Natural remedies
Rosemary oil for hair growth
The trial people quote is real. It is also one trial, against 2% minoxidil, for six months.
Written in the UK, for women and men.
Rosemary oil increased hair count at six months in one randomised trial of 100 people, and it was not significantly different from minoxidil 2% at three or six months. Neither group had changed much at three months. It is a single trial, not an NHS treatment, and not a cure.
See a GP if hair loss is sudden, patchy, or comes with illness, a rash, or other symptoms. The NHS asks for that conversation before a private clinic.
On this page
On this page
Rosemary oil is the rare home remedy with a randomised trial attached. Panahi and colleagues published it in Skinmed in 2015. One hundred people with androgenetic alopecia were split evenly: rosemary oil, or minoxidil 2%, for six months.
What did the trial find?
At three months, neither group had a significant change in hair count. At six months, both groups had higher counts than at the start and higher counts than at three months. The paper reports that increase at P<0.05. There was no significant difference between rosemary oil and minoxidil 2% at month three or month six.
Scalp itching was more frequent in the minoxidil group at both time points.
| Point | What the paper reports |
|---|---|
| Design | Randomised. 50 on rosemary oil, 50 on minoxidil 2%. |
| Three months | No significant hair-count change in either group. |
| Six months | Both groups up versus baseline and versus three months. No significant difference between groups. |
| Itch | More often with minoxidil. |
What the trial does not say
It does not say rosemary oil beats 5% minoxidil. It does not say a kitchen blend matches the trial oil. It does not follow people for years. It is not a licence, and the NHS does not list rosemary oil as a pattern-hair-loss treatment.
Oils irritate some scalps. Stop if the skin reacts. Do not put oil on patchy, sudden loss and call that a plan. See a GP.
If you want something with a wider evidence base
Minoxidil is the medicine. The page is does minoxidil work. Red light has a separate set of trials, summarised on does red light work. Our top pick among red light hats is the Hat Pro, in the comparison. An oil and a hat are not the same experiment.
Common questions
Does rosemary oil work as well as minoxidil?
In this one trial it was not significantly different from minoxidil 2% at six months. Minoxidil 5% is the strength NICE discusses for many men. The trial does not answer that comparison.
How long did the rosemary oil trial last?
Six months. At three months, neither group had a significant change in hair count from the start.
Is rosemary oil an NHS treatment?
No. The NHS names minoxidil and, for men, finasteride for pattern hair loss.
Sources
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