Aloe Vera for Hair Loss

’Alo, Vera! Can you help my alopecia?!

Emma with aloe vera plant

Unleash The Green Goddess

When it comes to using natural remedies, like aloe vera for hair loss, lots of people agree with this more organic approach. It makes sense. Hair growth should be a natural thing and we should encourage it to sprout with kinder measures than harsh chemicals. 

It’s like using manure as a fertiliser. For our heads. Mmm.

You see, one of Mother Nature’s greatest green gifts is the aloe vera plant. This “lily of the desert”, as it’s also known, has been used in herbal medicines for over 6,000 years. So it’s pretty old. And pretty wise.

With 18 amino acids contained within its fleshy leaves, this baby comes with a lot of health benefits. Wanna know a few of them? Go on, then. I’ll tell you.

Emma's 'I'm not a doctor' disclaimer

Hi there, I’m an alopecian, I’m not a doctor! Any advice I give is based on my own research and personal experiences . This site is, however, reader-supported. When you buy through external links, I may earn a tiny affiliate commission. Learn more here. I also keep the lights on by selling my own headscarves and alopecia merch.
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Top 5 Products: A Quick Look

Amara Organics

Green Leaf Naturals

Lily of the Desert

Cammile Organic

JĀSÖN Organics

4 Aloe Vera Benefits

1. It fosters digestive health

Aloe vera helps you to absorb nutrients faster than Usain likes to Bolt. It also removes harmful elements from your system and keeps gastrointestinal conditions far away. And a healthy gut = a healthier body and mind. Yay!

2. It boosts the immune system

Drink or eat a little aloe and you’ll be consuming some pretty powerful antioxidants. These cleanse the digestive and circulatory systems, improving blood circulation and your overall health. Your cells get more nutrients, meaning they can ward off infections more efficiently, and your immune system becomes stronger than Chris Hemsworth’s abs. (Mmm. Abs.)

3. It nourishes the skin

Fried yourself at the beach and need a balsam to soothe that sunburn? Aloe vera’s your best bet. You can find it in lots of aftersun lotions but the best way to desizzle is to apply the pure gel wherever you’re at your pinkest. One, two, three, ahhhh…

Aloe gel is also great for treating skin abrasions, or just for keeping the skin smooth, supple and moisturised. Whether you apply it topically or drink it in a juice, aloe vera will help you glow from the inside out.

4. It encourages hair growth

Now this is where it gets exciting. Because hair lossers and alopecians will be happy to know that aloe vera actually contains a specific proteolytic enzyme to stimulate hair follicles and repair damaged cells in your scalp. Which in turn, can lead to hair growth. 

Plus, its anti-inflammatory component, choline salicylate, can be used to treat conditions like androgenetic alopecia from taking over your head (and your life). 

And since aloe vera contains plenty of goodies like polysaccharides and glycoproteins, which keeps your locks healthy and moisturised, it can prevent hair loss from occuring in the first place. New best friend, thy surname is Vera.

There are plenty more health benefits to this green goddess… but I won’t get into them just now. Instead, I’ll focus on the practical stuff – like how you can introduce it into your life.

aloe vera for hair loss

How To Use Aloe Vera

The plant works best in its purest form, before it’s been processed or oxidised. Simply peel back the leaves to reveal the thick sticky gel contained within; that’s where the magic lies. 

Massage the gel directly onto your scalp (you can add a little water to thin it out, if you like) and leave it on for at least 30 minutes before rinsing. Sometimes I apply it in the evening and enjoy its cooling effects all night. Or if I’m wearing a headscarf that day, I’ll just leave it to do its thing beneath. 

Note: If you don’t want the sticky residue on your head for long, mix it into your favourite shampoo or conditioner instead. The effects won’t be quite the same (as you’ll be rinsing too soon to enjoy the full benefits) but it still gently cleanses your hair while soothing the scalp, providing a healthier foundation for growth.

