We recently became aware of an article in the Huffington Post, entitled “Can Chili Oil Make Your Hair Grow?” In it, a beauty blogger is featured, discussing a “secret recipe” for chili oil for hair growth that was handed down from her grandmother.
This hair oil recipe consists of virgin coconut oil (a great carrier oil) mixed with a teaspoon of chili powder, then smeared on the scalp and left for 30 minutes. The idea is that the chili powders will stimulate blood flow resulting in newly sprouting follicles and a thicker head of hair that is both better in “quality and density.”
The Facts About Hair Loss and Hair Growth:
Chili oil joins a long list of natural folklore remedies for baldness that have been handed down over the centuries to spur hair regrowth. Chili oil now resides in a ”grocery” bag of tricks alongside rosemary, lavender, garlic paste, onion juice, henna, hibiscus, eggs, fenugreek, saffron, licorice, curd, graham flour paste, and hundreds of other concoctions touted for sprouting hair.
Chili powder might make an interesting rib rub, and it won’t harm you, but don’t expect anything to happen to your hair health or style. The fact remains that, when these substances are put to the test, there is no scientific evidence of efficacy for reversing or preventing hair loss.