Green tea is a favourite drink of people the world over. But it has uses beyond just that. Green tea has a wide range of health benefits and many hair care products have begun using green tea as an additive. Green tea can help with keeping your hair healthy and shiny.
What Is Green Tea?
Green tea is made from fresh-picked tea leaves that go through a process of drying in the sun to prevent oxidation and fermentation. This process is what gives green tea its distinctive flavour. Green tea is famously rich in antioxidants that have been shown to lead to a reduced risk of heart diseases and certain cancers.
How Does Green Tea Help Hair?
Green tea is full of antioxidants. Most of these come from compounds known as flavonols, specifically, a type known as catechins. The most powerful catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound that has been shown to possess several health benefits for a wide range of ailments. EGCG extracts are available as pills and topical solutions.
What Benefits does Green Tea Have For Hair?
There’s a reason that so many hair care products have been adding green tea to their formulas lately. Here are just some of the benefits that green tea has for your hair.
Increases nutrient delivery
According to some studies, green tea can increase skin blood flow and oxygen delivery by up to 29% as well as increased levels of skin hydration in people who regularly drank green tea. Hair growth is closely linked to skin health. The blood flow from the scalp is what gives hair the nutrients it needs to grow.
Encourages hair growth
The topical application of green tea is also proving to be beneficial. In one study, patients with alopecia were given a topical ointment derived from a compound found in green tea. After only four days, the participants noticed significant increases in hair growth.
May prevent hair loss
Green tea may even prevent hair loss from occurring in the first place. Alopecia areata—”pattern baldness”—is the leading cause of hair loss, affecting over 50% of men and 25% of women over 50. A compound in green tea has been shown to increase the hair’s resilience to hormonal changes that lead to this most common type of hair loss.
How Do I Use Green Tea In My Hair?
As green tea becomes more and more popular, more and more companies are using it as an ingredient. A few of the most common products are:
- Shampoo: Use a daily shampoo with green tea extract. Apply it to your roots and scalp and scrub gently.
- Conditioner: Use a green tea conditioner or hair mask on your hair’s roots, shafts, and tips. Leave it in for 5–10 minutes and gently wash it out.
- Homemade hair rinse: Add a couple of green tea bags to some boiling water and allow them to steep for 5 minutes. Once the water has cooled, apply the mixture to your hair at the end of your shower.
If your hair care routine is already as complicated as you’re willing to make it, don’t worry. Drinking a few cups of green tea every day is a great way to get enough of the benefits without changing up your routine.
What If My Hair Is Still Falling Out?
While green tea can help prevent or reverse hair loss, any benefits take time. It cannot make the hair already grown stronger but can help new hair to grow healthier. If, after several months, you have seen no benefit, it may be time to consider more permanent solutions. A hair transplant in Turkey is the only truly permanent solution for hair loss and uses a patient’s own healthy hair to cover up the areas that pattern baldness has left behind.
The Dr Serkan Aygin Clinic
Dr Serkan Aygin is a leading name in the field of hair restoration. As the recipient of the European Award for Medicine in the field of Hair Transplantation in 2019, Dr Aygin has a proven track record of results. With a career spanning over a quarter-century, he has helped more than 15,000 clients with a hair regrowth rate of 98%. In 2013, he opened the Dr Serkan Aygin Clinic in the heart of Istanbul. In 2019, our clinic was named La Razon’s Best Medical Tourism Facility, and in 2021 we opened our new London office.
Contact us today to schedule your full, free consultation and learn what we can do for you.
