Green Tea for Hair Growth? 

Millions of people around the world suffer from hair loss. If you suffer from hair loss, then you might be wondering if there are any natural treatments out there that could help you to regrow your hair.

Currently, green tea is a hot topic when it comes to natural hair loss treatment. This is mainly because it is said that green tea might be able to block DHT. DHT is short for Dihydrotestosterone, which is a hormone that is associated with hair loss. 

In this article, we are going to take a deep look at green tea as a potential hair loss treatment. We will explore the scientific research, methods of application, potential side effects, and more. Keep reading to learn more about this interesting all-natural hair loss treatment! 

 

What is Green Tea? 

Green tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the entire world. The drink is made by adding leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant to water that is usually heated. Green tea and black tea, two of the most popular types of tea, both use leaves from the same plant.

However, while both green tea and black tea use leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant, green tea uses non-fermented leaves and black tea uses fermented leaves. Non-fermented leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant are green in color and produce a tea that is yellowish-green. This is why green tea is called “green tea.” Fermented leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant are black in color and produce a tea that is a much darker color. This is why black tea is called “black tea.” 

The non-fermented leaves retain significantly more of their nutrients during processing compared to fermented leaves. Therefore, green tea has significantly more health benefits. The abundance of health benefits of green tea is one of the main reasons why green tea is so popular and so widely-consumed. Green tea is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world that receive a large amount of rainfall. Some of the largest green tea-producing nations in the world are China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Sri Lanka. 

 

What are the Health Benefits of Green Tea? 

Green tea has been consumed for its health benefits for literally thousands of years and because of this there is an abundance of scientific research on it.

Many of the health benefits that come from green tea are due to the fact that it contains a large amount of catechin polyphenols. Catechin polyphenols are natural antioxidants that help to prevent cellular damage, in addition to providing a wide range of other health benefits. 

The most abundant polyphenol in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is one of the most powerful and significant nutritional compounds in green tea and it is responsible for many of the nutritional benefits that this drink provides. In addition to EGCG, it also contains other similar polyphenols that help to provide health benefits such as epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG). 

Although catechin polyphenols provide the majority of the health benefits of green tea, there are also other compounds that contribute to its health benefits as well. Some of these other compounds include chlorophyll, caffeine, L-theanine, and organic acids. 

 

Here is a quick list of some of the most important health benefits of green tea: 

• Anti-atherosclerosis 
• Improved brain function 
• Reduces risk of diabetes 
• Aids in weight loss by increasing fat metabolism 
• Contains antioxidants 
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Cancer prevention

 

Can Green Tea Help with Hair Loss? 

Since green tea has many other health benefits, it is not surprising that it has been investigated heavily in recent years as a hair loss treatment. There is a growing belief in the hair loss community that green tea does have the power to help prevent hair loss and help to regrow hair. That is why it is starting to be added to more natural hair loss products. 

With a quick Google search, you can find many shampoos, oils, and other hair care products that contain green tea. There are a number of reasons why it is believed to prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth. 

 

Here are some of the top theories about why green tea might help with hair loss prevention and growth: 

• Increased blood flow 
• Increased oxygenation 
• Antioxidant protection from free radicals 
• Inhibition of testosterone conversion to DHT 
• Removing bacteria and fungus on the scalp 
• Reducing inflammation 

 

What Does Science Say? 

Luckily, we don’t only have to rely on theories when it comes to assessing green tea’s potential as a hair loss treatment. In fact, there have been a number of scientific studies conducted to assess whether or not green tea can prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth.

 

Green Tea as a DHT Inhibitor Study

This study proved green tea inhibits the 5-alpha reductase enzyme(type 1),which is partially responsible for converting testosterone into DHT. DHT is one of the main factors that contribute to androgenic alopecia. When our hair follicles are exposed to DHT, they literally start to shrink.

That process is called hair follicle miniaturization and it leads to hair loss because smaller hair follicles produce less hair until they are so small that they don’t produce any. 

So, the fact that green tea can help to reduce the amount of testosterone that is converted into DHT means that it can help to prevent hair follicles from miniaturizing. This means that it can prevent some hair loss. 

 

Mouse Study

Medical researchers conducted an experiment to see if epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main catechin in green tea, could reduce testosterone-related hair loss in mice. In this study, it was found that EGCG did dramatically reduce testosterone-related hair loss in mice by reducing testosterone-induced hair follicle apoptosis. 

In other words, this study proved that green tea can reduce some of the harmful effects on hair loss that testosterone creates. 

 

Hair Growth In Vitro Study

In 2006, researchers wanted to see whether or not green tea could stimulate the growth of human hair follicles in vitro in the lab. Through their experimentation, they discovered that green tea has the power to stimulate the growth of hair cells. 

The scientists who conducted this study theorize that green tea is able to stimulate the growth of human dermal papilla cells through the “upregulations of phosphorylated Erk and Akt and by an increase in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax ratio.” 

 

These three studies and others like them prove that green tea can help to reduce hair loss and promote hair growth. Not only does green tea help to block hair follicle miniaturization by reducing DHT, but it also can directly induce hair follicles to grow, reduce inflammation, provide antioxidant protection from free radicals, and improve circulation. All of these things combine to give green tea strong potential as a natural hair loss treatment. 

Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of large-scale scientific studies that involve actual human participants. But that doesn’t mean that all of the research that has been conducted on green tea as a hair growth treatment up to this point is not promising. In the near future, it is likely that studies with human participants will be conducted for green tea as a hair loss treatment because of the rising popularity of green tea in the hair loss community and because of the insights generated in the other studies. 

 

How to Use Green Tea as a Hair Loss Treatment

Now let’s talk about how we can actually use green tea as a hair loss treatment so that we can experience the benefits that it has to offer. 

