Onion juice, rice water, caffeine and rosemary oil: What actually works for hair growth?

New Delhi:

Every few months, a new 'miracle' hair growth remedy takes over our feeds, from onion juice and rice water to caffeine-infused serums and rosemary oil massages. But with so many DIY hacks and trending ingredients, it’s hard to know what genuinely helps and what’s just hype. 

If you have been battling hair fall or thinning and are wondering which of these popular remedies actually work, here’s a simple, science-backed breakdown by a renowned dermatologist, hair transplant surgeon and cosmetologist, Dr Jangid, to help you choose what’s worth trying.

Onion juice for hair growth

When we asked Dr Jangid about the usage of onion juice for hair growth, he said, "When it comes to onion juice, it’s effective for alopecia areata, which is a tricky kind of hair loss. So, how should you use it? In what form? Here’s the thing—if I’m honest, anything we apply to the skin doesn’t penetrate that well, right? Now, if we talk about medicines, how do they actually reach the scalp and get to the roots? Well, there’s a system for that, called trans-epidermal drug delivery." So, the doctor clearly explained that he is not a fan of onion juice for hair growth.

Using various kinds of oils for hair growth - rosemary, coconut oil and more

When we asked about whether rosemary oil, castor oil, or coconut oil, which really give good results for hair growth, Dr Jangid said, "Look, there are two things. First, we need to take care of the hair. Second, if you're already experiencing a lot of hair fall, then treatment comes into play. Whatever you've mentioned, all of these can be good for basic hair care. For example, rosemary oil might help a bit with growth. There's some positive evidence that rosemary oil can actually promote hair growth. So basically, if your hair fall isn’t excessive or due to any serious condition, it can give your hair a little boost."

"Castor oil, generally, doesn’t have much evidence supporting its benefits, okay? And if your scalp is already oily, you don’t really need to put on more oil. See, what usually happens is, as our grandmothers and elders do, they keep oil on the scalp overnight and then wash it off the next morning. But medically, it's believed that this process isn't really great for the scalp. It's medically tested, though. Scientifically, if your skin is already oily and you keep adding more oil, it means there's a higher chance for fungus to grow. But what I mean is, none of these things actually happen because all these are made up of fatty acids, and fatty acids have very long chains. They never really penetrate deep inside the scalp beyond one or two layers," he also added.

"Generally, it’s believed that oil is just for the hair. But if your hair is only 2 to 3 cm long, you don’t even need to apply it. Because when your hair is that short, your scalp oil itself nourishes your hair. Yeah, if you’ve got long hair, like you’re maintaining, then sure," Der Jangid concluded.