If you think your head of hair is starting to become thinner in appearance, don’t despair, there are things you can do. One natural oil could be the remedy.
Cited in the medical journal Dovepress, researchers compared the effectiveness of a natural remedy on hair loss.
In the study – conducted by those based at the Department of Pharmaceutics, in Saudi Arabia – three treatment options were compared.
The first was the use of medically approved hair loss treatment minoxidil – available in pharmacies in the UK.
The second topical treatment was diclofenac (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent).
Finally, the last treatment option was tea tree oil. For the experiment, 32 men were enrolled.
Each man was randomly assigned to apply 1ml of either hair loss treatment to their scalp twice a day.
The study continued for 32 weeks (eight months), and researchers analysed hair count, thickness and weight on the targeted area of the scalp.
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Photographs were taken too, self-reported analysis of hair regrowth and external opinions.
As predicted, minoxidil came out on top for hair count, thickness and hair weight.
Self-reported questionnaires demonstrated that minoxidil “slowed hair loss, increased hair growth, and improved appearance”.
These changes were in agreement with the photographic assessments made by the researchers.
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Interestingly, the findings found that minoxidil mixed with tea tree oil was more effective than minoxidil alone.
How to use tea tree oil
It’s possible to mix drops of tea tree oil into your shampoo or conditioner, and to use it as normal.
An alternative method is to use a hair mask. To do this, mix three drops of tea tree oil with 2tbsp of a carrier oil, such as almond oil.
This mixture is then left on the hair and scalp for 15 minutes before it’s rinsed out with water.
Medical News Today noted how tea tree oil is also known as melaleuca oil, made from the leaves of an Australian plant called Melaleuca alternifolia.
The oil is said to contain antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties.
Tea tree oil has been shown to alleviate mild to moderate levels of dandruff.
An experiment conducted by researchers from Southern Cross University, Australia, investigated the effects of tea tree oil.
In their experiment, they enrolled 126 patients who were randomly assigned to receive shampoo mixed with five percent tea tree oil or a placebo.
This went on daily for four weeks, where the amount of dandruff was measured, alongside self-assessment scores of scaliness, itchiness and greasiness.
Those who washed their hair with five percent tea tree oil showed a 41 percent improvement in their hair condition compared to the placebo group.
Improvements were seen in the overall severity of dandruff, and levels of itchiness and greasiness.