Can I put aloe vera gel on my hair?

Aloe vera is a plant that has thick leaves with a gel-like substance inside of them. It’s found all over the world, and many people even grow their own.

Table of Contents Show

Calms an itchy scalp
Deep cleans oily hair
Strengthens and repairs hair strands
May promote hair growth
How Aloe Vera Can Help Your Hair
Risks of Aloe Vera
Tips for Using Aloe Vera
Can you leave aloe vera gel in your hair?
Do you put aloe vera on wet or dry hair?
Can I use aloe vera on my hair everyday?

Aloe vera gel is cooling and soothing when applied to the skin, which is why it’s sometimes used to treat burns and skin wounds.

Aloe vera has been used for centuries for its healing properties. Some claim it has another application besides its skin benefits: It can actually strengthen your hair and make your scalp healthier.

While there’s no clinical evidence to support this claim, aloe vera is safe for most people and may be beneficial.

The best form of aloe vera to use on your hair is the raw gel of the plant. You can buy this gel in almost any pharmacy or scoop it out of leaves cut fresh from a live plant if you have one. The gel is clear in color and slightly watery.

Rubbing aloe vera into your scalp and hair and letting it penetrate your hair follicles could condition and improve damaged, dry hair. After letting it sit for an hour, rinse the gel off with a mild shampoo.

Calms an itchy scalp

Seborrheic dermatitis is the clinical term for the condition we call dandruff. The symptoms of an itchy scalp and flaking skin under your hair can be treated with aloe vera.

A 1998 study found that aloe vera helped resolve the scalp inflammation that dandruff causes. The fatty acids found in the aloe plant have anti-inflammatory properties.

Deep cleans oily hair

Aloe vera cleanses the hair shaft efficiently, stripping off extra sebum (oil) and residue from other hair products.

But aloe vera doesn’t hurt your hair strands while it cleans. Unlike other chemicals in hair products, aloe vera is gentle and preserves the integrity of your hair.

Using aloe vera is a great way to get hair that looks healthier, shinier, and softer.

Strengthens and repairs hair strands

Aloe vera contains vitamins A, C, and E. All three of these vitamins contribute to cell turnover, promoting healthy cell growth and shiny hair.

Vitamin B12 and folic acid are also contained in aloe vera gel. Both of these components can keep your hair from falling out.

However, there are no studies that confirm conclusively that aloe vera has any benefit in preventing hair loss.

Aloe vera is a popular product that people use on their skin after sun exposure. This is because of its high collagen content and cooling properties. The vitamin content in aloe vera suggests that it might work to repair sun damage to your hair, too.

May promote hair growth

When your scalp has been cleansed and your hair has been conditioned with aloe vera, you might see that hair breakage and loss slows down.

There are plenty of people who claim that aloe vera actually causes hair to grow much faster. But as of now, there’s little clinical evidence to prove or disprove those claims.

There’s usually little cause for concern when using aloe vera gel, but some people are allergic to it.

Before using aloe vera topically, do a patch test. Rub a small bit of aloe vera on the inside of your wrist and wait up to 2 hours to see if your skin reacts poorly. This will let you know if you have an aloe sensitivity.

You should also be careful with topical aloe if you’re using hydrocortisone cream on your skin. Aloe vera can increase the amount of cortisone that’s absorbed by your skin when the two are used together.

More clinical evidence is needed to definitively prove the benefits of aloe vera gel for hair, and studies are ongoing.

But if you want your hair to look its best, you might want to consider trying aloe vera gel as part of your hair care routine. It might not work for everyone, but there’s little to no risk in trying it.

You may have used aloe vera to soothe sunburns, but did you know that it may also have benefits for your hair? Here’s what to know about how aloe vera can strengthen your hair and help you manage an itchy scalp or greasy strands.

How Aloe Vera Can Help Your Hair

The aloe vera plant has been used for thousands of years, since as early as 1750 BC. There are more than 450 species of aloe vera. It’s a succulent plant that grows in hot and dry climates around the world.

