By Marianne Graff
Benefits of Castor Oil for Stopping Hair from Falling Out
For months my hair was falling out, and I didn’t know what to do about it.
I didn’t know what was causing it, although I had some good guesses, and I couldn’t afford expensive shampoos and treatments in a salon for my hair. I didn’t know which nutritional supplements might help, and there is so much conflicting information out there about what to do about this.
I wasn’t in a financial position to alleviate the stress I was feeling, which I suspected was the main culprit.
My hormones were out of balance, and I was too tired to deal with yet another problem.
I felt despair well up every time I brushed my hair and saw a ton of hair pulling up in it.
Perhaps you can relate.
I stumbled upon castor oil as an effective treatment for hair falling out after talking to a friend who had used it with great success (although she combined it with a number of other oils and ingredients too). I looked it up on YouTube and saw a ton of videos talking about this, and many other benefits of using Castor oil.
When I saw a bottle of pure castor oil on the shelf at a local health supplement shop produced by a local company here in Mexico for a very low price (less than $4 USD), I was delighted and decided to give it a try.
And it worked.
Immediately. After the very first application.
When I brushed my hair after using it, there was hardly any hair on my air brush; no hair had fallen out.
If you have heard about how castor oil is so great as a laxative, perhaps you felt suspicious and hesitant when you heard you can use it for hair issues.
But don’t worry; I can personally attest to the fact that you only feel the laxative effects if you consume castor oil, not if you put it on your head.
How Use of Castor Oil to Slow and Prevent Hair Loss
I just poured some castor oil directly on my scalp and massaged it in a bit, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then I had a shower and washed my hair as usual.
Some people put a plastic bag over their head and sleep with it in overnight, but I found that too hot and uncomfortable. Even with a towel on my pillow, my sheets got stained.
It is sticky and viscous, but absorbs into the scalp fairly quickly. It washed out easily. My hair always feels soft, not greasy, afterward.
After using this process twice a week for a month, my hair felt softer, more elastic, and less brittle. It had regained its healthy shine without needing argon oil or other oils. It simply looked healthier again.
I only found reference to one study that concluded that castor oil does indeed help hair re-grow, due to the fact it stimulates blood circulation to the scalp.
I can’t say that I noticed my hair feeling thicker after using castor oil for months, but it certainly looked healthier.
I know it was the castor oil preventing hair loss and not anything else in my diet or lifestyle because when I ran out of castor oil, the very next time I took a shower, my hair fell out easily again and clogged my hair brush with hair that had fallen out.
By the end of the week, there enough hair had fallen out for a big bird to build a nest out of it within a month.
When I started using castor oil on my hair again, there was no hair on my hairbrush after I brushed it. It instantly worked to prevent hair loss.
I was very relieved. It seemed like a minor miracle.
Castor oil doesn’t just treat the hair and hair follicle, it is a terrific moisturizer for skin and your scalp too.
The scalp feels less dry and itchy after an application of castor oil, which seems to soak in a bit after a few minutes
Hair becomes less brittle and dry like a haystack, and more like the soft, supple and shiny hair of your youth.
Fun Facts
The American Academy of Dermatologists report that it is normal to lose between 50 and 100 strands of hair each day, and that this amount is not noticeable.
Many medical doctors and holistic health practitioners have published studies and confirm that there are many benefits of castor oil.
Dr Berg does a great job of explaining how it is the combination of compound in castor oil rather than just one aspect of this plant that provides so many skin, hair and health benefits.
Castor oil acts as a natural conditioner for skin and hair due to a combination of compounds in addition to high levels of Ricinoleic acid that castor oil is so famous for, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
It is also highly effective for moisturizing skin, liver detox and reducing inflammation and joibt pain, based on my personal experience,
Sources
Dr. Berg, E. “The Therapeutic Benefits of Castor Oil” https://youtu.be/AlUNBHMDoIw?si=zwzU3JxqVnsqLKog
Dr. O’Nelll, B. “Barbara O’Neill Used Castor Oil for Hair Loss: Here’s What Happened”. Eternal Health. 26 Sept 2024. https://youtu.be/8BOH2089zp8?si=wzec8d5E9ndgoW7z
Hair MD “How Much Hair Loss is Normal?” https://www.hairmd.com/blog/normal-hair-loss