By Erin Lukas, InStyle
Google "castor oil for hair growth," and a number of articles will come up with DIY tips and praise for the oil's effectiveness at solving a number of hair growth struggles from hair loss, thinness, to patchy eyebrows.
Since finding the answer to many of hair growth woes in a single
bottle of pure, cold-pressed castor oil that you can find on Amazon or
your neighborhood health food store seems a little too good to
be true, we turned to a dermatologist to find out whether or not castor
oil really is like Miracle Grow for your hair, brows, and lashes—and
most importantly, if it’s safe for your skin and scalp.
"Castor oil is most commonly used as a natural treatment for thin or
sparse eyelashes," says Dr. Joshua Zeichner, dermatologist and director
of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital
in New York. "It is rich and fatty acid's and helps coat hair shaft
themselves to enhance shine and make the hair itself look thicker. In
addition, castor oil has antimicrobial properties. By reducing levels of
east along the hair follicles, it can help reduce inflammation and
subsequently allow hair follicles to function optimally."
That being said, the dense oil is also a known irritant and Dr.
Zeichner suggests practicing caution if you're planning on trying the
DIY hair hack. "Castor oil is a known irritant. So I am always cautious
about recommending it for use around the eyes or eyebrows," he says.
"There is a little published data to support its use, and much of what
we know comes from anecdotal reports on the Internet." Since we all know
what you Google isn't always reliable, he recommends that if you
develop any irritation, burning, or stinging of the skin, to discontinue
using it. If you have facial acne, Dr. Zeichner also suggests avoiding
castor oil because its thick consistency can exacerbate it.
On your head, castor oil may help with dandruff, which in turn may be
stunting hair growth. "Dandruff is caused by high levels of yeast on
the scalp," explains Dr. Zeichner. "This results in inflammation of the
skin with flaking, and the inflammation may also interfere with hair
growth." While anti-fungal shampoos are the best way of treating
dandruff, some people have found that due to its anti-inflammatory
properties, castor oil has a similar effect.
If you're using it on your scalp, you can apply it and leave it
overnight, but since the oil can be irritating, it can be safer to start
with short contact therapy. For example, rub it into your scalp as you
sing the alphabet, and then rinse it off.
The most harmless route for getting your hair thick and full, is to
use shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for thinning
strands. "These products may actually code each individual here to
increase thickness and give the hair a fuller appearance," explains Dr.
Zeichner. "Using the wrong shampoo and conditioner may actually way the
hair down and make it look thinner than it is."
In addition there's a number of over-the-counter oral supplements and
treatments that can aid in promoting hair re-growth such as women's
Rogaine ($50; target.com), Nutrafol ($88; nutrafol.com), and Evolis's line of line of products that inhibits FGF5, a factor that has been shown to interfere with hair growth.
