Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth? Dermatologists Aren’t Convinced

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Experts weigh in on the persistent hair loss trend

If, like many men, your hairline is making a steady retreat, you’ve probably looked online for a quick and cheap remedy. If so, then you’ve likely also stumbled across the (very persistent) trend of rosemary oil for hair growth.

Praised by social media influencers as a novel solution to hair loss, buy into their claims and pick up a bottle of rosemary oil and you’ll supposedly be on a path towards a fuller, thicker head of hair.

After an initial surge on social media, we expected talk around rosemary oil to gradually disappear, but months later we’re still seeing (commission-motivated) influencers spreading unsubstantiated claims about its effectiveness for hair growth.

So, how credible are the claims, and are you better off saving your money in favour of tried and tested hair loss products, or, better yet, seeking advice from a professional?

We suspect you probably already know the answer, but to find out why, we spoke to two leading dermatologists to get their take on rosemary oil for hair growth and find out what you should really do if you’re concerned about hair loss. Your journey towards achieving thicker hair (the right way) starts here.

Rosemary oil is an essential oil extracted from the leaves of the rosemary shrub plant. Said to posses anti-inflammatory, nourishing and antimicrobial properties, it's an ingredient that is widely used in skincare and haircare products.

Let's get straight to the point. ‘There is no good clinical or scientific evidence for the use of rosemary oil for hair loss,’ says Dr Mia Jing Gao, a London-based consultant dermatologist with a specialist interest in hair loss. ‘We need a lot more research before doctors can start recommending rosemary oil.’

Dr Furqan Raja, a leading hair transplant surgeon at The Private Clinic, echoes this. He says that rosemary oil ‘may’ be useful for encouraging hair growth because of its anti-inflammatory properties, but ‘I wouldn’t see it as a miracle cure' and if you do use it 'you are unlikely to see a sudden increase in hair growth'.

There's one 2015 study that looked at 100 men with androgenetic hair loss (male pattern hair loss) and compared the effects of rosemary oil and minoxidil on hair growth, but it's results aren't well grounded. It found that rosemary oil appeared to achieve the same increase in hair count as 2% strength Minoxidil after six months, however, ‘there are multiple flaws in this study which make it unreliable’, says Dr Gao.

‘Minoxidil is an FDA-approved safe and effective treatment for hair loss, but the strength used in men is 5%, so the dose in this study was too low,’ she says. ‘Other issues include the lack of placebo-control group, the small sample size and short duration of study.’

Both of our experts agree that using rosemary oil is unlikely to cause you harm, but both also say that its popularity is concerning.

‘There is a lack of evidence that it does anything for hair’, says Dr Gao. ‘People suffering with hair loss may be wasting time and money on products that do not work, and delaying seeking effective treatment.’

Dr Raja similarly points to the fact that rosemary oil is unlikely to live up to people’s expectations. ‘Like many viral trends, there is often little clinical evidence to support the theory,’ he says. ‘People can often have unrealistic expectations and I find it concerning when my patients may expect a miracle cure.’

‘In terms of over-the-counter medication, we would usually recommend a minoxidil preparation,’ says Dr Raja, ‘which is readily available in most pharmacies as Regaine.’

Dr Gao says that Regaine containing 5% concentration minoxidil is a 'safe and effective treatment for male-pattern hair loss which can be purchased over the counter and used at home’.

Unlike rosemary oil, ‘there is strong scientific evidence proving its efficacy at increasing hair density and promoting growth’, she adds. ‘It works for up to 2/3 of men, but takes patience and persistence as it needs to be used daily and takes four months to see results’.

Hair growth shampoos are another over-the-counter alternative. While they won't necessarily help to promote new hair growth – and haven't been explicitly recommended by our experts – the below products were well received by our panel of 700 men when we tested the best hair growth shampoos for men, and were each found to help make existing hair look thicker and fuller.

As Dr Raja and Dr Gao have said, Regaine contains minoxidil, which according to a 2019 study is said to provide ‘remarkable benefits' to patients with androgenetic hair loss.

Problem solved, right? Not quite. Here’s the inevitable bad news.

Minoxidil isn’t guaranteed to work, and even if you do see results, it only promotes hair growth for as long as you continue to use it. Ie. Once you stop, any progress you’ve made is likely to disappear.

According to a 2012 study, ‘measurable changes disappear within months after discontinuation of treatment’. Another 2019 paper claims that the ‘termination of treatment results in progressive hair loss within 12 and 24 weeks’.

And the bad news doesn’t end there. According to the latter study, while ‘minoxidil has been considered safe’, some patients may experience side effects after application.

‘The most common side effect is irritant contact dermatitis with the typical symptoms of itching and scaling,’ the study states. ‘The incidence is lower with 2% minoxidil than it is with 5%. A patch test should be performed to determine the causative agents.’ The slight caveat to this is that, although an allergic reaction to minoxidil could occur, ‘it is infrequent’.

Minoxidil is also said to be most effective when used alongside finasteride, a prescribed medication commonly used to treat men with an enlarged prostate. 'For my patients, I usually recommend a combination of finasteride 1mg daily oral tablets and 5% minoxidil solution to apply directly to the scalp daily,' says Dr Raja.

'There is a common misconception that minoxidil can replace finasteride as an alternative, however, the truth is that they both have a completely different mechanism of action and work independently to help achieve the results we are aiming for.

'It is important that these are used under the supervision of your surgeon as any side-effects can be managed accordingly.'

If you’re considering any of the above medications, speak to a doctor or haircare expert to explore your options and to discuss potential side effects.

So, you've tried thickening shampoos, rosemary oil is unlikely to live up to the hype, Regaine has its drawbacks, and a minoxidil finasteride cocktail sounds like a whole lot of admin. Which may leave you wondering where to go from here. This is what our experts have to say:

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