New Open-Label Study Reports Reduced Grey Hair Density With Topical Ageratum Conyzoides Ingredient

Saanroo, revealed the publication of a human clinical study evaluating HairAge Vitae, its proprietary Ageratum conyzoides ingredient, for effects on hair pigmentation and density.

"The publication of this human clinical study represents another important step in building the scientific foundation for HairAge Vitae," said John Quilter, Saanroo’s CEO, in the announcement.¹ "The findings demonstrate meaningful improvements in hair pigmentation and overall hair appearance, providing formulators with clinically substantiated evidence to support the development of innovative topical hair care products."

This published human trial, regardless of its design limitations, represents a meaningful data point for formulators evaluating claims substantiation.

What Did the Clinical Study on Grey Hair Density Find?

The 12-week, open-label, single-arm trial enrolled 65 adults in Brisbane, Australia, with grey hair affecting 10% to 50% of the temporal scalp region, who applied a topical serum containing 0.5% Ageratum conyzoides extract twice daily.² Fifty-six participants completed the study and both required assessments, forming the per-protocol population used for the primary analysis; 9 discontinued, including 1 who withdrew after an adverse event, 2 lost to follow-up, 2 who disliked the product, and 4 for personal reasons.

Grey hair density in a standardized one-square-centimeter temporal scalp section decreased significantly overall, from a mean of 95.5 hairs at baseline to 80.7 hairs at week 12, a 15.5% reduction.²

When broken out by sex, the reduction reached statistical significance in female participants (12.8%, P = .034) but not in male participants (17.4%, P = .205), despite the larger percentage change among men, a result the study attributes to greater baseline variability in men's grey hair counts. Grey hair percentage also declined significantly in the temporal, frontal, and vertex scalp regions, though not in the occipital region, and self-reported measures found 67.8% of participants perceived improved hair thickness and health at week 12.

Why Is Hair Graying Difficult to Address With Existing Options?

Hair graying results primarily from the progressive loss and senescence of melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle, a process reviewed in analysis³ covered in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology that describes graying as a marker of localized aging biology rather than a single, reversible deficiency.

That review notes there is currently no established pharmacologic treatment that reliably reverses graying once it has occurred, leaving cosmetic coloring as the dominant consumer option and creating commercial interest in ingredients that claim to influence the underlying pigmentation process rather than mask it.³ Keeping this in mind, a placebo-controlled or ingredient-comparison trial would carry more weight than a single open-label study in establishing whether an intervention meaningfully alters that biology.

What Are the Limitations of This Research?

Beyond the lack of a control arm, the study population and 12-week duration are relatively modest for establishing long-term efficacy or durability of effect after treatment stops, and the primary analysis was conducted on a per-protocol population of 56 completers rather than all 65 enrolled participants, a common but limiting approach that can overstate effect size if those who discontinued differed systematically from those who finished.

The published study does not report registration in a public clinical trial database, though it notes institutional ethical approval was obtained before enrollment. Manufacturers considering the ingredient for grey hair claims will likely want to weigh the sex-based difference in statistical significance, along with the open-label design, before relying on the topline 15.5% figure in their own marketing.

References

1. New peer-reviewed clinical study shows HairAge Vitae improves hair pigmentation and reduces grey hair density. Saanroo. August 25, 2026. Accessed August 27, 2026.

2. Muntha S, Subah S, Bogoda N, Rao A. Effect of Ageratum topical hair serum on decreasing grey hair in adults: an open-label clinical trial. J Cosmo Tricho. 2026;12(3):385. doi:10.37421/2471-9323.2026.12.385

3. Paus R, Sevilla A, Grichnik JM. Human hair graying revisited: principles, misconceptions, and key research frontiers. J Invest Dermatol. 2024;144(3):474-491. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2023.09.276