There’s nothing quite like a cup of black tea. As well as being a comforting drink for cold days or a pick-me-up for early mornings, black tea also boasts many health benefits for the brain and body. It is known to help increase mental alertness and focus. But did you know black tea also has benefits for the hair, including the reduction of hair loss?
Black tea can help with hair loss because the caffeine in the tea helps to block the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is a major trigger for hair loss. Black tea also contains antioxidant properties which help promote the growth of strong, healthy hair.
What Is Black Tea?
Alongside water and coffee, black tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. It is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and is often blended with other plants to create distinctive flavors. These include Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and chai.
It is stronger in flavor than regular herbal teas and contains more caffeine than other types of teas but it has less caffeine than coffee and energy drinks.
Black tea also contains many antioxidants. These provide a range of health benefits, including improved cholesterol, and decreased blood pressure.
Black tea also contains anti-inflammatory properties and so can reduce inflammation in the body. The drink is also known to help with boosting alertness and focus, most likely due to caffeine.
Similar to chamomile tea and other types of teas, black tea also has some amazing health benefits for your hair. This includes preventing an itchy scalp, promoting blood flow, and the reduction of hair loss.
Best of all, black tea is easy to make and is relatively inexpensive. It can also easily be purchased at many stores or online.
So it’s not hard to begin reaping the benefits that black tea can bring, for your health and your hair.
Also Read: How To Use Moringa For Hair Loss (For Best Results)
Can Black Tea Help With Hair Loss?
There is some evidence to suggest that black tea can help with hair loss.
This is because the caffeine contained within black tea helps to inhibit the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a major factor behind most hair loss.
Similarly, other natural herbs such as burdock root and Ashwagandha have also been known to help with hair loss.
Dandelion tea and lemongrass tea also have excellent benefits for hair.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a common concern for many men, women, and even children.
While there are many possible reasons behind hair loss, common issues include vitamin deficiencies, hormone changes, and medical conditions.
But genetics are usually the most common culprit for both men and women, and onset usually occurs around middle-age, though it can start earlier for men.
As mentioned earlier, hair loss is triggered by the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is found in skin and hair follicles.
DHT is made by testosterone. Although strictly speaking, it’s not actually the hormone itself that causes hair loss, but rather the sensitivity of your hair follicles to DHT.
This sensitivity of your hair follicles is further determined by genetics.
Even though women have much lower levels of testosterone, they may still experience hair loss due to DHT. But their pattern of hair loss will look different.
Unlike men, who usually experience a receding hairline and possibly a bald patch at the crown of the head, women tend to experience a thinning hairline and loss of hair at the temples, though a receding hairline sometimes happens.
Also Read: Can Gel Cause Hair Loss? Everything You Need To Know!
Five Benefits of Black Tea For Hair Loss
If you’ve noticed that you’re losing clumps of hair each time you style, your safest bet is always to go and see a doctor or dermatologist first.
It’s important to first understand the underlying reason for your hair loss. This way you can pursue the most appropriate course of treatment.
However, whatever the cause of your hair loss, you may find that a black tea hair rinse can be beneficial for you.
It’s an easy way to help potentially reduce hair loss, and black tea is great for helping you to grow a healthy, strong head of hair. Here are the reasons why:
1. The Caffeine In Black Tea Is Known To Stimulate Hair Growth
This is why you’ll find many shampoos and conditioners that promote hair growth with caffeine listed as a key ingredient. The caffeine in black tea will penetrate deep into your hair follicles and help hair to grow faster and stronger.
Using black tea on your scalp can also help stimulate blood flow which is a natural way to increase hair growth and nurture a healthy scalp.
2. Black Tea Has Antioxidant Effects Which Help To Combat Free Radicals
Black tea is full of polyphenols – micronutrients such as theaflavins, thearubigins and catechins. The antioxidant effects of these polyphenols help your hair to grow stronger and healthier.
3. The Caffeine In Black Tea Can Help To Directly Inhibit Hair Loss
This is due to caffeine helping to block dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that is responsible for hair loss.
4. A Cup Of Black Tea Is Known To Be Comforting And Soothing
Drinking a cup of tea is one of the most soothing things you can do. Black tea leaves may help with your stress levels, so will help with stress-related hair loss too. Stress can greatly impact the health of your hair and inhibit faster growth. Therefore, using natural remedies like black tea to help combat stress is a great way to prevent hair loss.
