Castor oil is frequently praised as a natural solution to hair growth. A long-standing remedy that has been utilized in traditional medicine, castor oi for hair is believed to moisturize your scalp, alleviate dandruff and leave hair silky shiny, strong, and strong.
Derived from the castor bean. Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acids, a kind of fatty acid that is known to help fight inflammation.1 If applied on the hair it’s believed to encourage healthier hair growth as well as stop loss of hair.
This article will discuss the advantages of castor oil for hair, and how you can apply it. It also discusses the factors to consider when you are choosing a casting oil product and the potential adverse effects that you could experience.
Benefits
The claims that you could have heard about the casting oil’s benefits for hair are:
- Improves blood flow to the scalp, which helps to promote healthier hair.
- Just once per month will increase hair growth to five times faster than the average rate.
- It can soothe scalp that is dry and irritated.
- The antibacterial and antifungal properties may help to reduce dandruff.
It is also believed that castor oil is an effective antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants keep free radicals out of damaging healthy cells of the body. This is a process called oxidative stress. It can cause a myriad of health issues, such as hair loss.2
The oil of castor contains omega-6 fatty acids, which is an essential fatty acid that can aid in hair growth and lessen inflammation within the hair follicle.3
There isn’t much evidence to support the assertion that castor oil in particular helps improve hair health and growth.
How to Use It
If you’re thinking of applying castor oil to your hair growth, try applying only a few drops the oil on your scalp. You could also rub several drops more into your hair’s midsection as well as ends. This could help protect your hair from breakage and enhance the texture of your hair.
Castor oil is extremely heavy and sticky and difficult to get out of your hair. It is recommended to dilute it using other oils that are natural, such as coconut or Jojoba. This will also help to reduce the smell of castor oil, which a lot of people find unpleasant. This can be done by mixing one portion of castor oil and two parts from another “carrier oil.”
There is no specific rule of thumb on how long to keep the oil in your hair. Intentionally leaving it on too long could cause dryness to your scalp and hair It is recommended to remove it from your hair every around two hours.
A lot of hair experts suggest applying castor oil less than twice a week. When you apply it more frequently than this can lead to buildup , which can cause issues such as matting.
What to look for?
When you shop at the market for oil from castor, you may find some items that state “cold-pressed” on the label. It means that the castor seeds are extracted into oil without using extreme heat or harsh chemicals. Many believe that cold-pressed oils are of the highest quality and have more nutrients than oils processed using heating.
The most well-known castor oil products to treat hair can be Jamaican black casting oil. The product is made of roasting castor beans, as well as the ash created by an oven roasting. Jamaican Black Castor Oil is thought to be particularly beneficial for dry, thick or coarse hair.
Like all oils like other oils, castor oil comes with an extended shelf life. After being opened, it will become rancid within a year, so bear this in mind when selecting an oil and then storing it at your home.
Side Effects
There’s a concern the use of castor oil an treatment for hair could cause acute hair felting, a rare condition in which hair is tangled and forms an uncontrollable mass. Because the condition cannot be reversed the only option is to remove the affected hair.
It’s important to remember that eating large quantities of castor oil could be extremely harmful, and can cause several adverse reactions which include:
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Afflicting a tense look
- Hallucinations
- Nausea
- Breathing shortness and chest pain
- Skin itchy rash
- Tightness in the throat
Applying the castor oil to your hair won’t cause problems, but ensure that you aren’t able to swallow it accidentally.
