Silicon supplementation shows promise for improving hair strength and thickness. Digest
Many supplements are marketed for hair health, but few have been tested in clinical trials. In a study published in 2007, researchers examined whether supplementing with a bioavailable form of silicon could improve hair quality.
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The trial included 48 healthy Caucasian women with fine hair that had not been colored or permed. Participants took two capsules daily for 9 months, providing either 10 milligrams of silicon per day as choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA) or a placebo. At the start and end of the study, researchers collected hair samples and tested the fibers for elasticity and breaking force, then used microscopy to measure hair-shaft size.
- Hair elasticity declined less with ch-OSA, decreasing by 4.5% compared with 11.9% in the placebo group. The decline in both groups may have reflected differences in when the sampled hair was formed, including seasonal exposure to sunlight, heat, or humidity.
- Hair fibers better maintained their breaking force. The force needed to break a fiber declined by 2.2% with ch-OSA, compared with 10.8% with placebo.
- Hair-shaft size increased. The cross-sectional area increased by about 8% in the ch-OSA group, compared with about 4% in the placebo group.
- The ch-OSA group excreted more silicon in urine, and the rise in silicon excretion was associated with an increase in hair-shaft cross-sectional area. This points to a possible link between silicon availability and hair-shaft structure.
Laboratory studies suggest that the form of silicon used in this study stimulates collagen synthesis in cultured skin cells. Collagen is part of the matrix around the hair follicle, where cells help control hair growth and build each strand. A healthier collagen-rich matrix could give those cells a more stable environment for forming the hair shaft, potentially contributing to a slightly wider strand. Wider strands are generally better able to withstand stretching and breaking.
The main limitations are that the trial was small and industry-funded. With fewer participants, results are more likely to be affected by chance, and industry funding can introduce bias in how the findings are analyzed or interpreted. Nevertheless, the results identify bioavailable silicon supplements as a promising candidate for further study in larger, independent trials. In Aliquot #112, I discuss approaches to reverse hair loss and graying.