Research shows that several natural seed oils contain special chemicals that have been shown to increase hair growth and even reverse hair loss. Of those studied, the following are six of the best in terms of hair growth results.
Peppermint Oil
A study in 2014 (Oh, Park & Kim, 2014) recently compared the effectiveness of peppermint treatment with 4 other treatment options (including minoxidil, the recommended treatment for hair loss) and found that peppermint exhibited significant increase in dermal thickness, follicle number, and follicle depth compared with other treatments
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Castor Oil
Castor oil is probably the best oil for increasing hair growth. This is because it contains a large amount of Ricinoleic acid. When Ricinoleic acid is applied to the scalp it has been shown to increase something called PGE2. This is what makes Castor oil a powerful natural hair growth stimulant and hair loss treatment. Increasing PGE2 in the scalp has been shown in studies to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss. Increasing scalp PGE2 is actually one of the key methods for reducing and even reversing hair loss.
Rosemary Oil
Pumpkin Seed Oil
Pumpkin seed oil was shown in one study to increase the total hair count in volunteers suffering from hair loss. This is most likely due to high content of the phytosterol beta-sitosterol, which may reduce the production of DHT in the body. DHT is the by-product of testosterone that causes male pattern baldness.
Pumpkin seed oil contains a steroid called delta-7-sterol. This steroid competes against the same receptors in the hair follicle as that of DHT. As a result, DHT may be less likely to bind to hair follicle receptors and therefore less likely to cause hair loss.
Argan Oil
Argan oil works by protecting the hair from ‘protein loss’. That means it stops hair from splitting and breaking, which means it can grow longer. A study was conducted on dyed hair to measure whether argan oil would prevent dyed hair from breaking. The study showed the application of Argan oil resulted in a reduction in protein loss from the hair shafts.
Argan oil also contains oleic acid (46-48%) and linoleic acid (31-35%), which have been shown to benefit hair growth.
