CBD has shown to be effective for a lot of things but using CBD for hair loss may be new to you. It is estimated that some 80 million people are experiencing hereditary hair loss. If CBD really is effective in helping with hair loss then it could have a huge impact on millions of people’s lives.
On the surface, it seems almost too good to be true. Could CBD actually help reduce the effects of hair loss? Or slow it down? Or could CBD even help to re-grow hair?! Let’s take a closer look at the ins and outs of how CBD may or may not help with hair loss.
Causes of Hair Loss
Someone can experience hair loss for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes hair loss is temporary because of something like physical or emotional trauma that a person is going through.
Other things that could cause hair loss are changes in hormones that someone may experience during life events such as a woman being pregnant or facing menopause. There are other medical conditions that could be linked to hair loss as well.
One of the biggest reasons for hair loss is simply genetics. It’s also probably the most dreaded reason as well.
If you are facing a persistent loss of hair then it’s possible that you have some sort of an underlying health condition that is causing it. A good first step is to consult with a doctor or a dermatologist. They may be able to give you answers as to why you are losing your hair by running tests or by evaluating your physical symptoms.
It’s important to note that it’s completely normal to lose some hair each day. An average person will lose anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs a day. But we are talking about a more consistent and persistent hair loss, not your everyday shedding of a few hairs.
If hair loss runs in your genes it’s just not a good sign. Chances that it will eventually continue to get worse are very high. You may be able to slow it down with certain treatments or medications but the odds of stopping it or completely reversing it are just not likely.
Common Hair Loss Treatments
Hair loss in both men and women has been very difficult to figure out and overcome. In fact, there are only a few medications that have really shown themselves to be fairly effective on a consistent basis.
Rogaine
Most of us would know it as Rogaine but it’s also called Minoxidil. If you are not familiar this is simply a cream that you would apply to your scalp. You put it in the places where you are experiencing hair loss. The great thing about Rogaine is it can be purchased over the counter (OTC).
Using Rogaine consistently is absolutely vital if you expect to see any success from it. You must put it on your scalp twice per day and use it as you are directed. If you do not then its effectiveness is greatly reduced.
When Rogaine is rubbed into the scalp it works by increasing the blood circulation to the area where you rubbed it into. The increased blood circulation to the affected areas helps the hair follicles to thicken and get stronger.
Don’t expect any overnight miracles from using Rogaine. Even if you use it as prescribed you can expect it to take another four to eight months before you start to notice any significant results from it.
The amount of time that it takes to see results coupled with the fact that it is sticky, messy, and needs to be used twice per day make it very difficult for many to use. Even people with good intentions often end up falling away from using it because of these factors. Patience and persistence will be the key to have any chance of hair regrowth success when using Rogaine.
Finasteride
Finasteride is another hair loss treatment but it is different than Rogaine. Finasteride is specifically designed to help fight genetic hair loss.
Genetic hair loss is caused when testosterone in the body is converted to DHC. DHC is what weakens hair follicles and leads to genetic hair loss over time. Finasteride helps to keep that conversion processing from happening, thus leading to reduced hair loss.
Finasteride is also not a cream that is applied to the scalp. For this reason, it is actually much easier and more convenient to take. It is just a pill that you would take once per day, similar to how you would take vitamins. Finasteride has been clinically shown to slow down hair loss for men with genetic pattern baldness. Again, it needs to be taken consistently for it to work properly.
Together these medicines can not only help reduce the hair loss you are experiencing but may be able to help you regain a fuller head of hair as well.
These medications do not come without possible side effects. It is likely that you could experience skin irritation and even headaches from using Rogaine. Finasteride may lead to decreased libido or sexual dysfunction for some men.
If you are considering either of these medications it would be a good idea to do research and also discuss it with your doctor prior to starting. They can help you understand the risks but also to understand and manage your expectations of the results you are hoping to see.
What About CBD Oil for Hair Loss
The most common form of CBD for hair loss that has been tested is CBD oil. Over time, research has shown that CBD oil may help to generate hair growth once you have lost hair. Again, this is not going to happen overnight.
A 2021 case study was done to examine the effects that CBD may have on hair regrowth. It was primarily focused on CBD oil that was directly applied to the hair and scalp where hair loss had occurred. Keep in mind this was completed over a 6-month span of time.
Over the period of 6 months, researchers did observe that people who were applying CBD oil topically saw successful hair regrowth. These results are encouraging but further testing and evaluation need to be completed so that they can be further verified.