You can also eat a small lump of aloe gel in the morning to aid digestion and strengthen your immune system. If the taste is too strong, just stick some in a yoghurt or blend in your favourite green juice.

Buying The Right Aloe Product

If you don’t happen to live in a tropical climate and can’t get hold of the real stuff easily, don’t worry. There are plenty of products out there that contain high levels of aloe vera, along with some other elements to foster a healthy head of hair.

Just make sure that you choose a product that’s organic and cold pressed – meaning it keeps its natural components and ingredients. You should also check that it contains at least 99.75% of aloe vera. I know, that’s a pretty exact figure to be looking for – but it means that it’s as close to the natural stuff as you can get. Any products with less than 90% probably contain acidic components that could damage the scalp. Yikes.

Always research the brand before you buy; some of them often turn out to be fakes. Or just pick one of the reputable products from the following list!

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5 Aloe Vera Products For Hair Loss

1. Amara Organics (gel)

100% natural? Check. 99.75% aloe vera content? Check. No nasty additives like fragrances, colours or alcohol? Check, check, check.

The money-back guarantee alone is reason enough to try it. But this gel by Amara Organics appears to have lots more benefits squeezed into the modest bottle. Reviewers love the consistency of it – it’s non-sticky and fast-absorbing, unlike pure aloe vera gel. So you can easily apply it to your hair without looking like an extra from Grease.

It’s pretty tough on skin conditions, too; for instance it can clear up acne, psoriasis and dandruff to promote a healthy scalp. Finally, the plant stem cells work as anti-ageing ninjas to ward off wrinkles while the Vitamin C serum brightens the skin and reduces pigmentation issues.

Something that can be used as a moisturiser, a treatment for breakouts and as a hair loss solution? Sounds pretty good to me.

Amara Organics

My Fave

2. Green Leaf Naturals (gel)

Again, this gel is made up of 99.75% aloe vera. A good start. Plus, it’s cold-pressed from certified organic aloe vera plants. Even better. 

It’s free from unwanted additions like parabens, petrochemicals or dyes… although it does contain a natural vegetable-based thickener called Xanthan.

Like all aloe products, it can be used for lots of things – from soothing sunburn to shrinking stretch marks. But customers also rave about its moisturising and shine-inducing effects on their hair. Nice.

So use this gel as a leave-in hair mask for damaged locks, adding a little honey for extra moisture. (Psst… if you do add honey, you should really rinse it off after 30 minutes or so. Especially if there are bees about.)

Green Leaf Naturals

3. Lily of the Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly (gel)

I won’t judge these guys on their inability to spell. (Maybe they’re playing on ‘gel’ and ‘jelly’? Hmm.)

Anyway, their product seems pretty legit. Even though it does contain a few preservatives (so you don’t need to refrigerate it), that other 1% is composed mainly of Vitamins A, C and E – which come with their own healing properties for skin and hair.

Lots of the happy customers who have bought this product use it as a hair gel. So it is a little sticky, but hey, that just means it’s more like the real thing.

Lily of the Desert

4. Cammile Organic Aloe Vera Oil (oil)

If you can’t get hold of the real stuff, and if you don’t like the texture of gel, then aloe vera oil is the next best thing. It’s made from soaking aloe leaves in a carrier oil, and extracting most of the active ingredients and nutrients. However, since it isn’t 100% aloe vera, it can’t be classed as a true essential oil. 

FYI: There’s no such thing as 100% pure aloe vera oil; despite what many manufacturers claim.

However, the extracted oil can offer many of the same benefits as the gel, plus the added goodness of whatever carrier oil is used. 

To make your own oil:

  • Cut an aloe vera leaf into small pieces and place in a mason jar.
  • Pour organic, cold-pressed coconut oil over the pieces and seal the jar.
  • Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months.
  • Strain the pieces to extract the oil.

