Unless you've studied biochemistry for your education or career, you may have never heard the word "proline" before. Still, top-quality hair care products like Divi’s Scalp Serum include this powerful ingredient because of its many benefits for treating hair loss symptoms and scalp irritation. You'll even find proline in other cosmetic products, including anti-aging skin care.
In this article, our Divi team explores proline: how it encourages a healthier scalp and helps treat hair loss symptoms associated with male- and female-pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia), dermatitis and other hair loss conditions.
What Is Proline?
Proline is an amino acid, which is a molecule that combines with other compounds to form protein chains in the body. One of 20 amino acids, proline is an important building block of keratin and collagen, two major proteins in hair and skin. Like other amino acids, proline plays a key role in many body processes, including protein synthesis, wound healing, immune responses, antioxidant reactions and synthesizing other beneficial amino acids and collagen.
Proline's Effect on Collagen Synthesis
A primary building block of skin cells, collagen exists throughout the body. The body needs collagen to maintain the natural strength and health of skin cells and certain amino acids to produce it. Proline and hydroxyproline account for about 23% of collagen's amino acid content, proving essential in collagen biosynthesis. Without proline and its derivative, collagen would lack the strength and structure it needs.
You may be thinking, “OK. Proline is vital for collagen production, but what does this have to do with proline benefits for treating hair loss?” In brief, hair and skin health work hand-in-hand because hair follicles are found in the first two layers of your skin, anchoring the hair to your scalp. Studies suggest that collagen protects these hair follicles from damaging free radicals, which speed up hair's life cycle and cause premature aging of hair.
Proline's Effect on Hair Keratin
Like collagen, keratin is a protein chain made up of amino acids. We can't talk about treating hair loss without discussing this fibrous protein because the majority of hair is made up of keratin. Different amino acids form keratin protein chains in the body, but hair keratins include large amounts of proline. Although further study is needed to explore proline's benefits for treating hair loss, this structure suggests a need for proline and other amino acids to maintain strong and healthy hair.
Proline Treats the Symptoms of Many Hair Loss Conditions
On average, adults have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs on their heads and shed up to 100 every day. This daily hair loss happens to everyone, but age, skin irritants and certain health conditions can increase hair loss, resulting in hair thinning, a receding hairline or balding.
Proline and complementary ingredients play an important role in treating hair loss symptoms, which is why we include them in the clinically proven Divi’s Scalp Serum formula as well as our Shampoo and Conditioner. Hair care products containing proline can provide relief from the symptoms of many causes of hair loss.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis, or atopic eczema, affects around 18 million adults. This skin condition causes itchy, red, blotchy skin throughout the body, most commonly on the arms, legs, face, neck and scalp. The itchy red blotches tend to appear as periodic flare-ups marked by scaly, flaky skin, red rashes, or clusters of small bumps.
Common triggers of atopic dermatitis include:
- Scratchy fabrics
- Strong detergents and soaps
- Animal dander, pollen and other allergens
- Dry skin and low humidity
- Tobacco smoke
- Feelings of stress or anger
When atopic dermatitis affects the scalp, the skin may become inflamed, dry or even infected, negatively affecting hair health and leading to hair loss symptoms.
Studies into proline benefits for treating hair loss have identified a connection between atopic dermatitis and decreased keratinocyte proline-rich protein (KPRP) expression. This decrease has been linked to epithelial barrier dysfunction, which means skin cells have less protection against allergens and other irritants. This may explain the common use of proline and other regenerative ingredients in many scalp-soothing formulas.
Irritant and Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Almost everyone will experience contact dermatitis at some point in their lives due to exposure to an allergen or irritant. The skin may have different reactions, depending on what it comes into contact with and the reaction it has. Common symptoms of contact dermatitis include:
- Red and itchy skin
- Dry or scaly skin
- Red itchy bumps
- Swollen or tender skin
- Burning sensation
There are two types of contact dermatitis:
- Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD): When the skin comes into contact with something it's allergic to, the body activates an immune response, which causes rashes. Common ACD triggers include poison ivy, latex and nickel. Skin areas affected by ACD tend to itch and worsen when scratched.
- Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD): This type of skin irritation occurs with the loss of protective skin oils due to skin contact with certain irritants, including acids, paints, varnishes and harsh detergents. ICD often causes a burning sensation rather than the itchiness of an allergic reaction.
Research on ACD and ICD susceptibility in people with atopic dermatitis found a decreased expression of important proteins, including small proline-rich proteins, in the skin's protective barrier. If you struggle with ACD or ICD on your scalp, try a soothing product containing proline to help your skin better protect itself from external allergens and irritants and encourage healthier hair.
