Rice Water For Hair Growth: Is It Really Effective?
Rinsing and soaking hair with rice water to make it longer and shinier has always been a staple of East Asian beauty. Now it’s popular on TikTok, where users say spraying or rinsing hair with rice water can lead to “extreme hair growth.” But does it really work? If not, what then?
What is rice water?
New York dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, M.D., told Health that rice water is the remaining water from rinsing rice before cooking, usually containing starch runoff and occasionally some vitamins. The quickest way to make rice water is to soak 1 part of rice in 2 parts of water for 30 minutes, then filter the remaining water into a clean bowl. While white rice water is also available, some TikTok users are adding grapefruit peel and essential oils, allowing the water to ferment over a period of time before applying it to their hair.
Does rice water boost hair growth?
Unfortunately, there is no research that proves that rice water can help with hair growth. However, this may make sense. Mona Gohara, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, told Health that it contains vitamins B and E, which are associated with growth your hair and vitality. According to a 2019 review in Dermatology and Treatment, vitamin B12 deficiency was particularly associated with hair loss. Some errors have occurred. An error occurred and your entry was not submitted. Please try again.
What does rice water actually do for your hair?
Dr. Nazarian said: “For some people, washing their hair with rice water will only provide some temporary improvement at best.” “But this has not been proven, and it may be minimal.”
Dr. Gohara notes that soaking or rinsing hair with rice water may enhance hair vitality due to the vitamins it contains, but it won’t speed up the hair growth process because it is less likely to penetrate dry hair.
What other options are there for hair growth?
Both Dr. Nazarian and Dr. Gohola recommend treatments recommended by dermatologists, such as spironolactone, topical minoxidil, and even platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which have been shown to promote hair growth. Dr Gohara said: “Overall, I like to recommend PRP, which is that we use nutrients in our own blood to wake up those sleepy hair follicles.”
