Have you ever looked in horror at your hairbrush or the bottom of your shower and wondered how to stop hair loss naturally at home? It turns out that there are simple, natural and effective ways to safeguard and treat your precious locks.
Most people have about 250,000 hairs on their heads at any time! Not quite sure who counted all those hairs — quite a hair-raising feat! Every day, most people lose between 50–100 hairs. Often, this shedding is part of the hair’s natural cycle but sometimes prolonged hair loss is more serious and may lead to baldness.
Hair loss is caused by many factors: age, genes, hormones, medical conditions such as alopecia, cancer treatment, scalp infections and definitely stress.
During the Covid pandemic, many people have experienced anxiety-related hair loss, as the body’s stress hormones force more hairs than normal into the shedding phase. And while this type of hair loss usually disappears once we feel less stressed, this is tricky when COVID-19 is so unpredictable. Some people have asked us how to stop hormonal hair loss naturally at home.
Essential oils are powerful compounds extracted from plants and flowers. Their aromatic “essence” is highly concentrated and contains potent active ingredients.
When you apply an essential oil to your skin, it allows its beneficial compounds to enter the body through the bloodstream, where they can work their magic.
Studies show that essential oils also have powerful antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and these makes them especially helpful on the scalp and hair so that it can regrow naturally.
There are hundreds of essential oils and choosing the best one for your hair can make you want to tear your remaining hair out!
Relax and keep your hair on! We’ve “combed” through all the info to find the essential oils that have a lot of love for your locks.
Essential oils can be very potent. Always dilute them with a carrier oil before using on the skin. Before applying to your scalp, do a patch test on a small area of skin to make sure you’re not allergic.
Make sure that the essential oils you chose are of the highest quality, ideally food-grade quality. Remember too that only certified organic oils, like those from Botanica Culture, can be fully trusted to treat your hair as well as you would like.
Rosemary oil is well known for its hair repair and treatment properties. It has been found to stimulate new hair growth and can be used to treat balding.
For improved hair growth, Rosemary oil dilates the blood vessels and boosts the production of new cells. In one study, Rosemary oil was as effective as 2 per cent minoxidil (also known as Rogaine), a common hair growth treatment, and made the scalp less itchy.
Rosemary oil can also give you thicker tresses because it increases microcapillary perfusion, or blood flow through the network of tiny blood vessels in the skin.
Cedarwood oil is wonderful for optimal scalp health and reduces hair loss by balancing the oil-producing glands in the scalp.
It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties, so it’s ideal for treating flaking, dandruff or scalp infections, which can later lead to hair loss.
When you notice increased shedding, Cedarwood oil offers a preventative step to prevent future thinning.
Thyme oil stimulates the scalp and actively prevents hair loss; it’s your best friend for thinning hair.
One study showed that Thyme oil is an effective treatment for the auto-immune condition alopecia areata, which occurs when the immune system attacks hair follicles and leads to bald patches on the scalp. The Thyme oil strengthened hair follicles, encouraging hair growth.
Be aware that Thyme oil is particularly strong. Use only 2 small drops diluted in at least 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil.
The menthol in Peppermint oil gives a cool, tingling feeling when applied, increasing circulation. This promotes hair growth during the hair’s growing phase
One study found that peppermint oil, when used on mice, increased the number of follicles, follicle depth, and overall hair growth.
Choose peppermint oil for thicker, stronger hair with more hair strands and greater volume. The fresh, crisp peppermint fragrance is also invigorating; it’s great to use during or after your morning shower.
Antifungal and antibacterial, Cypress oil improves the health and condition of your scalp, naturally tightening pores and slowing down the hair loss cycle.
Cypress oil also benefits circulation and increases blood flow, nurturing the capillaries and regulating sebum production. This leads to a stronger, healthier hair follicle and provides healthy hair growth from within.
Tea tree oil has clinically proven cleansing, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties to fight dandruff-causing fungus. This helps to unplug hair follicles and increase hair growth.
Tea Tree oil also hydrates and replenishes the skin on the scalp, clearing clogged pores so that the scalp can more easily absorb its benefits. And its moisturising content gives hair a healthy texture.
A 2013 study found that using Tea Tree oil and the hair treatment minoxidil was more effective than just minoxidil alone in improving hair growth. Tea Tree oil is often included in anti-dandruff shampoos because it is so effective and well tolerated.
