Does clove really help against hair loss and dandruff?
HLN, 28 September 2023
Clove in your shampoo for more hair? Dr Griet Voet and Dr Fran Baete in HLN on the evidence, the risks and better-supported alternatives.
On social media, people are mixing clove into their shampoo in the hope of fuller hair. In HLN, Dr Griet Voet and aesthetic physician Dr Fran Baete look at the trend. The spice contains antioxidants, and clove oil might stimulate hair growth, but so far this has only been shown in animals. Thanks to eugenol, the oil does have an antifungal effect, which can help with dandruff.
Dr Voet advises against putting ground or whole cloves in the shampoo bottle: if anything, use oil on the scalp. In seborrhoeic eczema, oil can make the symptoms worse, and swallowing it is dangerous. According to Dr Baete, anyone who really wants to tackle hair loss is better off with proven treatments such as minoxidil or PRP treatment.
Key advice
If you use clove oil, apply it to the scalp, not to the hair itself.
Don't use oil if you have seborrhoeic eczema of the scalp.
Have your scalp assessed by a specialist first.
For hair loss, minoxidil and PRP are better supported by evidence.
“It is best to use clove oil and apply it to your scalp, not the hair itself” — Dr Griet Voet and Dr Fran Baete
Want to know more? Read about Hair and scalp disorders at Clinique Dermatologie Gent.