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 Are you worried about your hair falling or thinning? If you think, you are losing more than a 100 hairs a day, then it might be a cause for concern. Hair loss can happen due to many reasons. As we age, we tend to lose hair and notice receding thickness. This could be heredity or due to hormonal changes. Surprisingly, stress can be a strong reason you might lose hair. It actually causes loss of one-half to three-quarters of hair throughout the scalp and it may continue for weeks and sometimes even months after the episode. Other causes for hair loss are high fever, severe infections, childbirth, lack of protein, certain kinds of medication, anemia, autoimmune conditions, burns, syphilis, excessive use of hair products and blow drying, thyroid diseases, radiation therapy, ringworm of the scalp and ovary or adrenal gland tumors.

There are a lot of commercial products available that help with hair growth, which are quite expensive, but more and more people are turning to natural products to help with hair loss problems. One of these natural products that are easily available and quite affordable is olive oil. Olive oil for hair growth is gaining popularity in hair therapy. Hair loss is sometimes due to the presence of a hormone called DTH, which causes hair follicle shafts to reduce. Olive oil helps prevent the production of DTH hormones on the scalp, helping in reducing hair loss. Apart from this olive oil also contains antioxidants, another reason to make it an efficient hair oil option. These antioxidant properties promote scalp health. It is also a natural conditioner, which helps in making your hair shiny and soft.

Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, which have anti fungal and anti bacterial properties. Polyphenols are found in the waste water after olives are processed. It works wonders on any sort of hair, be it curly, straight or wavy. Its conditioning properties smoothen out dry air, without building up any grease, which happens with other hair oils. Extra virgin olive oils has high levels of mono-saturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Both these properties help to nourish, protect and moisturize the hair. It also has emollient components that can treat hair loss. Dandruff is another common hair woe that can be battled with olive oil, dry and flaky scalp can be gotten rid of by applying olive oil to the scalp. The olive oil infuses the hair with moisture, hence reducing dandruff.

Here are some steps of how to use olive oil for hair growth:

1. Take half a cup of olive oil in a bowl and pour into a microwave container. Heat the oil for 20 seconds.
2. Place a cloth or towel on your shoulder to protect your clothes from oil drippings.
3. Place a small amount of warm olive oil in the palm of your hand and massage it gently into your hair and scalp. Repeat this process till the entire head area is covered,
4. Gather your hair and place a shower cap on it.
5. Relax for about 30 minutes while the olive oil works on your hair
6. For some steam therapy, after massaging your hair, take a towel and dip it in hot water, squeeze excess water out of towel. Wrap the towel around your head and let the steam work with the olive oil for around 10 to 12 minutes.
7. After which, shampoo your hair with a mild shampoo and use a conditioner after that. Make sure you rinse out all the oil.
   

Olive oil can also be used with other ingredients to help hair growth, for example a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds heated with olive oil and massaged onto the scalp helps promotes hair growth.

References

1. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003246.htm

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

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