Published human research

Science, in clear view.

Four published human studies. Explore the findings, then the methods behind them.

Mean increase in hair count at 12 weeks

Additional hairs in the measured scalp area

Group means shown. A study of combination treatment, not the ABL system.

View chart data

Additional hairs in the measured scalp area
Study group	Mean change
Microneedling + 5% serum	+91.4
5% serum alone	+22.2

Microneedling

A closer look at the microchannel approach.

In a 12-week pilot, microneedling plus serum produced a greater increase in measured hair counts than minoxidil alone.

Study design: Randomized, evaluator-blinded pilot
Participants: 100 men enrolled; 94 completed
Duration: 12 weeks

Study details

Researchers used weekly 1.5 mm dermarolling with twice-daily 5% minoxidil, compared with minoxidil alone. Minoxidil was withheld on needling days and resumed 24 hours later. This was a different device and protocol from ABL's weekly microinfusion system. The study did not measure serum absorption.

Dhurat et al. · International Journal of Trichology · 2013

Read the original study (opens in a new window)

Mean increase in total hair count at six months

Additional hairs per 0.25 cm²

Group means shown. Small study of a separate formulation.

View chart data

Additional hairs per 0.25 cm²
Study group	Mean change
1% procyanidin B2 tonic	+6.68
Placebo tonic	+0.08

Procyanidin B2

An apple-derived compound. Studied against placebo.

A six-month, double-blind trial found a greater increase in hair count with a 1% procyanidin B2 tonic than with placebo.

Study design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled
Participants: 29 men analyzed: 19 active, 10 placebo
Duration: 6 months

Study details

The study tested a separate 1% procyanidin B2 tonic in a small group of men. Total hair count increased by a mean of 6.68 hairs per 0.25 cm² with the tonic versus 0.08 with placebo (P < 0.005). Standard deviations were 5.53 and 4.56 respectively. This was not a trial of the ABL formula.

Kamimura et al. · Phytomedicine · 2000

Read the original study (opens in a new window)

A study focused on hair thickness

102men in the study

6months of observation

Researchers measured the proportion of thick hairs: strands at least 60 micrometers in diameter.

Hair-shaft illustration of the measured endpoint. Not a before-and-after result or an effect-size chart.

Adenosine

Hair thickness, under the microscope.

In a randomized, double-blind study, adenosine lotion improved the proportion of thick hairs more than a niacinamide comparator over six months.

Study design: Randomized, double-blind
Participants: 102 Japanese men
Duration: 6 months

Study details

Participants applied either adenosine or niacinamide lotion twice daily. Adenosine showed greater improvement in the proportion of thick hairs at least 60 μm in diameter, global assessment, and participants' assessment of thickness (P < 0.05). The comparator was niacinamide, not an inert placebo. The study tested a different formulation and schedule from ABL.

Watanabe et al. · International Journal of Cosmetic Science · 2015

Read the original study (opens in a new window)

Change in growing-phase hair proportion at six months

Percentage-point change from baseline

Per-protocol group means shown. Open-label study; no placebo arm.

View chart data

Percentage-point change from baseline
Study group	Mean change
0.2% caffeine-based liquid	+10.59
5% minoxidil solution	+11.68

Caffeine

The growing phase. Measured head to head.

A caffeine-based liquid met the trial's noninferiority criterion versus 5% minoxidil for improvement in the proportion of growing-phase hairs.

Study design: Randomized, open-label noninferiority study
Participants: 210 randomized; 161 in the analysis shown
Duration: 6 months

Study details

The trial compared twice-daily 0.2% caffeine-based liquid with 5% minoxidil. The chart shows the per-protocol analysis: 82 caffeine users and 79 minoxidil users. The study had no placebo arm and was not blinded. Noninferiority applied to the growing-phase hair endpoint; it does not establish identical overall regrowth or an ABL result. The study was funded by Dr. Kurt Wolff.

Dhurat et al. · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · 2017

Read the original study (opens in a new window)

These studies evaluated other formulations and treatment protocols, not the finished ABL system. Study results do not predict individual outcomes.

The method, made visible

A closer look at
the scalp.

Surface application and the ABL applicator. A closer look at the application method.