It’s possible that CBD did not have a direct impact on hair regrowth itself. CBD has helped reduce anxiety for countless people and also helps some people to sleep better. This combination would obviously reduce stress.
A reduction in stress is important because stress is a major factor and cause of hair loss. So it stands to reason that a decrease in stress could lead to an increase in hair growth.
Even if rubbing CBD oil onto the scalp was not the main cause of hair regrowth. It would still be important to know if the reduction in stress because of CBD oil led to hair regrowth. Whether CBD was the direct or indirect cause of hair regrowth would be of interest to many people around the globe.
Will Using CBD for Hair Loss Actually Work
Using CBD for hair loss could possibly work for you. It has shown positive results for some people already. But CBD is not a miracle cure-all solution.
Another recent study from 2021 seems to indicate that the effectiveness of CBD for hair loss at least partially depends on the dosage used. This seems to follow simple logic at least to some degree.
In the study, 3 to 4 mg of CBD was used for 6 months. With using that much CBD researchers observed a 93.5 percent increase in hair growth over the 6-month period.
With the limited amount of research and data available it is still difficult to really determine how effective CBD is on hair loss. Further still, we don’t have data to determine who may be most helped by CBD by breaking it down by age, gender, or even the cause of the hair loss. All of this data would require further research and testing.
What CBD Should I Use for Hair Loss
Up to this point, the only thing that has really been tested has been the use of CBD oil. CBD oil has been used for hair regrowth by topically putting it on the spots where you are trying to regrow hair.
You may try to mix it in with your shampoo while washing your hair. There is no data to say one way or another if this will help or not. In our opinion, if you are using CBD for hair loss, we would recommend not mixing it. It will dilute the CBD and, in theory, reduce its effectiveness.
Something else that you may consider is to use a combination of CBD to treat hair loss. This could be especially true if you believe the cause of your hair loss is due to stress in your life.
One method might be to utilize CBD oil topically on your scalp while also taking a daily dose of CBD orally. This could help gain any benefits that CBD may provide by having it directly on your scalp while also gaining all of the benefits CBD may provide by helping to reduce anxiety.
If you prefer not to take CBD oil orally you could utilize other methods such as CBD gummies or CBD capsules.
Is It Safe to Take CBD for Hair Loss
Whether or not CBD is safe for hair loss depends on a few different factors. Even the World Health Organization has said that CBD is generally safe to use and that it does not appear to have the potential for abuse or cause harm.
So CBD in and of itself is safe and it does not cause you to get addicted. CBD is also not psychoactive like its THC counterpart.
The problem can be if you are buying CBD products that contain inferior or dangerous ingredients.
It is important to note that CBD is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Because of this, there can be discrepancies and variations in the types and quality of CBD products that you see being sold.
This can be a serious problem and is why we highly recommend only buying CBD from the top CBD Brands. These are brands that you can count on and trust.
Since there is no overarching federal regulation when it comes to CBD it is vitally important to trust the source of your CBD products. The best CBD brands should also conduct third-party lab testing to ensure their products are safe.
These certificates of analysis (COAs) should be available for all to view. This is a way for you as a consumer to look and verify that you are actually getting what you are paying for. But it also helps to ensure that you are not ingesting substances that you are not comfortable with.
CBD and Other Medications
Something else to consider prior to taking CBD is how it could possibly interact with any medications you may already be taking.
Before starting CBD it is a good idea to not only do your own research but also consult with your doctor. When talking with your doctor it is important to make sure you are on the same page about any medications you are currently taking to determine if it is safe for you to try CBD for hair loss.
How To Choose the Best CBD for Hair Loss
There are many things to consider when you are searching for the best CBD for hair loss. Many of these things are points you should consider when you are looking for CBD in general. Finding the best CBD products for your specific need is important and we want to help you as much as possible.
Formula Type
When you start looking at CBD for hair loss you will quickly notice that there are three main categories or formulas for CBD products. It is important to have an understanding of what each of these are and to understand the differences between them.
CBD Isolate – In a nutshell, a CBD isolate is CBD in its purest form. Cannabis contains over 100 cannabinoids, of which CBD is one. A CBD isolate product is formed when a company removes all other unwanted cannabinoids and compounds from the final product.
This requires a substantial amount of refining to get down to only having CBD in the final product. It might not be 100% CBD when it’s done but it should be awfully close, over 99% CBD only.
CBD isolates would not contain any THC and other minor cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis plant.