5. It’s Completely Natural
Rinsing your hair with black tea is pretty much a risk-free way to get healthier hair (although please see possible side effects below).
Black tea is a natural ingredient without toxins or sulfates that strip your hair and damage your hair’s health. A black tea rinse is an all-natural, traditional remedy that will leave your hair soft, shiny, and healthy.
How To Use Black Tea For Hair Loss
If you’re struggling with hair loss, a black tea rinse could potentially do wonders for your hair.
And it’s also one of the easiest DIY beauty treatments you could ever follow.
How To Make A Black Tea Rinse
Ingredients:
- Boiling water
- Black tea bags
- Spray bottle (optional)
How much tea to make will depend on the length and thickness of your hair.
The best way is to brew a couple of black tea bags per cup and make two or three cups in total.
So that would be four to six brewed tea bags overall. Make sure you brew them nice and strong for the best effect.
Instructions:
- Boil water and brew tea bags.
- Let the cups of tea cool down until they’re lukewarm. Then transfer the tea to a spray bottle if you wish for easier application.
- After cleansing with your regular shampoo or co-wash, section up your damp hair. Apply the black tea rinse to your scalp and the lengths of your hair.
- Massage your scalp in circular motions to help the caffeine penetrate into the hair follicles. Massaging the scalp in this way will help the caffeine to absorb and help to stimulate hair growth at the same time.
- Place a shower cap over your head and leave the tea rinse in for 15-30 minutes.
- Then rinse out and apply conditioner or follow up with a deep conditioner.
Also Read: How Does Alcohol Get Into Your Hair? (Interesting Facts)
How Often Should I Do A Black Tea Rinse?
About once a week should be enough. You don’t need to do it more often than this as a black tea rinse can be drying for the hair if you overdo it.
Black tea rinses don’t need to be done for the rest of your life but just for times when you notice more hair shedding. Try doing a weekly rinse for six weeks or so to get the best results.
A black tea rinse should help strengthen hair, add shine, and help prevent hair loss. However, if you notice your hair is becoming dry, it’s best to give the rinses a rest (see possible side effects below).
For the same reason, it’s not recommended that you leave the black tea rinse in your hair without washing it out or leave it on overnight. This could potentially cause dryness and breakage.
Possible Side Effects
Although a black tea rinse is all-natural and has many benefits for the hair including the reduction of hair loss, there may still be some side effects to bear in mind.
The possible side effects of black tea on hair are:
Allergic reaction – If you are allergic to caffeine it’s best to stay away from a black tea rinse as it may irritate your scalp.
A possible alternative however could be to dilute the black tea rinse with extra water or non-caffeinated teas.
May stain lighter hair shades – In addition to helping with hair loss, black tea has also traditionally been used as a natural tint to help darken brown and black hair.
You may therefore find over time if you have lighter colored hair that using a black tea rinse regularly will make your hair appear darker.
Fear not, however, as this effect is only temporary and will fade with time. Unlike traditional hair dyes, black tea does not enter the hair shaft and therefore the darkening effect will wash out.
May lead to dryness – If used too frequently, black tea rinse can make your hair drier and more prone to brittleness and breakage.
This is the last thing you want if you’re trying to treat hair loss and gain a head of stronger, healthier hair.
Don’t do the black tea rinse too frequently – about once a week maximum should be enough.
Also Read: Is Glycerin Vegan? Important Facts You Need To Know
Will Just Drinking Black Tea Help With Hair Loss?
Finally, a word of advice. Unfortunately, you can’t benefit from the DHT-blocking effects of black tea by just drinking it, or any other caffeinated beverages for that matter.
This is because to get the same follicle-stimulating effects by just drinking tea, you would need to drink about 100 cups a day!
For healthy adults, the FDA cites no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day. A cup of black tea contains 30-50 milligrams.
The FDA also estimates that toxic effects like seizures can occur if you digest around 1,200 milligrams of caffeine too quickly.
So we definitely wouldn’t recommend that you try to benefit from the DHT-blocking effects of caffeine by drinking as much black tea as possible (even if your bladder could take it)!
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