I'm editing this post to reflect the results, so no-one is operating under any illusions here. This regime did not end up working for me. I suspect a few things: perhaps the clogged follicles are not actually an issue for me; the salicylic acid may have caused my hair to become brittle and fall out and break easier; the soapnuts shampoo damaged my hair.
With that caveat, please feel free to read this entire post! This regime may help you if you are indeed suffering from clogged scalp follicles.
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To kick off my Hair Regrowth Journey, I created and applied a homemade salicylic acid scalp treatment last night.
The goal is to have free, unclogged follicles on my scalp, encouraging the hair to grow more easily. This is assuming that the cause of my hair loss/thinning is constricted or clogged follicles. I'm assuming this is the case, because that has been the problem with my facial skin, and my son suffers from seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap), which is likely caused by the same thing.
I'm going with salicylic acid to clear the clogs that may already be there, and hemp oil to prevent future clogs. Starting with a bang! The Salicylic Acid Scalp Treatment!
The Recipe
1/2 tsp salicylic acid dissolved in 1 tsp alcohol3 tablespoons molasses (you can use honey, too)
Apply to scalp and gently massage in.
Lesson 1: DON'T ATTEMPT to put this on your head with dry hair! It's a sticky mess. After a couple of failed attempts, I finally dampened my hair with warm water, blotted it dry with a towel, and was able to apply this treatment.
I covered my head with a plastic bag.
How It Felt and What it Did
IMMEDIATELY, I felt a cool, pleasant sensation on my scalp, which lasted for the entire hour I had the stuff on there. It felt nicely tingly (not burny at all) and clean... kind of like a nice gentle Noxzema for the scalp.I rinsed the stuff out with warm water in the shower. My head felt cleaner than it's ever felt before. Not kidding. It was wildly nice. It made me wonder how much gunk really accumulates on your scalp that you don't even notice. Especially if you're using commercial hair products. My scalp felt like it could finally breathe. This could not be a bad thing.
The next morning, I combed it and enjoyed a tingling, clean sensation all over again. It feels awesome. A little later in the morning I massaged about 1/4 tsp of hemp oil on my scalp, gently. It feels really good and shockingly, my hair didn't get oily. It actually looks rather thick and full right now. I'm wondering if the salicylic acid cleared the scalp of something that was weighing my hair down at the root.
Why I Think It Will Work
Salicylic acid is often included in shampoos for psoriasis and/or dandruff. It clears the scalp of dead skin and hair cells and dissolves sebum clogs. I've seen it referred to as helping with hair regrowth, and will continue to look for studies to post here. There are several salicylic acid scalp "peels" on the market at concentrations of 20 percent or more. The concentration above is around 7.5 percent, and felt great. I'm hoping the SA will dissolve any detritus or buildup, so the hemp oil can reach the sebaceous gland more easily and help create a generally more open follicle so the hair doesn't have to struggle to get out!
The molasses has TONS of minerals in it, especially copper, and is supposed to encourage hair growth. It also imparts color onto your hair. I figured, why not cover some of these grays while I'm at it?
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| Clogged Scalp Follicle Diagram pilfered from Regenix.com |
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| Healthy Follicle Diagram pilfered from Regenix.com |
Check out this quote from Wikipedia:
Bold + italics: mine
Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic phytohormone and is found in plants with roles in plant growth and development, photosynthesis, transpiration, ion uptake and transport. SA also induces specific changes in leaf anatomy and chloroplast structure. SA is involved in endogenous signaling, mediating in plant defense against pathogens.[3] It plays a role in the resistance to pathogens by inducing the production of pathogenesis-related proteins.[4] It is involved in the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in which a pathogenic attack on one part of the plant induces resistance in other parts. The signal can also move to nearby plants by salicylic acid being converted to the volatile ester, methyl salicylate.[5]
Are they saying that SA enables plants to talk to one another?
Also, look at how it works. Also from Wikipedia:
Salicylic acid has been shown to work through several different pathways. It produces its anti-inflammatory effects via suppressing the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX), an enzyme which is responsible for the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as the prostaglandins. Notably, it does this not by direct inhibition of COX, unlike most other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but instead by suppression of the expression of the enzyme (via a yet-unelucidated mechanism).[16] Salicylic acid has also been shown to activate adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and it is thought that this action may play a role in the anticancer effects of the compound and its prodrugs aspirin and salsalate. In addition, the antidiabetic effects of salicylic acid are likely mediated by AMPK activation primarily through allosteric conformational change that increases levels of phosphorylation.[17] Salicylic acid also uncouples oxidative phosphorylation which leads to increased ADP:ATP and AMP:ATP ratios in the cell. Consequently, salicylic acid may alter AMPK activity and subsequently exert its anti-diabetic properties through altered energy status of the cell. Even in AMPK knock-out mice, however, there is an anti-diabetic effect demonstrating that there is at least one additional, yet-unidentified action of the compound.[18]
MIRI
