested: dietary supplements vs placebo or conventional treatments
Result: Saw palmetto extract scored better than placebo or conventional treatments on blinded doctor assessment and pumpkin seed oil improved density vs placebo; low-certainty, heterogeneous.
Read the study ↗Related
- Saw palmettoA berry extract with weak DHT-blocking activity that shows small benefits in short, mostly industry-linked trials and clearly less than finasteride in the one head-to-head.
- Beta-sitosterolA plant sterol credited with weak anti-DHT activity, but no hair trial has tested it on its own.
- FinasterideA prescription pill (and in some countries a scalp spray) that lowers DHT and is the best-proven drug for stopping male pattern hair loss.
- Antiandrogen comparison for hair lossA side-by-side of the drugs, topicals and supplements that work on the androgen pathway, with who they were studied in and how strong the evidence is.