In the below extract from a study on lavender oil’s effect on hair growth, lavender oil was tested against three other agents, as follows:
- PC = 3% minoxidil
- E1 = 3% lavender oil (LO)
- E2 = 5% lavender oil (LO)
PC, E1, and E2 groups showed a significantly increased number of hair follicles, deepened hair follicle depth, and thickened dermal layer, along with a significantly decreased number of mast cells compared to the N group
Via PMC
Mast cells, by the way, are cells that release histamine and are involved in inflammatory processes. As I’ve previously mentioned mast cells and inflammation are strongly associated with hair loss.
As I’ve shown in previous articles anti-histamine medications like cetirizine, sulfasalazine and other PGD2 inhibitors have been shown to reduce hair loss and increase hair growth.
Lavender oil seems to have quite a significant positive effect on hair growth:
During the experimental period, the HF number in the PC, E1 and E2 groups increased; HF depth was deeper and dermal thickness was thicker than in the N group. The HF number, HF depth, and dermal thickness were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the PC, E1, and E2 groups than in the N group at the 3rd or 4th week of the experiment.
This might be explained by lavender oil’s anti-inflammatory action (indicated by a reduction in mast cells (MCs):
The number of MCs was measured in the dermal and subcutaneous layers by toluidine blue staining, which were visually checked at a 200 × magnification, using an optical microscope (Fig. 3). At the 1st week, the number of MCs was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the N and VC groups than in the PC, E1, and E2 groups.