It’s beneficial for many skin problems like wounds, acne, and burns. Aloe vera is also consumed as food and in drinks and may have benefits for inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, hepatitis, and more.

But there have been few scientific studies on its effects on hair. Research on its benefits, in general, has been mixed. But this may be because it has so many properties and active ingredients. The varied effects of aloe vera may be due to the combination of chemicals and active ingredients.

These are some of the benefits of aloe vera for hair:

Strengthens hair. Aloe vera has many active ingredients and minerals that can help strengthen your hair. It has fatty acids and amino acids and is rich in vitamins A, B12, C, and E. These play a part in healthy hair follicles.

Controls greasy hair. Aloe vera has enzymes that break down fats and so strips your hair of any extra oil (sebum).

Helps an itchy scalp. Seborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition that affects your scalp. It causes dandruff, red skin, and scaly patches. Researchers have found that aloe vera can significantly decrease the scaliness and itchiness.

Protection from UV damage. A study found that fresh aloe vera juice offers protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation that comes from the sun. UV exposure can cause your hair to lose its shine and color, and make it rough and less elastic, leading to breakage. The amount of protection from UV light depends on the type of hair.

Hair growth. Some people say aloe vera helps with hair growth, but there’s no scientific proof. However, researchers believe that aloenin, a chemical compound in the plant, is a primary factor in promoting hair growth, as found in people with a hair-loss condition called alopecia. It has been used to improve hair health and lessen breakage, which contributes to hair growth.

Risks of Aloe Vera

In general, there are few risks in using aloe vera on your skin. Some people may be allergic to it and develop a skin rash. Check to be sure by rubbing a small amount on the inside of your wrist. Wait about 2 hours to see if your skin has any reaction.

If you’re using steroid creams such as hydrocortisone, be careful with aloe vera. It can increase the amount of cortisone absorbed by your skin.

‌Also be careful if you’re planning to consume aloe vera. Aloe vera latex and whole leaf extracts are probably unsafe in high doses. Side effects include kidney problems, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. There are also potential interactions with medications like anticoagulants and diabetes drugs.

Tips for Using Aloe Vera

You can buy aloe vera gel from stores. Look for a product that has 100% aloe vera, without any added ingredients like fragrances and alcohol. You can also extract the gel from aloe vera leaves. Some natural food stores sell the leaves, or you can grow it as a houseplant.

Here’s how to remove the gel from an aloe vera plant:

Remove a leaf from the plant. Pick the older, thicker leaves from the outside of the plant.
Let the yellow latex drain away from the leaf. Discard the latex.
Rinse the leaf.
Use a sharp knife to remove the spiny ends.
Run your knife or peeler lengthwise along the leaf to remove the skin.
Cut out or scoop the clear gel.

Fresh aloe vera gel doesn’t last very long, but you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it.

Hair and scalp treatment. You can directly apply the raw aloe vera gel to your hair and scalp. Work it in with your hands into your scalp, hair, and ends. To help seal in the moisture, apply a few drops of castor oil and massage in. Leave the aloe vera in for about 30 minutes and then rinse off.

For greasy hair. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 cup of water. After shampooing, rinse with this solution, leave for a few minutes, and then rinse again.

Can you leave aloe vera gel in your hair?

You can directly apply the raw aloe vera gel to your hair and scalp. Work it in with your hands into your scalp, hair, and ends. To help seal in the moisture, apply a few drops of castor oil and massage in. Leave the aloe vera in for about 30 minutes and then rinse off.

Do you put aloe vera on wet or dry hair?

If you are using aloe vera gel as a leave-conditioner, then you can apply it on wet hair after your usual conditioner. But if you are using it as a mask, then you should apply it on wet hair and wash it off after a couple of hours.

Can I use aloe vera on my hair everyday?

It is totally safe to use aloe vera for hair and leave it overnight. You can apply fresh aloe vera gel in your hair before going to bed and wash off in the morning for soft and healthy hair. Do it once or twice a week. Doing it daily may cause cold as it also possesses cooling properties.