7 Reasons why Rosemary Oil is Amazing for Hair Growth

• have anti-inflammatory properties
• promote nerve growth
• improve circulation
• 1. According to some scientific evidence, rosemary may benefit nerve tissue.
• 2. Carnosic acid, an active ingredient in the plant, healed tissue and nerve damage in one study. This ability to heal nerve endings may rejuvenate nerves in the scalp too, in turn possibly restoring hair growth.
• 3. More revealing recent studies show that rosemary directly helps protect against hair loss. One 2015 trialTrusted Source pitted the essential oil against minoxidil, commercially known as Rogaine. Both were used on human subjects with androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness).
• 4. Results showed that rosemary essential oil was just as effective a minoxidil. During the process, it helped the side effect of itchy scalp more successfully than minoxidil.
• 5. Another studyTrusted Source of rosemary leaf extract (different from the essential oil) showed it stimulated hair growth. This occurred when hair loss was triggered by testosterone (as in pattern baldness). This study was performed on mice, however.
• 6. Two separate clinical reviews — one from 2010Trusted Source and one from 2011 — also acknowledge rosemary’s hair growth potential. The former cites a study with successful hair regrowth in people with alopecia who used essential oils. One of these essential oils was rosemary.
• 7. In the latter review, rosemary essential oil was described as a hair loss restorative. This was due to its circulation-improving effects.

While there are a few essential oils that can help to stimulate hair growth, Henry said that rosemary oil tends to be a top choice. "Rosemary oil is equivalent to 2.5 percent minoxidil, which is pretty impressive," she said. "It's something that we can use during pregnancy or for patients who just don't want to use minoxidil or are intolerant to it," she said. Because it's non-toxic and tends to be well-tolerated, almost anyone could incorporate it into their routine. "It's safe to use as long as you appreciate the scent — which many do," she added.

While experts still aren't entirely sure how it works, the belief is that it improves circulation in the area, which can lead to cellular turnover and growth, Henry said. As an added bonus, it's also anti-inflammatory, and because inflammation plays a big role in a lot of hair loss conditions, like central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) or alopecia areata, it can be a helpful tool in managing and treating those issues.

References:

Panahi Y, Taghizadeh M, Marzony ET, Sahebkar A. Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed. 2015 Jan-Feb;13(1):15-21. PMID: 25842469.

Mehdi Jalali-Heravi, Rudabeh Sadat Moazeni, Hassan Sereshti,

Analysis of Iranian rosemary essential oil: Application of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry combined with chemometrics,

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Management of alopecia areata M J Harries,1 J Sun,2 3 R Paus,1 4 L E King5

BMJ 2010;341:c3671 doi: 10.1136/bmj.c3671