Ancient Greeks and Egyptians were sold on the idea to use olive oil for hair growth. Interestingly, many people now would never consider it because there aren’t any scientific studies that prove it works.
Personally, I think it’s ridiculous to want a research study on every single remedy a person tries, especially when a substance has been used for hundreds of years. Asking for this research is like saying that you don’t believe that the thousands if not millions of people who used the olive oil for hair growth are liars and idolizing science and scientists. Top marketing gurus of now have written books on how millions of people can’t be wrong about certain things.
The truth about scientific studies is that many of them are flawed from the start; it makes sense to believe in the wisdom passed down generation to generation. Thousands or millions of people can’t be wrong. Use the scientific research you find to discover how natural remedies work, not if they work. The scientist who can prove how things worth is more valuable than a scientist who does reviews of other scientists’ work.
Benefits of Using Olive Oil for Hair Growth
The type of olive oil used for hair growth is always extra virgin. Extra virgin is the first press of the olive and often contains the most nutrients, especially vitamin E. This vitamin fights against free radical damage – and when applied to the scalp, could conceivably fight against free radicals in the scalp.
Start with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One of the top extra virgin olive oils on the market today is Bariani Olive Oil, which comes from the Sacramento CA area. I personally visited the olive orchards several years ago for two television shows I was producing and hosting on the topic how olive oil is made.
The Barianis are very transparent about what they are doing to turn olives into olive oil. They use a very large 10-15’ circular stone from Italy to crush the olives. This is true cold pressing in the processing of the olives. Heat processing is undesirable, as it will lessen the amount of vitamin E in the oil. Olive oil analyses of their product from an independent laboratory prove a high level of vitamin E in the oil. And that’s important for the growth of your hair follicles.
Interestingly, I found out how some companies get away with calling their olive oil extra virgin – but in the purest sense, they aren’t extra virgin. Thus, the level of vitamin E they have in their oil will not be that high unless the vitamin is added to the olive oil at the end of processing.
When the olives are pressed, the oil to come out of the olives first is extra virgin olive oil. The oil is separated from the rest of the pulp. The pulp is then taken outside on a scrap pile where it’s exposed to air. The scrap pile could be 20 or 30 feet high.
Some companies then go back to the scrap pile and do another pressing. The problem is that pulp on the scrap pile has already been exposed to air – and is oxidized. Oxidized fat is high in free radicals, and if you want olive oil for hair growth, the last thing you want is oxidized oil. You want fresh oil instead with all its potency to penetrate into the scalp.
The Process
The procedure to use the olive oil for black hair growth is simple.
- First heat the oil slightly. Microwaving is never recommended as the temperature of the oil gets too hot too fast, and kills all living things – normal flora found in olive oil plus vitamins that are heat-sensitive.
- Massage about a tablespoon into the scalp. Cover the hair with a scarf or plastic cap for a few hours.
- Then wash your hair. It’s pretty easy to do a scalp treatment once a week.
- You can also add a few other ingredients such as a few drops of castor oil or almond oil and even add a dash of cayenne pepper or rosemary. These could further stimulate growth of your hair.
How Olive Oil Could Work
What women and men who use olive oil for hair growth should know is that the oil nourishes the hair follicles and is stimulating growth while simultaneously softening the hair and making it shine. Olive oil has some antimicrobial properties as well, so it can help create more favorable conditions for a healthy microbial population on the scalp. The fatty acids naturally found in olive oil may help repair the follicles, too.
And if you’re troubled with high levels of testosterone causing hair loss, you’ll be happy to know that DHT (a byproduct of testosterone) is inactivated in the hair follicles when olive oil is applied to the scalp.
Conclusion
When you use olive oil for hair growth, you can rest assured that you won’t be harming your scalp or hair in any way.
