A new holy grail hair care ingredient begins to saturate the beauty industry every few months. Coconut oil, jojoba oil, and castor oil—just to name a few—have all had their day in the sun. While every Holy Grail ingredient claims to do something slightly different, there’s always one claim that reels people in: It can make your hair grow. But be wary, many of them make promises they just can’t keep….which brings us to aloe vera.
Aloe vera is the gelatinous substance found inside of the leaves of the succulent aloe plant. While the aloe plant is native to the desert, aloe vera has been used for cosmetic purposes for decades, in lotion, body wash, lip balm—basically anything you can think of. However, recently there’s been an uptick of people claiming they use aloe vera to make their hair grow. Could that be true? We’re sharing the truth about aloe vera for your hair and whether or not it can really make your hair grow.
Can aloe vera make your hair grow?
The short answer is, no—but that doesn’t mean you should toss all of your aloe vera products. The unfortunate truth is that there’s is no real way to make your hair grow faster. Your hair grows in a series of phases: The anagen or growth phase, the catagen or resting stage, and the telogen or shedding stage. The only way to make your hair grow faster would be to lengthen your growing phase somehow—and science just isn’t there yet.
While there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that aloe vera makes your hair grow, aloe vera can have moisturizing properties. If you don’t believe your hair is reaching its full potential, chances are good that you’re dealing with major breakage. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, hair grows on average a half an inch a month. If your strands break off at the same rate, it’ll seem like your hair isn’t growing.
Dry, brittle hair is one of the leading causes of breakage—that’s where aloe vera comes in. Aloe vera is known for its moisturizing properties and while we usually see aloe in skin care products, it can be moisturizing for your hair. Aloe vera is chock-full of vitamins, fatty acids, and most important water, which work together to help give aloe vera its moisturizing properties. When your hair is hydrated it has better elasticity, making it less likely to break.
How To Use Aloe Vera For Hair
The easiest way to incorporate aloe vera into your hair care routine is to swap out your go-to hair products for ones formulated with aloe vera. Incorporating a shampoo, conditioner, or leave-in formula with aloe vera is the place to start.
Whether you run to the store to stock up on aloe vera or decide it’s just not for you, now you know the truth about what aloe vera can do for your hair.