Could This DIY Herbal Oil Thicken Your Mane and Stop Hair Loss After 1 Use?

This homemade herbal oil sounds too good to be true: it claims to stop hair loss and thicken strands after just one use. We found the recipe on Glowpink, and while there was not much info aside from how to create it and that it guarantees these results after a single treatment, we had to investigate!

First, let's take a look at the recipe:

1 fresh hibiscus flower
2-3 hibiscus leaves
3 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoon mustard oil
2 tablespoon almond oil
A few curry leaves
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 medium-size onion
A few tulsi leaves

Chop the onion.
Take all petals of flower and crush it.
Add leaves and crush them.
Add curry leaves and crush them.
Mix all oils in given quantity in a pan.
Start flame, and add the onion.
Add crushed paste.
When oil starts to boil, add tulsi leaves and fenugreek seeds.
When seeds starts to pop up, turn off the flame.
Let it cool.
Apply this oil to your hair, and wait for at least 30 minutes before washing it off.

To get to the bottom of whether this works or not, we consulted Dr. Rachel Nazarian of Schweiger Dermatology Group via email. She confirmed this treatment does not fix hair loss, and here is why:

"There are many different etiologies for hair loss, and there s absolutely no one-stop cure. This recipe claiming to thicken hair and stop hair loss in one application is absolutely ridiculous. Even the greatest clinically proven treatments take several weeks to slow hair loss or thicken hair. The claim of 'thickening hair' can only be applied to new hair growth, as an old hair follicle can not be truly 'thickened.' The examples of hair-thickening agents that are available now are done with particles that adhere to the hair follicle, giving it the appearance of being thicker. Hair thickening takes a long time and requires you to evaluate the new hair growth.

"Additionally, hair loss happens after the hair follicle has remained in a stagnant point of the cycle for a period of time. Strands in this point of the hair growth cycle will eventually shed. There is no way to avoid this, especially with a one-time application of topical agents. Before you waste your time, and potentially exacerbate the reasons behind your hair loss, get a professional evaluation from your dermatologist. Anything guaranteeing they can stop hair shedding or reverse hair thinning in 30 minutes is bogus!"

The verdict: sure, you can try this at home to hydrate and condition your mane, but don't expect a drastic change aside from shinier strands.