Authors
Pankaj Menon
Ruby leads editorial, operations and initiatives at Newschecker. In her former avatar at New Delhi Television (NDTV), India’s leading national news network, she was a news anchor, supervising producer and senior output editor. Her over a decade-long career encompasses ground-breaking reportage from conflict zones and reporting on terror incidents, election campaigns, and gender issues. Ruby is an Emmy-nominated producer and has handled both local and international assignments, including the coverage of Arab Spring in 2011, the US Presidential elections in 2016, and ground reportage on the Kashmir issue since 2009.
Claim
Traditional Adivasi hair oil can reverse hair loss/baldness in 10-15 days
Fact
Hair loss can be due to a variety of factors and while oiling may benefit overall hair health, it cannot solve hair loss due to factors such as nutrition and genetics.
Hair fall- one of mankind’s most ancient affliction, with an abundance of remedies but a dearth of cures. Time and again, hair growth concoctions have been an easy way to make a quick buck, immaterial of whether they work or not. And keeping up with this marketing tactic, users are now targeted on social media with ads for hair growth oil.
One such advertisement for ‘Adivasi hair oil’, makes tall claims- reduces hair thinning and makes hair thick and dense, brings out all the hair follicles and helps them grow, all in ten days.
The ‘healer’ in another video points to bald patches on a middle-aged man- a case of male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia- and promises that consistent use of the hair oil, applied using raw onion, will revert baldness.
Another such advertisement, claiming to be the ‘original’ product, features a different set of ‘Adivasi healers’, making similar claims of stopping hair fall completely and reversing balding.
But how much impact does hair oil have on hair loss and hair growth? Newschecker went down a rabbit hole that threw up some interesting findings.
What causes hair loss?
We first tried to understand what causes hair loss in men and women. Hair loss varies from mild thinning to complete baldness and stems from a variety of causes including stress, medications, chemotherapy, hormonal changes, illnesses like lupus or thyroid, deficiency of essential elements, and age-related factors. In some cases, a patient may lose large patches of hair or total loss of hair, called Alopecia areata and Alopecia Totalis.
In addition, the most common type of hair loss is male pattern hair loss and it can begin at any time in a man’s life, even during his teenage years.
Is hairfall permanent?
Depends. Speaking to Newschecker, Dr Palashjyoti Majumder, a member of the Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons India (AHRS), emphasised that hair fall can be both temporary and permanent.
While various factors including inadequate nutrition, environmental changes, weight fluctuations, fever, thyroid issues, and hormonal imbalances, can contribute to temporary hair loss, Scarring Alopecia (where the hair follicles are damaged due to infections or chemical burns or autoimmune disease) and Androgenetic Alopecia (hair loss due to genetic predisposition) are permanent.
However, without proper care, temporary hair loss may take on a more permanent form. Factors such as pollution, dietary issues, ongoing hormonal problems, thyroid issues, or anaemia can contribute to permanent hair loss. It underscores the importance of addressing underlying issues and maintaining proper hair care practices.
Is it possible to reverse hair loss?
The answer depends on factors like scalp care and genetics. While temporary hair loss, such as those linked to nutrition and environment can be reversed, genetic influences may pose limitations.
However, even in cases of permanent hair loss such as male pattern baldness, new studies have indicated that taking adequate steps at the right time can slow down the onset.
Prioritising effective scalp care, maintaining a balanced diet, and addressing health issues can promote hair health, underscoring the importance of a holistic approach to hair care.
Is oiling good for Hair?
Regular oiling of hair is reportedly an excellent practice that provides multiple benefits such as preventing breakage and split ends, promoting growth and thickness through antioxidants and proteins in oils like coconut oil, nourishing and moisturizing the scalp while reducing stress with aromatherapy, and alleviating dandruff and itchiness due to anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, hair oils help maintain vibrancy in colour-treated hair by coating strands and sealing in moisture, contributing to overall hair health and protection from environmental damage.
However, it is also to be noted that oiling of hair will not lead to significant improvement in cases where the patient in suffering from hair loss due to hormonal imbalance of nutritional deficiencies, Dr Majumdar reminded.
Do herbal oils have any impact on reverting hair growth?
A study listed in the National Library of Medicine, titled Hair Oils: Indigenous Knowledge Revisited, seems to suggest that traditional hair oils, including coconut oil, castor oil fenugreek oil and sesame oil among others, benefitted hair growth, but that “because of their popularity, which is further exaggerated by social media discussions, it is important that dermatologists are aware of their possible effects and role in trichology.”
The research favouring herbal oils for hair health does not clarify if the improvement in hair quality was seen in cases with temporary hair loss or permanent ones.
And not all research is promising either.
A paper titled “Castor Oil” – The Culprit of Acute Hair Felting reveals that using the much-touted Castor Oil for hair improvement resulted in severe damage to a patient’s hair.
Furthermore, there is no additional information on the period of application required for the hair oil to show results
“The real cause of hair loss has to be found and then only it can be prevented with treatment accordingly. Hair problems cannot be removed by using hair oil indiscriminately. If there is a hair problem due to genetic reasons, how it will be cured with apply oil externally?” Dr. Palashjyoti Majumder asks. “It is not feasible to eliminate hair problems in such a short timeframe using herbal oil. Despite persistent claims in newspaper advertisements and more recently on social media, one should not believe in such promises. Some people believe those advertisements and they also use the oils. These should not be believed,” he added.
“It’s not possible to stop hair fall within 5 days. It’d be magical if this happened. No one would go for hair transplantation and other procedures if it was that simple,” said Dr. Sukhbir Singh, Secretary, of the Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons.
He added, “Usually, before allopathic medicines are launched, they go through a series of clinical trials, and vaccines follow the same trial protocol. However, there are no clinical trials for these Ayurveda products. I am yet to read a study/research proving these oils’ efficiency. If a patient tells me about the efficiency of a medicine, I will simply ask the results of the clinical trials.”
Conclusion
While hair fall may have a variety of factors, influenced by stress, nutrition and genetic factors, adequate medical assessment by a doctor is essential before taking on any remedies. While hair oil may support overall hair health, it cannot make a difference in those with hair loss due to nutrition or genetic factors or those with permanent hair loss. No matter what the cause, hair loss cannot reverted in a matter of 5, 10 or 15 days, and to say so is misleading.
Result: Missing Context
Our Sources:
1. Report by Harvard Medical School, dated January 13, 2022
2. Telephonic interview with Dr. Sukhbir Singh, Secretary, of the Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons
3. Telephonic interview with Dr. Palashjyoti Majumder, Member, Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons India
4. Article by Healthline.
5. Report by National Library of Medicine, dated May 24, 2022
6. Report by National Library of Medicine, July 2017
(Reporting inputs by Rangman Das and Saurabh Pandey)
(This article was reworked on November 22, 2023 with additional information)
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Authors
Pankaj Menon
Ruby leads editorial, operations and initiatives at Newschecker. In her former avatar at New Delhi Television (NDTV), India’s leading national news network, she was a news anchor, supervising producer and senior output editor. Her over a decade-long career encompasses ground-breaking reportage from conflict zones and reporting on terror incidents, election campaigns, and gender issues. Ruby is an Emmy-nominated producer and has handled both local and international assignments, including the coverage of Arab Spring in 2011, the US Presidential elections in 2016, and ground reportage on the Kashmir issue since 2009.
