An extract of millet grain, rich in silica and amino acids.
Why it’s used: Traditionally used to support healthy hair and nails.
Millet is one of the world's oldest cultivated grains. The type used in hair supplements is usually proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), a small, round, gluten-free seed grown for thousands of years across Asia and Europe and still eaten as porridge and flatbread in many countries.
Millet extract is made from the seed, which is naturally rich in silica, amino acids and a rare plant compound called miliacin, a triterpenoid that researchers have focused on for hair. Millet is traditionally used to support healthy hair and nails, and on supplement labels you will see it listed as millet extract, Panicum miliaceum seed extract or miliacin, often combined with biotin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and the amino acid L-cystine.
Researchers have studied millet extract in a handful of trials. A placebo-controlled study of encapsulated miliacin reduced some signs of temporary hair shedding, and an open-label 2026 study of a millet, biotin, B5 and cystine combination reported less shedding and better-looking hair over 12 weeks. These were small studies, and controlled trials are still needed to confirm the findings.
2 findings behind this ingredient. Hover a card for the detail and the source.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 65 premenopausal women with telogen effluvium, over 12 weeks. Miliacin with polar lipids significantly reduced telogen hair density versus placebo and improved scalp dryness and hair brightness.
Open-label, multicentre study of 112 adults with light diffuse hair loss taking two capsules a day for 12 weeks. Hair density and anagen hairs increased and hair loss fell by 59%; there was no placebo group.
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Millet is traditionally used to support healthy hair and nails. Small studies of millet extract, alone or with biotin, B5 and cystine, have reported less hair shedding over around three months, but larger controlled trials are needed to confirm this.
Miliacin is a triterpenoid found in millet seeds, particularly proso millet. It is the compound researchers have focused on for hair, and some supplements use encapsulated miliacin to help the body absorb it.
Millet is a naturally gluten-free grain, so millet extract is not a source of gluten. If you have coeliac disease, always check the full label, as other ingredients or manufacturing processes can introduce gluten.
Information only, not medical advice. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
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