Traction Alopecia
Unlike other forms of hair loss, traction alopecia doesn't occur due to any underlying conditions. Instead, a person may experience this type of hair loss from repeatedly pulling on their hair, especially for styling purposes. Pulling the hair into tight styles, such as ponytails or braids, can cause continuous tugging on hair roots, which leads to hair breakage and loss.
Traction alopecia most commonly affects women but can become an issue for anyone who wears tight hairstyles regularly. In addition to hair loss, sufferers may deal with scalp inflammation or tenderness.
Proline and the other amino acids in Divi’s Scalp Serum may help people with traction alopecia grow thicker, healthier hair and improve scalp health by providing the building blocks for collagen and keratin.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia refers to many types of hair loss characterized by an interrupted hair growth process. When the normal hair growth cycle becomes disrupted due to follicle damage or another cause, people experience hair loss symptoms like hair thinning, hairline recession and hair loss.
There are several types of alopecia, but here, we focus on alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in patches.
In cases of alopecia areata, the body attacks groups of hair follicles through an immune response, resulting in the inflammation and expulsion of hair follicles. You may experience this type of hair loss due to genetics or even severe stress.
Hair loss treatment programs include proline and other amino acids in their formulas to help regrow hair and reduce symptoms of alopecia areata and other forms, including male- and female-pattern baldness.
Male- and Female-Pattern Baldness
The most common reason men deal with hair loss is androgenic alopecia, also called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern hair loss. For men, this genetic hair loss disease is characterized by progressive hair loss, often in the frontal and central scalp areas, and is caused by a genetic hair follicle sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes miniaturization of hair follicles, resulting in increasingly fragile sections of hair.
Females can also experience hair loss due at least partly to sensitivity to DHT and other hormones. While males often struggle with localized hair loss, female pattern baldness typically causes hair thinning all over the scalp.
Many people with androgen alopecia find success regrowing hair using a non-surgical cosmetic dermatology treatment called mesotherapy for hair loss. This cosmetic treatment procedure involves the delivery of a mixture of different compounds called mesococktails (including plant extracts, enzymes, nutrients, vitamins, amino acids — including proline — and pharmaceuticals) into the dermis or subcutaneous layer of the scalp.
Topical scalp care products such as Divi’s Scalp Serum contain a clinically researched mixture of plant extracts, nutrients, vitamins and amino acids, including proline, to support hair growth. The advantage of using such a serum is that it can be self applied daily and involves no needles or injections.
Postpartum Hair Loss
When women are pregnant, their bodies maintain high levels of hormones, but these levels drop dramatically after the baby's birth. This sudden drop in hormones may result in increased shedding of hair. Women may notice rapid hair thinning and hair loss in clumps.
The good news is these hair loss symptoms typically fade after pregnancy. Divi’s Scalp Serum may speed up the process. Our product can increase the growth cycle and encourage thicker hair by providing hair with the elements to increase collagen. Collagen is essential for a healthy scalp and hair follicles.
Does Divi Scalp Serum cure hair loss?
No, Divi products won't cure the underlying condition causing your hair loss. However, it can counteract the underlying condition in scientifically proven ways. Divi’s Scalp Serum is a daily hair care solution to help increase hair follicle size, stimulate blood flow in the scalp, reduce follicle death, and boost hair growth, strength, shine, and smoothness.
Is Divi Dermatologist Approved?
Yes, Divi conducted clinical testing with a consulting dermatologist as recently as 2021. Fifty-three individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 with varying skin types completed our study, and no adverse reactions were reported from the topical application of Divi’s Scalp Serum.
Divi commissioned another study at the beginning of 2022 to find out how consumers felt about the product after using it for eight weeks. Thirty-six people between the ages of 28 and 59 completed the study. Participants applied up to one dropper of serum to the scalp daily.
After eight weeks, the group completed a questionnaire about the product and gave the following positive responses:
- Thirty-five (35) agreed or strongly agreed that our Scalp Serum calmed, cooled, and soothed their roots.
- Thirty-four (34) agreed or strongly agreed that their scalps felt moisturized after use.
- Thirty (30) agreed or strongly agreed that Divi’s Scalp Serum is hydrating.
- Thirty-three (33) agreed or strongly agreed that their scalps felt clean after use.
- Thirty-three (33) agreed or strongly agreed that our Scalp Serum soothed their scalps when itchy.
- All 36 agreed or strongly agreed that their scalps felt refreshed and nourished after use.
Try Divi’s Scalp Serum to Experience the Power of Proline
Divi’s Scalp Serum is a science-backed hair care formula with clean, vegan ingredients, including powerful amino acids. Our formula takes advantage of the proline benefits for treating hair loss described in this article to encourage thicker, healthier hair. Divi's Scalp Serum can nourish your hair and scalp if you suffer from hair loss or thinning hair. Try our Scalp Serum today to make a positive change to your scalp’s health.