Surface application

Where every routine ends.

Topical application

The starting point: the scalp surface

Usually a topical formula was applied at the scalp surface. The serum sits on top and never fully reaches the follicles.
Explore the formula
The ABL applicator

Precision in the routine.

0.5 mm needle length

Illustrative serum pathway toward the follicle

ABL pairs a 0.5 mm microinfusion head with scalp serum in one application routine.

Use the product-specific instructions for your kit, including its preparation, pressure and replacement guidance.
See the application guide

Scalp surface Epidermis Dermis Hair follicle

Conceptual illustration of the intended serum pathway, not to anatomical scale. It does not represent measured follicular delivery or absorption. 0.5 mm refers to needle length. Follow the guide supplied with your kit.

The method

A precise place to start.

Microinfusion brings the applicator and serum into one scalp-care routine. The stamp format makes the application itself a central part of the experience.

Explore the system How to use it

American BioLabs microinfusion applicator with its protective cap removed

Science-backed ingredients. Transparent research.

Hair science.
An open book.

Explore the published human studies behind microneedling, procyanidin B2, adenosine and caffeine. Real papers. Clear findings. The context that makes them useful.

Explore the findings

The research library

International Journal of Trichology

Microneedling

Featured publication

A randomized evaluator blinded study of effect of microneedling in androgenetic alopecia: a pilot study.

Dhurat et al. · 2013

Randomized, evaluator-blinded pilot

100 men enrolled · 12 weeks

Research focus

Investigating weekly microneedling with 5% minoxidil, compared with minoxidil alone.

DOI 10.4103/0974-7753.114700

View publication

Phytomedicine

Procyanidin B2

Investigation of topical application of procyanidin B-2 from apple to identify its potential use as a hair growing agent.

Kamimura et al. · 2000

DOI 10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80040-9

View publication

International Journal of Cosmetic Science

Adenosine

Topical adenosine increases thick hair ratio in Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia.

Watanabe et al. · 2015

DOI 10.1111/ics.12235

View publication

Skin Pharmacology and Physiology

Caffeine

An Open-Label Randomized Multicenter Study Assessing the Noninferiority of a Caffeine-Based Topical Liquid 0.2% versus Minoxidil 5% Solution in Male Androgenetic Alopecia.

Dhurat et al. · 2017

DOI 10.1159/000481141

View publication

Original publications, indexed on PubMed

A dormant follicle didn't die.

It's been producing a finer hair each cycle, and it responds in stages. Judge the system over time, not on week one.

The formula

The supporting cast — no inflated claims.

Niacinamide — scalp barrier and comfort between sessions. No growth claim; the research doesn't support one, so we don't make it.

D-Panthenol — measured in fibre testing to raise break stress, so new growth doesn't snap off before it counts.

Sodium hyaluronate, non-crosslinked — small enough to enter the channels and hold the actives there instead of drying on top.

Open American BioLabs scalp serum vial on a pale mineral surface

The receipts

Check every number on this page.

Every figure above names its authors, its journal and its PubMed ID — you can hold all of them in your hand in four minutes. We told you the sample sizes, the designs, and the fine print that doesn't flatter us, because a page that shows you half a study isn't evidence. It's decoration.

Now do the same to the rest of your shortlist. Ask what's in it, at what concentration, and which trial used that concentration. Most brands can't answer the second question and won't answer the third.

We just answered first.

Every study on this page

Dhurat 2013 — Microneedling in androgenetic alopecia · Int J Trichology · PMID 23960389

Faghihi 2021 — Two microneedle depths compared · J Cosmet Dermatol · PMID 32897622

Kamimura 2000 — Procyanidin B-2, double-blind vs placebo · Phytomedicine · PMID 11194183

Takahashi 2001 — Procyanidin B-2 clinical trial · Phytother Res · PMID 11406858

Watanabe 2015 — Adenosine 0.75% in 102 men · Int J Cosmet Sci · PMID 25925959

Iwabuchi 2016 — Adenosine, placebo-controlled · J Dermatol · PMID 26508659

Dhurat 2017 — Caffeine 0.2% non-inferiority · Skin Pharmacol Physiol · PMID 29055953

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