Antioxidant and hair growth effects of fullerene

 Owing to its unique structure, it is chemically characterised by strong antioxidation and is anticipated to have various applications.1 It is already being sold as a cosmetic raw material because of its antioxidant properties. Several clinical studies have reported its efficacy in reducing spots, wrinkles, and acne, which are thought to be associated with oxidative stress.2,3,4 Although it has been reported that oxidative stress is involved in alopecia areata,5 the link between hair growth and oxidative stress has not been found; moreover the effects of substances with antioxidant properties, such as fullerene, are also unknown. Therefore, we conducted a single-blind clinical trial to determine how application of a tonic containing fullerene to human male scalps influences hair growth. 

Fullerene as cosmetic raw material

Discovery of fullerene
Fullerene was discovered during a study on interstellar molecules in 1985.6 Discoverers won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his achievement in 1996. Fullerene is present not only in outer space but also on the Earth, and is found in Russian shungite and Chinese ink. Many researchers have turned their attention to fullerene because of its high electron-accepting ability and semiconducting properties, in addition to its unique soccer ball-like structure. They have examined a broader range of applications in life science (e.g., pharmaceutical products) and industrial materials (e.g., solar batteries) to achieve practical use. Since the 1990s, various studies have reported excellent antioxidant properties of fullerene. Researchers from DuPont presented a paper titled “C60 as a Radical Sponge” to describe how fullerene absorbed radicals like a sponge.7 Fullerene as a raw material for antioxidant cosmetics was approved in 2005, and has been in use for 10 years or more.