Carbon molecules are the building blocks of life. A recently discovered carbon molecule – the buckminsterfullerene or C60 – has made inroads into common aging-related ailments such as typical alopecia or hair loss.
What is C60?
C60 is made up of 60 carbon molecules and resembles a geodesic dome or a soccer ball. As a sub-nanoparticle, C60 can pass through cell membrane walls and even penetrate the mitochondria, which is often called the engine of life.
The buckyball is dubbed a sponge for free radicals, meaning that it is exceptional at stabilizing free radicals in the body by providing an extra electron for the unstable molecule.
Free radicals search the body for an extra electron to stabilize them, and in doing so, inflict damage on your cells. This damage is called oxidative stress, and it’s a significant cause of accelerated aging.
C60 is one of the most potent antioxidants out there because it accepts and gives out electrons, and doesn’t degrade in the process, making it last longer than most antioxidants in your body.
Another unique ability of the fantastic buckyball, besides being an incredible antioxidant and antiinflammatory, is how it invigorates and instigates hair growth.
How Does C60 Help Grow Hair?
A Japanese company ran tests to study C60’s purported effect on hair growth. In the initial ground-breaking study on rats, Dr. Baati and his team noted that C60, along with adding to the rats’ longevity, also triggered hair growth, so the Japanese company set out to see if this was true.
The details of this study showed that C60 protected the hair follicles from oxidative stress and damage, which allowed these follicles to grow more hair. (The effects were most prominent in hair loss disorders such as alopecia.)
The Japanese company found that, after six months of treatment with C60, the subjects saw a 16% increase in hair growth.
Final Thoughts
The results are not conclusive, but it is evident to the layperson that C60 is something special. More people are turning away from pharmaceuticals and towards more plant-based medicine like C60.
The discovery of the multitude of uses for the buckminsterfullerene molecule fortifies the fight against oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging. A true multitasker, C60 also helps stimulate hair growth.
