Late nights, high pressure, takeout and sweet drinks, seasonal oiliness… More and more young people are putting “anti-hair-loss” on their skincare-level agenda. Suzhou Nanohealth launched ManeStay, which combines four small molecules — diaminopyrimidine oxide, adenosine, caffeine, and niacinamide — with a supramolecular carrier to create a water-soluble anti-hair-loss support system that needs no polyol solubilizers. The result: a less oily scalp, less sticky residue, and a product people can actually keep using.

1. Why anti-hair-loss products first need to solve “willingness to keep using”

Market research shows that China has about 250 million people with hair loss, with post-80s and post-90s accounting for a high proportion. Demand is strongest in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. Among external-use methods, anti-hair-loss shampoos account for about 63.7%, while hair-growing tonics/essences account for about 46.2%.

But another comparison is striking: in surveys of self-directed minoxidil users, only about 4% said they were “very satisfied”; in clinical studies with doctor involvement and better compliance, the proportion with obvious visible improvement can reach about 30%–40%.

The gap usually comes down to experience. Anti-hair-loss ingredients such as minoxidil have poor water solubility, so formulations often rely on large amounts of polyols to dissolve them. After application, the hair roots feel oily and leave residue — especially unfriendly for people who don’t wash their hair every day. Once a leave-on essence becomes sticky, greasy, or leaves white flakes, users naturally use it less or skip it. No matter how good the efficacy data looks, it never reaches the scalp. ManeStay’s entry point is to “solve compliance first.”

2. Four small molecules: targeting “growth promotion” and “atrophy reversal”

Using the mechanisms of two leading anti-hair-loss drugs as references — minoxidil-type ingredients promote entry into the anagen phase, while finasteride-type ingredients inhibit 5α-reductase and reduce DHT-related follicular miniaturization — ManeStay does not copy drugs directly. Instead, it uses four cosmetic-grade small molecules in synergy:

Diaminopyrimidine oxide is a minoxidil analog with a smaller molecular weight. It focuses on inhibiting lysyl hydroxylase-related processes, reducing perifollicular collagen fibrosis, improving the “hair follicle wearing a tight shirt” microenvironment, and supporting anagen ratio and growth factor levels. Literature reports that a 1% diaminopyrimidine oxide vesicular emulsion improved hair density in men with androgenetic alopecia more than a 2% minoxidil vesicular emulsion over 24 weeks.

Adenosine acts on dermal papilla adenosine receptors, raises cAMP/PKA, upregulates FGF-7, and activates Wnt/β-catenin, promoting anagen and improving miniaturization. In a comparison study of 0.75% adenosine vs. 5% minoxidil, the adenosine group showed better satisfaction and tolerability.

Caffeine works as a type II 5α-reductase inhibitor, PDE inhibitor, and cAMP elevator, counteracting testosterone’s suppression of hair follicles and prolonging anagen. A 24-week non-inferiority study of 0.2% caffeine solution vs. 5% minoxidil showed comparable improvement in anagen ratio, providing formulation rationale.

Niacinamide provides antioxidant effects, reduces ROS, and inhibits DKK-1, p16/p21, and other senescence-related signals in dermal papillae. It also promotes ceramide synthesis, repairs the barrier, inhibits NF-κB/MAPK inflammation, and helps control oil.

Together, these four map to the hair cycle: diaminopyrimidine oxide improves the fibrotic “basement” around the follicle, adenosine and caffeine push anagen signals, and niacinamide reduces stress and premature regression. The goal is to shift more hair follicles from telogen/shedding toward anagen.

3. Supramolecular carrier: keeping three hard-to-dissolve ingredients stable without polyols

· A 2.625% caffeine aqueous solution precipitates after 3 days at 5°C and remains undissolved after 24 hours at room temperature.

· A 0.75% adenosine aqueous solution precipitates under the same conditions.

· A 7.5% ManeStay aqueous solution (containing 2.625% caffeine, 0.75% adenosine, and other components) shows no precipitation or turbidity after 2 months at 5°C.

This relies on the supramolecular carrier’s inclusion and redispersion of hydrophobic small molecules. The system dissolves quickly in water phase with stirring at 60–75°C, and can also dissolve with room-temperature addition.

4. Human data: 0.5% formulation improves both shedding count and density at 28 days

· On Day 28, hair shedding count decreased by 61.61% from baseline.

· Dermatologist-evaluated overall scalp hair density on a 0–7 scale increased by 5.12%.

· In EOS700D standardized hair photography, individual subjects showed visible density improvement in sparse scalp areas.

It should be noted that this is the conclusion for “a specific formulation containing 0.5% ManeStay, a specific population, and a 28-day period.” It does not equal conclusions for 1% or 7.5% addition levels, nor can it be directly extrapolated to shampoo rinse-off systems. If a finished product claims anti-hair-loss efficacy, corresponding human evaluations must be repeated according to the actual product dosage form.

Conclusion

For brand owners, the selling point of this ingredient is not “adding one more miracle anti-hair-loss component,” but turning poorly soluble caffeine/adenosine, relatively reactive diaminopyrimidine oxide, and well-tolerated niacinamide into a unified water-soluble, low-viscosity system that works in both rinse-off and leave-on formats. If consumers are willing to apply it daily, the efficacy data has a chance to show up.