Emu oil is made from the fat of an emu, a flightless bird native to Australia that looks similar to the ostrich. Most farmers layer emus for their fat but some try to use as much of the bird as possible. With that out of the way, let’s get to the most important question, can emu oils really help hair grow? Let’s take a look at what different studies have to say
There are no magic treatments for hair growth or dry scalp. However, emu oil has shown some promise towards reviving hair follicles and growth. Highly respected database from the National Institutes of health PubMed central shows that research on mice suggested that emu oil can promote new hair follicles.
Boston University school of medicine led by Professor Michael Hollick found that treating the scalp with emu oil resulted in 20% increase in hair growth compared to skin treated with corn oil. Emu oils contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) especially oleic acid, antioxidants and compounds that penetrate deep into the skin and promote the growth of healthy hair follicles.
Studies from England indicated that there was an average of 8% per month and 48% over six months of hair regrowth with consistent use of emu oil. The participants were told to apply the oil on their scalp and leave it on for 20-30minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. The oil had to be massaged properly into the scalp 3 times a day in order to achieve maximum benefit. Hair growth became evident after following these instructions for 30-90days
UMass Lowell Research
Researchers at UMass Lowell are doing studies to understand if the properties tied to emu oils are fact or fiction. Professor Robert Nicolosi, who is heading the study believes that there is something in the oils, he does not know where it is or what it is. The researchers are still yet to discover why emu oil offers so many health benefits in addition to helping hair grow.
In conclusion, to get the best growth results it’s important that you choose the right emu oil. The amount of oil used will depend on an individual’s hair type. For instance, oily hair types don’t need as much of the oil as dry hairs types. To get the best results as you try to grow hair using emu oil, it is imperative that you purchase the product from a reputable manufacturer. Some manufacturers add impurities to the oils. This often leads to side effects and may also make the oil less effective.