Wait… is caffeine the secret to really good hair?
Only if you like it long and shiny
you know it as the sole reason you’ve been able to get out of bed for the past year, but caffeine has another job now: taking over the haircare industry. Unlike some of the other buzzy ingredients you see all over Instagram, this new glut of caffeine-spiked shampoos, conditioners and treatments has some pretty powerful science behind it.
The main takeaway is that caffeine stimulates blood flow to your scalp, says Bridgette Hill, a trichologist and colourist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa in New York City (NYC) and Palm Beach, Florida. And that’s crucial because blood is what feeds your scalp the oxygen and nutrients that it needs to stay healthy. If it’s not getting enough – and this can definitely happen, mostly due to genetics or diet – your hair follicles and strands suffer, leading to dryness, thinning or straight-up hair loss. Yeah, not ideal – and it’s why caffeine-infused products might be an important addition to your routine.
About that hair-loss thing: caffeine naturally counteracts DHT, the hormone responsible for it, says dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, founder of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in NYC. Caffeine encourages your hair to keep growing, kind of like how minoxidil – aka what’s in popular treatments like Regaine – does. So, basically, think of caffeine haircare as a form of prevention *and* as a proactive way to get longer, thicker, healthier hair.
There’s just one caveat (what? I didn’t say it was a miracle miracle). Caffeine products take about three months of continual use to work. And no matter how much you’re chugging in the morning, it’s not going to speed things along. But you know what? I’m happy to support your Starbucks habit and keep that last part all to myself.