Name Ingredients:
Peppermint is a hybrid species of mint that grows throughout Europe and North America. Peppermint oil is made from the flowers and leaves of the peppermint plant. For thousands of years, peppermint oil has been purported to assist with digestive disorders. Peppermint oil contains a large amount of menthol, which is responsible for the cool taste and refreshing smell, as well as some of its touted health benefits. Some claim that peppermint oil can be beneficial to hair health and growth through the potential vasodilatory properties of menthol.
Key insights:
- Peppermint has previously been found to have antibacterial properties which may benefit scalp health and therefore hair growth, however this has not been confirmed in humans.
- Menthol has also been found to induce vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) through multiple pathways. This may be beneficial to hair growth via increasing blood flow to the scalp.
- The in vivo (in mice) evidence shows one study that compared the efficacy of topical jojoba oil, 3% minoxidil, 3% peppermint essential oil, or a saline control applied once daily, 6 days a week for 4 weeks. The 3% peppermint group appeared to perform the best, (increased follicle number, follicle depth and dermal thickness) however this has not been reproduced in humans.
- Furthermore, there were three main issues with the study:
- It was an animal study
- The study was conducted on a small sample of mice (20)
- The study only took place over four weeks.
- Furthermore, there were three main issues with the study:
- It is known that menthol (a component of peppermint oil) targets a number of pathways leading to vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) which may contribute to improved blood flow, however it is also linked to vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels)
- Our experience tracking members: Peppermint oil by itself is not enough to improve hair loss outcomes.
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