I don’t recall if I was always cursed by the hair gods or if it just seems that way now looking back on years of hair abuse. I’ve done it all from getting the dreaded perm in my pre-teen years to deciding to go blonde at home –which rarely goes well for anyone- and for me resulted in a yellowish, brassy-looking, straw-like material coming out of my head (yet at the time, I was somehow oblivious to how horrible this looked!)

Then, in my early 20s, I began to use a clothes Iron to flatten my natural waves –repeatedly. In my defense, this was before hair straighteners were everywhere and I thought if I looked cute at the end, what did it matter how I arrived there? Now I know better and oh, how it matters!

20 years later, I often find myself amazed that I have any hair left at all. Especially each time I notice the “small animal” that’s seemed to have gathered at the bottom of the shower drain or when I sweep the bathroom floor. I mean really, where does it all come from?!

But, as it turns out, I’m not alone. Hair loss and hair fall affects a huge number of women out there. Some reports say 50% of women will be affected in their lifetime. That’s a huge figure!

These women now support a whole sub-section of the hair-care industry that includes “thickening” potions like special shampoos and conditioners, hair texturizing sprays and extensions of all kinds; clip-in, sew-in, glue-in, etc. What extreme measures we go to for voluminous hair.

Recently, increasing numbers of people are even popping pills in the hopes of a healthier, fuller mane of hair with the new Biotin trend. But, whether or not any these work is always a gamble and generally ends up being a waste of time and money.

The best thing you can do for your hair is first, learn how to care for it properly and second, support it from the inside out by taking care of your whole body; eating good foods, getting enough healthy fats as well as enough vitamins and minerals.

This is so important to proper hormonal balance, whereas hormonal imbalance (such as from improper thyroid function), is a primary cause of female hair loss and thinning.

That said, when I find something that works to lend new life to hair, I can get pretty excited and generally want to share.

This occurred as I began researching Castor oil. I know, when one thinks Castor oil, they typically think it’s something gross a person ingests when they need help loosening things up a bit down below. But, little did I know that Castor has long been used as a Natural solution to thinning hair and hair loss.

This is because Castor oil has natural antimicrobial and antifungal properties which penetrate deep into the scalp and hair follicle to treat what is often the source of the problem. It’s also high in Vitamin E, has countless essential minerals & proteins, as well as Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids which altogether works to accelerate blood circulation to the scalp, nourishing it while strengthening roots. I decided to try it myself and was not disappointed.

Here’s What I Did:

Combine 2-3 table spoons of castor oil with several drops of peppermint oil: between 5-10 drops depending on how fragrant and potent you want the solution to be.

Peppermint oil can also help stimulate hair growth  because of its ability to increase blood circulation to the scalp. This increased blood flow allows nutrients from your body to better reach hair follicles, essentially nourishing from within.

Pour the solution into a bottle with an eye dropper if you have one. An eye-dropper seems to be the easiest way to handle and apply the product. These can usually be picked up at most dollar stores but I just happened to have one lying around from a used up facial serum. If you don’t have one of these, any container will do.

The solution can be worked through hair most easily when slightly damp. This also allows the preparation to reach the scalp more easily, which is what we want.

To dampen hair, you can use water but since I had a bottle of #Natural Aloe Vera Juice for skin and hair –another awesome, all-natural beauty product from Wild Doe Naturals- I decided to use that. This makes for a power-packed combo since Aloe Vera also works to repair hair and prevent hair loss. (*This product is currently unavailable).

This is because Aloe is a great conditioner. It does this through the action of proteolytic enzymes which repairs dead skin cells, including those on the scalp. And, It’s a little known fact that Aloe has a chemical make-up similar to that of keratin (the primary protein of hair), and so it essentially rejuvenates the hair with its own nutrients yielding more elasticity while preventing breakage. [Aloe Vera: Nature’s Soothing Healer by Diane Gage]

Using the Aloe spray bottle (or one you have on hand), start at the roots and spray your hair and scalp in sections until you’ve covered the entire crown of your head.

Working back over the same sections, use the dropper to apply castor solution to the scalp and roots of your hair. I depress the dropper in a thin line working back from the hairline toward the nape of the neck.

Next, use a comb to pull the solution through hair to the ends, applying more along the hair shaft where needed. Keep in mind that Castor oil is quite thick so a little goes a long way.

You can spray more Aloe (or water) as you go along to facilitate smooth application. Just apply one quick spray and follow with more castor oil combed through to your ends.

When fully applied to hair, twist hair up or tie back in a bun and let it set.

You will immediately notice a pleasant tingling sensation on the scalp. This instantly feels good and lets you know its working. It literally felt like my cells were coming alive.

Leave the product in for a half hour up to overnight, according to your preference. Just be sure to secure in place with a shower cap or small towel if you plan to sleep with it in so as to protect clothing and bedding.

Note that you will need to wash and condition your hair after use to get all the product out.

When complete, I dried my hair as normal and found it instantly shinier and more vibrant looking, without the usual dullness. It was also less frizzy, requiring less styling and heat to tame. This is a blessing in itself as a Floridian with hair that is generally very prone to humidity. My hair felt better overall and yes, even a tad fuller too.

As to whether or not it’s a quick-fix has yet to be seen. While it looks like I am finding less “hair bunnies” around the house, this could be wishful thinking.

Regardless of whether I’ll continue to find less errant strands decorating places anywhere but my head, using castor oil for hair is a simple and NATURAL at-home treatment that I immediately saw results from -and it feels really good on my hair and scalp!

I hope you decide to try it and enjoy it too.

Let me know what kind of results you see or any useful tips and tricks you pick up using these products.

I wish you good hair health!