Broad-Spectrum CBD – Broad-spectrum CBD products include cannabinoids and compounds from the hemp strain that is used. Broad-spectrum CBD products should not include THC or any other unwanted plant materials such as wax or chlorophyll.
You will find that broad-spectrum CBD still contains minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids but they will not contain THC.
Broad-spectrum products are popular for this reason. There are many consumers who do not want to ingest THC or they may have concerns about failing a drug test at work. Broad-spectrum CBD products still allow you to take advantage of the wide range of cannabinoids but not to be exposed to THC.
Full-Spectrum CBD – There are hundreds of cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes, and compounds found in cannabis and hemp strains. A full-spectrum CBD product is extracted from the hemp plant and will include all of it.
Full-spectrum CBD products will contain THC. However, under federal law, it can only contain up to 0.3% so it’s still not very much. But if you are concerned about THC in your CBD product then you will want to stay away from full spectrum when you are considering CBD for hair loss.
Where Hemp Is Sourced
Knowing where the hemp is sourced from can be an important deciding factor when choosing CBD. Some people may not care but there are others who pay very close attention to where the hemp comes from.
Many people prefer to see that the hemp comes from the United States. But even within the United States, there are certain states or regions that some consumers tend to lean towards when choosing CBD.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. Hemp from the United States doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything. However, you can also look for labels such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) or Organically certified products.
Are Products 3rd Party Tested?
Third-party lab testing is a big deal and one that we like to bring attention to. This doesn’t apply just when looking for CBD for hair loss either.
We have mentioned it before but there is no federal oversight and regulation of the CBD at this point in time. Because of that, you are relying on individual CBD brands to police and regulate themselves. Unfortunately, that’s just not a great option.
The best CBD brands are utilizing third-party lab testing to verify to themselves and the world that their products are as advertised. This not only ensures that you are getting the amount of CBD that you are paying for but it’s also a safety issue.
The safety aspect is probably the most important. Third-party testing ensures that there are not ingredients that may cause you harm or an allergic reaction of some sort. It will also verify the amount of THC, or lack of THC if you prefer not to have that in your CBD.
CBD Brand Recognition and Reputation
There are some major players in the CBD market that many of you have probably heard about. These companies continue to grow and gain more customer base because they are doing things the right way.
These large CBD companies have built their reputations by providing quality CBD products that are safe, effective, and affordable for their customers.
Purchasing from these larger companies is not a necessity. However, if you are new to CBD and don’t really know what to look for then it’s a safer option to get started.
That’s not to say that there aren’t other great options out there. There are and we have and continue to use those products as well. You just need to do your homework, understand what you are buying, and feel comfortable with your decision.
Alternative Treatment Options for Hair Loss
There are some things that you can do that may help slow or even reverse hair loss, depending on the cause of the hair loss. They would fall into two main categories. One would be lifestyle changes that could help. The other would be treatments or supplements that you could take.
For lifestyle changes, we are talking about things like managing stress. This is a big one and a very common reason that people experience hair loss. Stress is real and it impacts lives drastically. It can also lead to hair loss. CBD may help with stress but you could also try other activities to help relieve stress.
A balanced diet is important to overall health but can also play a role in reducing hair loss. Deficiency in certain diets is thought to play a role so one thing that is sometimes recommended is to add iron and zinc into your diet.
When it comes to traditional treatments probably the most popular is Rogaine or Minoxidil. This is a medicine that you can purchase over-the-counter and has helped people experiencing hair loss.
There are some other medications and even a Ketoconazole shampoo. This shampoo may reduce how much testosterone your body produces. These testosterones can lead to hair loss and the shampoo works as an antifungal to help with that.
Final Thoughts From The CBD Guru
Hair loss is a problem for millions of people. We understand that it can be disappointing and discouraging if you are starting to lose your hair. Try to remember that you are not alone and you don’t have to let it define who you are.
There is also nothing wrong with trying to keep or regrow your hair. Depending on the reasons for your hair loss there may be some good options available to help you manage hair loss.
Genetic hair loss is difficult and with our current knowledge, it can’t be reversed. But if you are experiencing hair loss because of stress in your life then CBD may be able to help with hair loss.
It is amazing what type of impact stress can have on your body and on your mind. Stress is a powerful force and is something that you need to pay attention to and be sure to manage it in your life. Stress can not only lead to hair loss but it can lead to other very serious and even life-threatening consequences if it is not dealt with.