Lavender oil speeds up hair growth and also reduces stress, slowing down the hair shedding process. This calming effect can also prevent future hair loss.
An animal study found that Lavender oil generated faster hair growth in mice. Some people with hereditary baldness have even had hair-growing success when using Lavender oil.
Its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties promote a cleaner scalp, reducing dandruff. This encourages hair to grow and may prevent future hair loss. Plus, it has been shown to thicken hair strands, deepen the roots and even increase the number of hair strands.
Clary sage oil contains linalyl acetate, a naturally-occurring compound that is highly effective in increasing hair growth. It also improves hair strength, making it less likely to break.
Clary sage oil stimulates the scalp and reduces hair loss by stopping the membranes around the hair follicles from thickening, which often causes hair to fall out.
And it eases stress and hormonal imbalance, so it’s ideal if your hair is thinning or shedding in times of upheaval and anxiety.
Now we know which essential oils are best for the hair, and which ones we should choose for hair growth, to treat the scalp or to reduce stress, how do we use them?
Massaging the scalp several times a week with your chosen essential oil is a highly effective way to treat hair loss.
Alternatively, you can mix few drops of those essential oils with your shampoo or conditioner and leave it for 10-15 minutes.
Blend 2–3 drops of essential oil with 3 tablespoons of a carrier oil like almond, jojoba or Rosehip oil.
Leave for up to 30 minutes as a pre-wash hair mask or wrap your hair in a towel and sleep in it overnight before washing it out in the morning.
This is not a quick fix but over time you will start to see tufts of baby hair sprouting.
A convenient way to use your hair-loss reducing essential oils is to add them to your shampoo. Leave the shampoo longer to have a better effect,
Add 5-8 drops of your chosen essential oil to your shampoo. It’s best if you choose a shampoo that does not contain sulphates, parabens or silicone.
Many essential oils are wonderful hair helpers, so sometimes it’s good to use more than one at a time.
A combination of Lavender, Rosemary and Cedarwood essential oils has been found to reduce hair loss and gives your hair a pleasant herbal, woody scent.
Mix:
Use for massage, as a hair mask or as a dry hair treatment, to hydrate without leaving the hair lank. You can also use it on wet hair before blow-drying and styling for added shine, to control frizz and to deeply nourish the hair.
Add all ingredients to a spray bottle. Shake well before spritzing over wet hair, avoiding the roots. Or spray into your hands and rub over dry hair to add moisture where you need it most.
To stimulate the hair follicles, add 2–3 drops of Rosemary oil and 1-2 drops of Cedarwood oil to your shampoo. Massage well to promote healthy hair growth.
Incorporating these oils into your hair-care routine will provide many benefits but better and stronger hair growth also depends on a balanced diet, regular exercise, low levels of stress and your genes.
When using natural hair loss solutions, patience is definitely a virtue. Just as hair takes time to grow, results also take time. Effects on hair growth may take six months to see and you do need to use the oils consistently and frequently.
As your hair grows back, you’ll notice short hairs at your hairline that are all the same length. Most people see their hair regain its normal fullness within six to nine months.
Hair transplants and chemical treatments like Rogaine are certainly options to treat serious and permanent hair loss.
However, using essential oils to protect your hair and scalp, treat hair loss and encourage new growth can be just as effective as their chemical cousins.
They also have very little risk of side effects, much less of an impact on your pocket and are healing and nourishing for your hair, and your whole being.
There are certainly many synthetic products and treatments available to prevent and treat hair loss. However, many of them are made with harsh and sometimes toxic chemicals.
These days, many people are turning to natural hair-loss prevention methods, hoping to avoid the nasty chemicals and experience fewer immediate and long-term side effects. As a bonus: natural solutions are much less harmful on the environment.
And then there’s scalp massage: a very pleasant way to protect, treat and maintain your precious hair.
Studies show that scalp massage helps hair follicles stay active, increases hair thickness and encourages hair regrowth.
Scalp massage stretches and stimulates your scalp. This increases blood circulation and allows more oxygen to enter the follicles, reducing hair loss and promoting hair growth. Massage 5–10 minutes every day for at least four months to see results.
And, the benefits of this scalp massage are given a huge boost when you use essential oils.
Happy trying!