Using Aspirin on your Hair: Treatment and Benefits
While there is no scientific evidence proving the benefits of aspirin hair treatments, there are many people who choose to use them, in the hopes of getting stronger, shinier and healthier hair.
If you want to improve the appearance of your hair, it’s important to understand that your lifestyle will play a huge role. A good diet will not only allow your body to function properly, but will also make you look healthier, right down to your hair and skin. In other words, a healthy lifestyle is the key to a healthy appearance.
As well as maintaining a good diet, you may also want to use hair and beauty products specially designed for your hair type and needs. That way, your hair will stay strong and healthy, and grow properly.
The benefits of using aspirin hair treatments
Aspirin is one of the best known and most widely-used painkillers in the world. It’s used to relieve pain, inflammation, and a number of other health issues. As a result, it’s something that nearly everyone has in their medicine cabinet at home.
Doctors recommend aspirin for alleviating mild aches and pains, as well as general discomfort. It can also be used to combat fevers and, in certain forms, help to protect your cardiovascular health.
Many people believe that by crushing aspirin and applying it topically, the acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin’s active ingredient) could help to improve hair health, eliminate dandruff and dry scalp.
It’s also believed that it can improve circulation to the scalp, boosting the oxygen supply. Aspirin is also thought to have an exfoliating effect which could eliminate dead skin cells and strengthen the hair follicles.
Aspirin hair treatments
According to popular belief, adding crushed aspirin to your everyday hair products can help improve hair health. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this.
Professional stylists do not recommend using aspirin on a daily basis to improve hair health. Instead, they advise focusing on improving your lifestyle habits (such as diet) and changing your hair care products to suit your needs, eg. increase hydration etc.
If you want to try out some aspirin hair treatments, we would recommend doing a patch test on a small section of your scalp before applying all over. If you feel any itching or irritation, rinse with plenty of water and stop using immediately.
Shampoo + aspirin
Ingredients
- 1 aspirin
- 3 tablespoons (1 ounce) of shampoo
Directions
- Grind the aspirin into a powder.
- Mix it with the shampoo until both ingredients are well-combined.
- Moisten your hair, then apply the mixture from root to tip.
- Leave it on for five minutes, after which you should rinse as usual.
- If you like, you can then go on to apply your favorite conditioner.
Aspirin hair tonic
Ingredients
- 2 aspirin tablets
- 2 cups (0.1 gallon) of water
Directions
- Grind the aspirin into a fine powder.
- Pour the water into a bowl and heat in a microwave until lukewarm.
- Mix the aspirin into the water, then carefully pour this mixture into a spray bottle.
- Apply to clean, damp hair. There’s no need to rinse immediately.
A healthy diet + aspirin hair treatments
As well as using these aspirin hair treatments, we would also recommend that you maintain a good hair care routine, along with other healthy lifestyle habits. These include:
- Eating healthily and making sure to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin E, biotin and proteins.
- Applying conditioner at least once a week to keep your hair soft and well hydrated. You can also use homemade hair masks with natural oils (such as olive, coconut, or almond) and foods that are rich in amino acids and other nutrients, such as egg whites.
- Brushing your hair gently. Never use rough or sudden movements. If you need to detangle it, be patient, working section by section to avoid damaging your hair.
- Trim the ends of your hair once every four months to prevent split ends.
Remember, the effects of the aspirin hair treatments listed above may vary from person to person. There’s no way to guarantee that they’ll be beneficial in all cases. It’s also important to keep in mind that results will depend on your hair type and lifestyle habits.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Vane, J. R., & Botting, R. M. (2003). The mechanism of action of aspirin. In Thrombosis Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0049-3848(03)00379-7.
- Gonzáles, M. A. (2002). La Aspirina. Revista Médica de La Universidad Veracruzana.
