sh-Polypeptide-11 for Hair Regrowth - Quick Reference Sheet
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sh-Polypeptide-11 for Hair Regrowth

Created on 09/26/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5.5 – Audit

sh-Polypeptide-11 is a lab-made copy of a natural human growth protein, sold as an add-on to proven hair-loss treatments in scalp serums, clinic treatments and injection kits. Hair evidence rests mainly on mixed animal studies and one small human injection study of a multi-ingredient product without a comparison group; no human study with a comparison group has tested it alone for hair. Known risks come mostly from needling or injection. (Full Review)

Protocol

Home topical approach
Leave-on scalp serum, once or twice daily
Applied to thinning areas per manufacturer labels, often alongside minoxidil; no trial has defined an effective dose
In-office microneedling or laser approach
About six sessions, weekly to monthly
Growth-factor solution applied right after microneedling or fractional laser, then periodic maintenance
Injectable approach
5 mL intradermally (into the skin) on a 1 cm grid
Two sessions two weeks apart; the only published protocol with an sh-Polypeptide-11–containing product
Time to effect
Faster Wound Healing
12 weeks
Complete healing of the nasal lining after sinus surgery with a pharmaceutical version of the protein, not cosmetic sh-Polypeptide-11
Hair Growth and Growth-Phase Induction
At least 3–6 months
Hair cycles are slow; the only injection series assessed outcomes at six months
Wrinkle Reduction
4 weeks
Reduced wrinkle depth and volume in women aged 51–59, without a control group

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Active skin cancer or precancerous lesions on the scalp, or melanoma treated within the past 5 years
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Scarring alopecia such as lichen planopilaris (inflammatory scarring hair loss), or active scalp infection or dermatitis at the treatment site
  • Known allergy to any product component
  • For injection or microneedling: keloid-prone skin, platelet count below 50,000/µL, or uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c, a three-month blood-sugar average, above 9%)
  • Children and adolescents under 18 years
    •
Key Interactions
  • Topical minoxidil: monitor (additive)
  • 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (testosterone-conversion blockers: finasteride, dutasteride): no known interaction
  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (blood thinners: warfarin, apixaban, clopidogrel): caution with injection or microneedling
  • Retinoids (topical tretinoin, oral isotretinoin): caution
  • FGFR inhibitors (cancer drugs that block the receptors sh-Polypeptide-11 activates: erdafitinib, pemigatinib, futibatinib): caution (theoretical antagonism)
  • Immunosuppressants (methotrexate, systemic corticosteroids, JAK inhibitors such as baricitinib, which block immune-signaling enzymes): caution with injection
  • Aspirin and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuprofen, naproxen): caution with procedures
  • Ketoconazole shampoo: no known interaction
  • Fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo, high-dose garlic: caution with procedures
  • High-dose biotin: monitor laboratory tests
  • Copper peptide (GHK-Cu), topical caffeine and other hair peptides: monitor (additive)
  • Iron, zinc and vitamin D: monitor (additive only when deficient)
  • Microneedling, fractional laser, low-level light therapy and PRP (platelet-rich plasma): caution (potentiating)
    •

Risk & Side Effects

  • High:
  • Medium:
  • Low: Transient injection or microneedling reactions; Complications of scalp mesotherapy; Tumor promotion
    •
  • Speculative: Anti-drug antibodies and lymph-node reactions; Hair-cycle delay or altered hair fiber; Allergic contact dermatitis
    •

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Hair density (trichoscopy) No established target; track increase from own baseline Primary response measure
Hair shaft diameter No established target; track increase from own baseline Detects thickening before density changes
Ferritin 50–100 ng/mL Iron stores support follicle growth
TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) 0.5–2.5 mIU/L Thyroid disorders cause shedding
25-hydroxyvitamin D 40–60 ng/mL Deficiency is linked to hair loss
Free testosterone and DHEA-S, an adrenal androgen (women) Lower half of the laboratory reference range Androgen excess drives female pattern loss
Standardized photographs Visibly greater scalp coverage than baseline Global response assessment

Cadence: Baseline before starting; photographs and trichoscopy (magnified scalp imaging) at 3, 6 and 12 months, then every 6–12 months; blood tests repeated at 6–12 months only if baseline values were abnormal or shedding worsens; injection sites checked 1–2 weeks after each session

Qualitative Assessment

  • Daily shedding seen in the shower, on pillows or on brushes
  • Visible scalp coverage at the part line and crown
  • Hair texture, thickness and styling volume
  • Scalp comfort: itching, redness or irritation after application or procedures
  • Personal satisfaction with appearance
Not medical advice. Educational distillation of a single evidence review. Confirm any decision with a qualified clinician, especially in the presence of prescription drugs or chronic conditions.