When discussing the uses of cayenne pepper for hair care, many people ask if it is possible to experience hair growth or loss from it.
We thought these were very good questions and if you are familiar with our website, you know we like to go to the extremes when we check things out!
In this article, we will explore what this vegetable is, where it comes from and what are the pros and cons of using this pepper for hair.
What is cayenne pepper?
This pepper is a member of the Capsicum family and is one of the most frequently used spices in that it’s added to many different food dishes across the world.
It is made from crushing dried chili peppers into a red powder and it can be very hot to the taste buds and very flavorful for those who love spices.
But did you know it is also used for many different uses including medical treatments that have nothing to do with cooking at all? Yes, this is true.
Here are some interesting facts on it:
- Its name came from a city in French Guiana.
- It contains capsaicin and this ingredient is thought to have great health benefits.
- This pepper is loaded with vitamins E, B6 and C and also contains potassium and magnesium. Reader of this site may recognize that some of these vitamins impact hair growth.
- It originated in South and Central America.
- The Native Americans have been using this pepper for cooking and medical reasons for over 9,000 years.
What are its uses?
Aside from being a staple in many different American, Creo, Cajun, and Mexican recipes, it is also believed that it is a great way of treating certain medical ailments.
It has been a part of Native American medicine for thousands of years and is in many home remedies created throughout the years.
Let’s take a look at some of the medical uses surrounding cayenne pepper:
Clotting blood…
Using it in open wounds has proven to be helpful in stopping bleeding rather quickly.
It is sprinkled onto a deep cut and increase the clotting of the blood thus stopping the bleeding.
Now, we’re not recommending you go out and with your next injury where a cut happens, to do this because it’s going to sting, a lot. Uses the traditional means to stop the clotting of blood such as pouring hydrogen peroxide on the wound.
Relieving Pain…
The ingredient Capsaicin which is found in this pepper is used in many different topical creams and ointments to reduce or eliminate pain for sore muscles, back pain, osteoarthritis, shingles, and there are even claims it helps with reducing pain in cancer patients.
There is also a substance in the brain called substance P that sends signals to the pain center which Capsaicin can actually block thus reducing the pain that is causing the signal to be sent.
Calorie Burner…
There are a lack of follow up studies involving the claims that ingesting this will help burn calories and even suppress your appetite but the original studies from Purdue University and did have some promising results.
One thing they determined is the pepper elevates body temperature which in turn can burn more calories.
This spice is also a key ingredient in detox diets along with water and lemon juice (the master cleanse) and while there is no clinical proof according to The Mayo Clinic that this detox has any measurable positive results they still remain extremely popular in eliminating toxins from the body.
So, what about hair?
I know, we have not even touched the original question of how it affects your hair so let’s get to the questions at hand…
Does cayenne pepper help with hair growth?
Again, we have to point at the miracle ingredient Capsaicin which is responsible for most of the positive results to your hair and scalp.
This wonder ingredient promotes blood flow to the hair follicles and even stimulates dormant hair follicles creating thicker, healthier looking hair that is not dry and brittle. So, the news is pretty good so far…
Using it topically will create a much softer and shiny head of hair and everyone wants that!
Using products with cayenne pepper has never been so easy as there are a whole lot of them on the market and pretty much all of them are a good fit for a healthy head of hair. Simply look for any products on Amazon such as shampoos and other hair products which contain cayenne pepper as one of it’s ingredients.
Let us show you a highly rated one: this shampoo contains cayenne pepper and other positively influencing hair growth ingredients (read the reviews).
It also contains saw palmetto and DHT blockers, all of which help in regrowing hair and stopping it’s loss.
The only con we seem to be able to come up with for using this spice is it can cause an upset stomach and if used directly on the scalp, can really cause a massive burning sensation. So using it in combination with a shampoo can really ease the burning sensation effect.
Now its your turn!
We have covered everything that is associated with cayenne pepper and we hope we answered any and all of your questions but that is a very hard thing to accomplish so we always want to hear from you!
If you have any questions or comments please leave them below!
Oh, before we forget, the answer to the question about if you can experience cayenne pepper hair loss is no, you can not.
This is really just one of the false claims that travel the world wide web.