Rosemary is a well-known hair remedy. It has been used since ancient times to reduce hair loss and promote healthy hair growth.
But is it just folklore? Or does rosemary stand its ground and prove it has legs when challenged by modern science? We will find out in this article.
We recently ordered a new mattress. It was comfortable and all, but the biggest problem was that it was very hot. What does this mean? The mattress had a top layer of wool. Since it is nine months of winter in London, we thought it would be good to have a woolen mattress.
But no, it wasn’t good. Sleeping on it was like sleeping on a warm log. It was hard to sleep. Fortunately, the mattress came with a 50-night comfort guarantee. And we could return it.
But not everything in life is guaranteed, especially when you are looking for hair growth remedies.
You should try it and see if it works for you.
But, of course, you can minimize the risk by finding out its benefits, which group of people has the greatest effect, and proves its value when tested by science.
In this article we will do just that, with rosemary. Rosemary has been used as a hair tonic for hundreds of years. It is reputed to help with hair loss, promote growth and prevent dandruff.
Most evidence comes from ancient texts and word of mouth.
But the good news is that there are some studies showing the use of rosemary to reverse hair loss, alopecia areata, and more.
Let’s dig deep and find out more about rosemary, how it helps hair and scalp and if it can rejuvenate hair…
What is Rosemary?
Latin name Rosmarinus officinalis or Salvia rosmarinus, belonging to the mint and sage family.
Rosemary is an attractive shrub with needle-like leaves and blue flowers. If you crush its leaves, it gives off a fresh, herbal, camphorous aroma.
Originally from the Mediterranean, the Greeks and Romans considered rosemary a sacred plant. They burned it as incense to ward off evil spirits and purify the air. The scent of rosemary is also said to aid in meditation, keeping the mind clear and alert.
Medicinally, rosemary has been recommended for a wide range of complaints, from arthritis to sinusitis to muscle aches. A rosemary oil massage helps to relax tight, stressed muscles, clears lymphatic congestion and stimulates blood circulation.
And for our hair, rosemary is reputed to stimulate growth. But how…
How does rosemary oil help in hair regrowth?
Rosemary is full of bioactive compounds that are very beneficial for hair follicle health. Some of the compounds in rosemary are: rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid, carnosic acid, carnosol and camphor (1).
These compounds are like vitamins that bring positive changes to the scalp: increased blood flow, tissue regeneration and waste removal. And thus helping the hair follicles to thrive.
Here are three ways rosemary helps transform thin hair into thick:
1. Rosemary increases blood flow to the scalp
2. Rosemary helps neutralize free radicals
3. Rosemary lowers DHT levels
1. Rosemary increases blood flow to the scalp.
This is huge. Because without a proper blood supply, the hair follicles do not receive the nutrients they need to grow healthy hair.
Rosemary has a stimulating effect on the applied area. So, when you apply it to the scalp, it helps increase the diameter of the blood vessels, also known as vasodilation, and boosts blood circulation to the scalp (2, 3). For the hair follicles, it means more oxygen and nutrients and, in turn, this can lead to thicker and stronger hair growth.
The conventional hair loss drug, minoxidil, is also a vasodilator, but comes with side effects such as itching, headache, and hair growth elsewhere on the body (4). Rosemary seems like a safe bet.
2. Rosemary helps neutralize free radicals
Why is it important?
This is because several studies have linked hair loss (or androgenetic alopecia) as well as alopecia areata to increased levels of free radicals in hair follicles (5, 6).
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are unstable molecules in our body. They are created as part of normal cellular function.
So, just like you can’t avoid air pollution, you can’t avoid free radicals (Read more here). But then we have antioxidants – from the healthy foods we eat, plus our bodies also produce antioxidants – which work to neutralize these free radicals.
Why are free radicals harmful to hair?
They rust our hair cells and cause them to become weak and damaged. And thus it causes premature hair loss.
Increase in free radicals => Oxidative stress => Damage to hair follicles => premature hair loss
While,
Reduction of free radicals => Reduction of hair loss
While you can eat healthy foods to get more antioxidants, applying antioxidant-rich plant extracts can also reduce free radicals (7). Rosemary is a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to neutralize free radicals (2). And in this capacity, rosemary can protect hair from free radical damage and thus reduce hair loss and thinning.
3. Rosemary lowers DHT (an androgenic hormone)
If you have male or female pattern hair loss, DHT is the hormone that needs to be curbed.
DHT or dihydrotestosterone is an androgenic hormone that contributes to the development of “male” characteristics such as a deep voice and increased body hair. But it can also make you lose your hair.
About 10% of testosterone is converted to DHT in both men and women (8). But if testosterone levels are too high, DHT levels also rise, which can lead to hair loss.
DHT sticks to hair follicles and causes them to shrink and grow thinner and shorter hair. In addition, there is a delay in the growth of new hair to replace lost hair.
So how can you reverse and prevent DHT from damaging your hair? One way to do this is by not allowing DHT to stick to the hair follicles.
Rosemary can save you as it has an anti-androgenic effect.
A study done in mice examined the effect of rosemary leaf extract on testosterone-induced hair loss (9). The findings were promising. Rosemary worked in two ways to reduce DHT. It reduced the conversion of testosterone to DHT. In addition, it also prevented DHT from binding the hair follicles, thus preventing them from being destroyed by DHT.
Of course, the biggest drawback of this study was that it was done in mice, not humans. However, the findings suggest rosemary as a potential natural treatment for reducing hair loss and promoting hair growth.
Now that you know how rosemary benefits hair, let’s learn ways to use rosemary.
How can I use rosemary in my hair?
1. Apply rosemary essential oil
A head massage with rosemary oil is very relaxing and refreshing for your hair. But before you put rosemary oil on your scalp, you need to dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut, almond or olive oil. Applying it neatly can irritate your scalp.
Take 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and add 5 drops rosemary oil, stir to combine. Using your fingers, massage the oil into your scalp. Leave it on for an hour or overnight if you can for maximum effect, then rinse.
Buy rosemary essential oil online here
2. Use a rosemary water hair rinse
When you boil rosemary leaves with water, you get lovely reddish brown colored rosemary. And this water is infused with the goodness of rosemary. You can apply it after shampooing to strengthen and condition your hair and then wash it off.
Read more about how to make and use rosemary water here.
Next article Rosemary:
How to use rosemary oil for hair growth
Rosemary Hair Water: An Effective Hair Growth Treatment
Next time we will look at the third point. How Rosemary Reduces the Dreaded DHT, the Main Culprit of Hair Loss in Men and Women…
