If you’ve experienced alopecia, hair thinning or hair loss, you may have heard about using rosemary oil for hair loss. In recent months, the popularity of rosemary oil has sky-rocketed, with more and more people discussing its side effects on hair and reaching for it in the hopes of reversing or minimising hair loss.
But does rosemary oil really help hair growth? In this post, we’re going to discuss the potential benefits of using rosemary oil on your natural hair, and the important factors to consider if you’re going to give it a try.
What is Rosemary Oil?
Rosemary oil is a popular oil derived from evergreen rosemary shrubs. You’re probably familiar with rosemary shrubs – they are commonly grown in the UK, with rosemary being used as a herb in many dishes.
Rosemary essential oil has been used for centuries for its various medicinal properties. Nowadays, Spain and Tunisia produce the most rosemary oil, and it is believed that Tunisian rosemary essential oil is generally the best quality.
Does Rosemary Oil Really Help Hair Growth?
There is a growing amount of evidence to support the claim that rosemary oil helps with hair loss. For example, one 2015 study showed that when compared against 2% minoxidil (a medication to treat pattern hair loss), rosemary oil performed just as well and helped to enhance hair counts for those with androgenetic alopecia. Rosemary oil even assisted with the side effect of getting an itchy scalp better than minoxidil, further showing its promise.
Another study looked at the impact of essential oils (including rosemary oil) on a group of individuals with alopecia areata, and concluded this to be “a safe and effective treatment”.
For more insights, you can read a full clinical review of alopecia areata management from the British Medical Journal, in which the impact of rosemary essential oil is discussed.
While the scientific evidence does offer hope that rosemary oil can help with hair growth, research is still limited since the studies performed have often been small. So, just be aware that rosemary oil may not be a one-size-fits-all, guaranteed hair loss remedy!
You should also note that the quality of rosemary oil can impact its effectiveness. Different aspects of the oil, such as the rosemary plant’s growing conditions, can impact how well it performs. So, before trying rosemary oil for hair loss, you should do thorough research on the type of rosemary oil you’re buying.
Benefits of Rosemary Oil for Your Hair and Scalp
You may have come across rosemary oil on the ingredients list of haircare products before, so let’s look at a few of the benefits it can offer.
Improve blood circulation to your scalp
Applying and massaging rosemary oil to your scalp is believed to increase your blood circulation, drawing more oxygenated blood and nutrients to your hair’s follicles to help stimulate them. This can help to promote hair growth.
Strengthen your hair
It is believed that rosemary oil can help to improve the strength of your hair and protect it from external environmental aggressors, like pollution. In turn, this can minimise the risk of breakage and hair loss, and helps your hair to appear thicker.
Support a healthy scalp
If you suffer from an itchy, flaky or sensitive scalp, rosemary oil may be able to help soothe the irritation.
Slow down greying
If you’re not ready to rock grey hair, rosemary oil may contribute to slowing down the greying process. External aggressors, like pollution and UV radiation, can cause oxidative stress on the hair which can accelerate the greying process. As rosemary oil is believed to offer some protection against these aggressors, it may help to slow down your transition to grey hair.
Potential Rosemary Oil Side Effects on Hair and Scalp
As with most products, you need to be aware of the potential side effects of using rosemary oil on your hair and scalp. The most common side effect is scalp irritation, which can be brought on if you:
More generally, you should be cautious when using rosemary oil on your hair as this can get into your eyes and cause irritation! If this happens to you, rinse your eyes with cold water as quickly as possible.
You may also find that rosemary oil leaves your hair looking and feeling and looking little greasy, which is not ideal if you have fine hair or a naturally oil scalp. To combat this, try using rosemary oil sparingly (e.g. once a week) and rinse it out with water soon after.
When Should I Avoid Using Rosemary Oil?
Unfortunately, there haven’t been enough clinical studies done to fully assess the potential impacts of rosemary oil. As a result, you should avoid using rosemary oil if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have health concerns or sensitive skin. If this applies to you, we suggest checking in with a dermatologist and your GP for their medical advice.
You should also avoid using rosemary oil if your skin is irritated, broken or inflamed.
How to Apply Rosemary Oil to Your Hair
If you want to give rosemary oil a try, you need to understand how to apply it correctly and safely. The three main ways of applying rosemary oil to your hair are:
What If Rosemary Oil Doesn’t Treat My Hair Growth Effectively?
Try not to be disheartened if rosemary oil doesn’t turn out to be the right product for you. There’s no guarantee that it is a magical, miracle product to reverse hair loss or thinning hair.
We know it may feel impossible if you’re at the start of your hair loss journey, but you really can embrace this change with confidence and grace! Just have a read of our beautiful customer stories.
If you want to conceal hair loss, we’d love to introduce you to the wonderful world of wigs. A wig can look just as realistic as natural hair, meaning it will be virtually impossible for anyone to realise you’re rocking one. This will help you build up the confidence you deserve as you join the fabulous wig wearing community. There are so may gorgeous wigs out there, so it’s never been easier to find a piece that seamlessly blends in with your natural colour and hairstyle. Or, why not take this as an opportunity to try something completely new?
And, don’t worry, wearing a wig does not prevent hair growth, so you can wear yours even if you still want to experiment with rosemary oil.
If you’re not ready to try a full wig yet, you may want to consider a hair topper, which is a smaller hair piece. Hair toppers can help to create volume for those with thinning hair or conceal hair loss patches. There are so many natural-looking hair toppers on offer, which you can attach and style with ease.
If you’re not sure where to start with wearing a wig for the first time, have a read through the Simply Wigs blog for more tips, tricks and guides than you can imagine. Or, get in touch with our friendly customer care team who will be more than happy to have a chat!
I have been wearing Simply Wigs for around 3yrs now after being diagnosed with fibrosing alopecia. Don’t know what l would have done without you. Your wigs are beautiful & so natural. You have given me back my confidence as l was starting to shy away from the world & hiding myself away. Thank you so much & for your brilliant customer service