There are two main ways to use green tea for hair loss. First, you can apply it topically. Second, you can consume it orally either as a supplement or tea.

 

Applying Green Tea Topically 

If you don’t want to consume green tea orally, then you have the option of applying it topically, which can also be highly beneficial for hair growth. There are several different ways of applying green tea topically, all of them can be effective. Here are some of these options. 

• Adding it to your shampoo 

The best way to do this is just to add some green tea extract to your shampoo. Start by opening the cap, adding in the green tea extract and mixing up the concoction by shaking the bottle. You can add in a little bit of water to assist with this process, if necessary. Another option is to brew a concentrated pot of green tea, then add your shampoo in and stir it up. Then once it has cooled off, you can put the concoction back into your shampoo bottle. Whichever method you choose, just make sure to give it a minute or two on your head before you rinse it off with water, after applying it in the shower .

 

• Using Pre-Made Green Tea Hair care Products 

There is a wide range of green tea hair care products available on the market now. For example, you can easily find products in all of the following categories that contain green tea: 

• Shampoos 
• Conditioners 
• Masks 
• Rinses 
• Tonics 
• Lotions 
• Serums 

 

Oral Consumption 

If you would prefer to drink green tea in order to get the hair growth benefits, then you will need to consume 3-5 glasses of green tea per day. Drinking this amount of green tea would enable you to get the 250 mg of catechins per day that you would need per day to get hair growth benefits from green tea.  

If you want an alternative to drinking this many cups of green tea per day, then you can take green tea as a supplement. Some supplement companies have the option of purchasing it in capsule or powder form.

There are green tea supplements that range in potency from 200-1000mg of green tea extract. These supplements can be an easier way for some people to consume enough green tea to get hair growth benefits. 

However, if you do decide to consume green tea supplements, then make sure not to take more than the manufacturer recommends per day. Also, don’t take them on an empty stomach. There are some concerns over potential injury to the liver for people who overconsume green tea. This is because tea contains tannins. Tannins are compounds present in tea that have many health benefits, but may cause nausea and gastrointestinal irritation when taken in large doses, or even small doses to those who are sensitive to the compound. Moreover, tannins can hinder the absorption of iron in the stomach, so extra precaution is advised for those who are deficient in iron or those who have diseases that affect iron absorption, metabolism, and storage in the body.  

Even if you are going to drink green tea and not take the supplements, you should still be careful not to overdo it. Don’t drink the green tea on an empty stomach and do not exceed the recommended safe amount of 3-5 cups per day.  

 

Making Green Tea 

If you are going to consume green tea by drinking it, you will have to brew it. The best way to brew green tea is to steep the tea leaves in a cup of water for at least 1-3 minutes that should be 160-190 degrees Fahrenheit. This will allow the healthy nutrients to mix with the water and create the complete green tea mixture. 

Others prefer to prepare green tea by making matcha tea. Matcha tea is a type of green tea that is made with green tea leaves that have been turned into a fine powder. The difference with matcha green tea is that the tea leaves are actually consumed. 

Matcha tea is much stronger than standard green tea. In fact, one cup of matcha tea is equivalent to roughly 10 cups of green tea. So, if you drink matcha tea, you will need far less of it to get the hair-promoting benefits. When you are purchasing matcha, make sure to get a high-quality green tea that is free of heavy metals. 

You can test out a few different green tea brands and see which one works the best for you! One of the great things about using green tea as a hair loss treatment is that it is all-natural. This means that you can easily combine topical treatments with oral treatments if you would like. In fact, you will most likely increase your chances of success if you do both oral and topical treatments. 

 

What About Side Effects? 

Drinking green tea is incredibly safe. In fact, tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. In countries such as Japan and China, many people drink multiple cups of green tea every day for the majority of their lives. So, as long as you are not drinking more than 3-5 cups of green tea per day, you should not see any side effects. 

Green tea extract, on the other hand, is slightly different. If you consume too much green tea extract, especially on an empty stomach, then you could see some side effects. People who consume too much green tea extract can put themselves at risk of liver damage. 

 

So, you should immediately discontinue your use of green tea extract if you experience any of the following things: 

• Itchy skin 
• Abdominal pain 
• Signs of jaundice 
• Dark urine 
• Severe fatigue 

Get medical help if you are experiencing any significant side effects. However, as long as you do not overdo it, you should not see any noticeable side effects. If you start drinking 3-5 cups of green tea per day, it could cause your teeth to stain though. So, you might want to consider using a straw to prevent this from happening. If you are worried about this, you can also just go the topical route. 

 

Conclusion 

Green tea has many advantages as a hair loss treatment. First of all, it is all-natural. This immediately separates it from many other hair loss treatments that are not natural, such as Minoxidil. Second, green tea is affordable. You can get a month’s supply of green tea for around $10. Third, there are scientific studies that prove that it is both safe and effective as a hair loss treatment. Finally, fourth, it is very simple to use as a hair loss treatment. Just imagine getting thicker, healthier hair, and seeing your hair grow back in your bald or thinning spots just by drinking green tea or by adding it to your shampoo. 

So, all in all, as long as you use green tea properly and don’t overdo the green tea extract, there is really no reason to not give it a shot. Try it for six months and see if you get any results. If you do, great! You can keep using it for as long as you want. If you don’t see any results, then oh well, at least you tried and you didn’t have to spend a fortune or risk any serious side effects!

 

Author Bio

 

 

 

Jolene Anderson is the proud Co-Founder of Kiierr Hair Growth Experts. She has 11 years experience in natural healing, laser therapy hair loss. She’s a caring mom of 2 and passionate about helping others. Connect with her on LinkedIn: Jolene Anderson – Co-Founder @ Kiierr.com