Tea can do more than just perk you up in the morning. Research shows that green tea can stimulate hair growth while increasing shine and adding depth to dark hair. Green tea is high in antioxidants, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, but it also has an impressive range of uses as a beauty product. Like black tea, green tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, but undergoes minimal processing and therefore retains more antioxidants and nutrients.
In the case of male baldness, hair loss typically occurs when the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) damages hair follicles. Women with too much DHT can also experience hair loss. Some studies show that antioxidants in the form of polyphenols can inhibit the formation of DHT.
Green tea is full of essential compounds. Of these, polyphenol, is particularly good for hair roots and follicles, which can help hair regrowth.
Hair growth is largely related to oxygen and nutrient delivery to the skin and factors such as poor blood circulation can lead to hair loss. Therefore, drinking green tea may increase the supply of these nutrients to your scalp and improve hair growth.
Here are a few ways to use green tea for your hair:
Homemade Hair Rinse: Add 1–2 green teabags to boiling water and allow them to steep for 5 minutes. Once cool, apply the infusion to your hair at the end of your shower. Keep it on for 15 minutes or so. Then rinse thoroughly again with cool water.
Green Tea Hair Mask: Another great way to treat your hair with green tea is by making a hair mask. Simply mix honey, green tea, olive oil and lemon juice together in a bowl, apply the mixture to your hair and leave for 30 minutes before rinsing.
Furthermore, you can drink 2–4 cups of green tea per day to provide your body with a good source of antioxidants.
Epigallocatechin Gallate-Mediated Alteration of the MicroRNA Expression Profile in 5α-Dihydrotestosterone-Treated Human Dermal Papilla Cells. Shanghun Shin,* Karam Kim,* Myung Joo Lee, Jeongju Lee, Sungjin Choi, Kyung-Suk Kim, Jung-Min Ko, Hyunjoo Han, Su Young Kim, Hae Jeong Youn,1 Kyu Joong Ahn,1 In-Sook An,2 Sungkwan An, and Hwa Jun Cha . Retrieved (13 November 2019) from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884709/
Human hair growth enhancement in vitro by green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).Kwon OS1, Han JH, Yoo HG, Chung JH, Cho KH, Eun HC, Kim KH.
(14 August 2007) from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17092697.
Effects of topical application of EGCG on testosterone-induced hair loss.
Kim YY, Up No S, Kim MH, Kim HS, Kang H, Kim HO, Park YM.
(20 December 2011) from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21951062
The effects of tea polyphenolic compounds on hair loss among rodents. Esfandiari A1, Kelly AP. ( August 2005) from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16173333
Green tea polyphenols provide photoprotection, increase microcirculation, and modulate skin properties of women.
Heinrich U1, Moore CE, De Spirt S, Tronnier H, Stahl W.
(27 April 2011) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21525260