After decades of short hair, I decided that it was time to grow it long again. I didn’t just want long hair, though. I wanted hair that would be long, strong and healthy. I had tried to grow my hair before, but it just never made it past my shoulders, even after several months of waiting. So, I did what I do best – research!
I knew that I wanted a natural solution to my hair growth dilemma because I didn’t want all of the chemicals that are in some hair growth serums. I also knew that I wanted an inexpensive, reliable way to grow my hair long and beautiful.
I found several herbs and techniques that worked very well for me, as detailed in my article on hair growth, and my other article on hair loss. However, I don’t feel as though I gave one herb the spotlight it deserves.
Rosemary is a very powerful herb that has a multitude of health benefits. For this article, the benefit that I will be highlighting is the herb’s amazing effects on hair growth and hair health.
Rosemary tea and rosemary oil are both used extensively in hair care routines for very good reasons. According to Organic Facts, rosemary stimulates hair follicles, causing hair to grow long and strong. Rosemary also combats premature hair loss and stops hair from falling out during brushing, shampooing or just daily living.
This can be an especially important benefit for women who have PCOS or hormone related hair loss, for people with alopecia areata or for people who are concerned with balding.
If you are concerned with battling grey hair, rosemary can help with that as well. Rosemary promotes pigmentation in the hair, preventing premature grey hair and even reversing grey hair in some cases. I was one of those cases, and was delighted to see about a dozen grey hairs disappear from my head after regular use of rosemary oil.
Dry, flaky scalp, and the often resulting dandruff, can also be remedied using rosemary. The detoxifying and disinfecting attributes of rosemary oil, combined with its invigorating qualities, make your scalp and hair healthy and flake-free with regular use.
So how does rosemary work for hair growth and hair health? According to Christy Callahan over at LiveStrong.com, one of rosemary’s principle actions is increasing circulation to the scalp. This increase in circulation to the scalp results in renewed cellular health and increases the nutrients delivered to the scalp and hair.
How is rosemary oil used? Rosemary oil is best used directly on the scalp, and can be mixed with other hair health herbs such as fenugreek, sage, bhringraj, horsetail or aloe vera. Rosemary can also be used as a tea rinse for hair, or made into a rosemary infused vinegar rinse for hair (don’t worry, the vinegar rinse won’t leave your hair smelling like vinegar).
Rosemary has made a tremendous difference in the health of my hair and scalp, and has allowed me to finally get past my hair growth obstacles. In fact, my hair has grown way past my shoulders in a surprisingly short amount of time, and is healthier than ever!
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Sources:
Callahan, C. (2010). Hair Growth and Rosemary, LiveStrong.com. http://www.livestrong.com/article/78932-hair-growth-rosemary/
Organic Facts. (2011). Health Benefits of Rosemary Oil. http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/health-benefits-of-rosemary-oil.html