What are the benefits of elastin for hair?

The elastin is a structural protein of the dermal extracellular matrix, where it forms, together with the fibres of collagen, a three-dimensional network that ensures both suppleness and mechanical strength of the skin. While collagen provides firmness and structure to skin tissues, elastin enables their extensibility and their return to the initial state after deformation. These two proteins are thus complementary. However, with age, the production of collagen and elastin decreases significantly and existing fibres fragment, leading to skin laxity and loss of elasticity. That is why many skincare treatments today include collagen, elastin, or both.

However, to date, hair care treatments incorporating elastin remain rare.

Brands that formulate hair products based on elastin emphasise its role in the flexibility and strength of hair fibres, by analogy with its biological function in the skin. According to these claims, elastin would help to maintain hair fibre elasticity and reduce breakage, while also providing better hydration to the hair. However, concrete evidence to support these assertions is lacking: to date, no scientific study has demonstrated a direct effect of elastin on the structure or quality of hair. The available data are essentially limited to observations on skin samples, without clinical validation in the hair care field.

It can nonetheless be assumed that elastin could be of interest to scalp health, the scalp being an extension of the skin. By analogy with its effects on the skin, elastin and its peptides could contribute to maintaining hydration in this area thanks to their richness in polar amino acids capable of retaining water. These molecules form a light film on the surface, reducing transepidermal water loss and helping to preserve an environment favourable to the proper functioning of hair follicles. In a study in vitro, skin samples treated with a modified form of elastin (HAPA elastin) exhibited an average water content of 77.2%, compared with 49.4% without application, illustrating its ability to reinforce the water barrier.

This mechanism, if confirmed on the scalp, could help soothe and protect dry or sensitised scalps.

Elastin peptides also exhibit a noteworthy antioxidant potential and are able to neutralise free radicals, which, while harmful to the skin, are likewise detrimental to the scalp. Indeed, the oxidative stress is a recognised factor in the weakening and premature ageing of hair follicles. It can, in particular, trigger hair loss by provoking inflammatory processes within the bulbs and accelerate their greying by reducing the activity of tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanogenesis.

Although no study has yet confirmed these effects on hair, it is reasonable to assume that elastin might help protect the scalp from oxidative stress.

To explore further: does elastin play a role in the regeneration of hair follicles?

Certain studies suggest that elastin is not limited to a structural support role but may also influence hair follicle dynamics throughout the hair’s life cycle. A study published in 2022 highlights a previously unrecognised aspect of follicular miniaturisation observed in androgenetic alopecia, a form of hair loss characterised by a shortened growth phase (anagen phase) and a gradual transformation of terminal follicles into finer, less active ones. Existing treatments, such as minoxidil or finasteride, slow this progression but rarely succeed in fully restoring the function of miniaturised follicles.

The authors re-examine early histological observations that described the accumulation of elastic fibres around hair follicles, forming what are known as Arao–Perkins bodies. These structures, more abundant in balding regions, may alter dermal elasticity and reduce the follicles’ capacity to remodel. More specifically, an abnormal organisation of elastin in the scalp could hinder the reconversion of miniaturised follicles to a normal state, partly explaining the difficulty in reversing certain cases of alopecia.

We can therefore formulate the following hypothesis: the elastic network of the dermis would not only play a role in the mechanical resistance of the scalp but also in maintaining the regenerative potential of hair follicles.

That said, it is important to emphasise that one should not infer that a topical application of elastin to the scalp could prevent alopecia: we are still a long way from having scientific evidence on this matter. The study cited above primarily opens up prospects for a deeper understanding of follicular biology and guides research towards new alopecia treatment strategies that could target dermal elastin.

• CHILKOTI A. & al. Elastin-like polypeptides for biomedical applications. Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering (2020).

• VAN NESTE D. J. & al. Following historical “tracks” of hair follicle miniaturisation in patterned hair loss: Are elastin bodies the forgotten aetiology? Experimental Dermatology (2021).

• DANIELS R. & al. Clinical relevance of elastin in the structure and function of skin. Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum (2021).

• GUO C. & al. Applications of elastin in cosmetics: Prospects and challenges. Cosmetics (2025).