     

Or you can save yourself the hassle and simply buy an organic cold-pressed oil, like this one from Cammile

They use soybean oil as a carrier and also add Vitamin E for skin replenishing purposes. The resulting oil works great as a moisturiser, while nourishing the scalp and keeping hair soft ‘n’ shiny.

Use it like a leave-in conditioner and don’t rinse it out again for at least 30 minutes (or until the next morning, if you like). You could even heat the oil gently beforehand (by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water for up to 1 minute); this’ll open up the pores of your scalp, essentially allowing the full benefits of aloe to sink in. Sweet.

Personally, I love rubbing oils into my noggin as I get all that plant-filled goodness, much-needed moisture and a massage in the mix. What’s not to like?!

Cammilie Organic

5. JĀSÖN Moisturizing 84% (shampoo & conditioner)

We tend to rinse shampoo off fairly quickly – that is, unless our singing-in-the-shower setlist is 20 minutes long. Still, it means that the active ingredients in shampoo don’t really get a chance to penetrate the scalp properly. They might cleanse the hair and leave it smelling nice but still, hair loss shampoos aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. 

In saying that, they do come with certain benefits. For instance, aloe vera shampoos can improve blood circulation and reduce stress; they literally cool you down and prevent you from becoming too hot-headed! Plus, they cleanse your hair more gently than other shampoos… and if you’re an alopecian, or if you suffer from skin conditions like psoriasis, it’s best to tread lightly when it comes to your locks. 

I love this shampoo and conditioner set from JĀSÖN. (I leave the conditioner in for 30 minutes when I can, letting it work its magic for longer).

Even though both products are only 84% aloe – and well under the “97.75% or more” rule – they’re also sulfate and paraben-free. And the other 16%? It’s made up of healthy hair stuff like Vitamin E, spirulina and jojoba seed oil. 

You might smell a bit earthy because of it but hey, that’s just Mother Nature doing her thang.

JĀSÖN Moisturizing Shampoo

Can this particular aloe vera help my hair loss!?!

Alternatives: DIY Aloe Vera Hair Masks

Don’t trust the products on the market? That’s ok, you can make your own! 

There are some amazing recipes for aloe vera hair masks out there. DIY concoctions that you’ll be able to whip up from the humble contents of your kitchen cupboard!

Check out these 3 masks for size:

1. Aloe Vera and Castor Oil

Castor oil contains Ricinoleic acid, an Omega-9 fatty acid and one of the essential aminos that the body needs to keep healthy. Combined with aloe vera, it helps to nourish the scalp and repair damaged cells, strengthening each hair follicle and preventing breakage. 

Honestly, there appears to be no scientific evidence to back up castor oil as a treatment for hair loss. But a lot of people in hair loss forums claim that it has made a difference in their lives. So… worth a try, right?!

Follow this recipe twice a week.

You’ll need:

  • 1 cup fresh aloe vera gel (direct from the leaves, or from one of the above products)
  • 2 tbs organic cold-pressed castor oil  from Pura D’Or – one of my favorite brands
  • 2 tbs fenugreek powder (which fights dandruff and adds moisture)
  • Shower cap


How to make it:

  • Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until you get a smooth paste.
  • Apply the mixture to your scalp and hair, focusing especially on the roots and tips.
  • Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave on overnight. 
  • Wash in the morning with a gentle shampoo and conditioner.

2. Aloe Vera and Onion Juice

I was told by an ayurvedic doctor that foods such as garlic, onion and ginger are wonderful for stimulating hair growth. Thinking he meant to include more in my diet, I assured him that it wouldn’t be a problem; I loved eating those foods!

But actually, he meant that they’re most effective when used topically. Cue a week of me alternating between rubbing bulbs of garlic, chunks of onions and a fresh root of ginger all over my patches. My head was like the base of a stirfry (and that was before I got into sesame oil). 

But you know what? When I rubbed red onion on the patches, I noticed an immediate effect. My scalp began to tingle and I could almost see the blood rushing back to where it had refused to go before. It basically felt awake where it had once felt numb. After just a week of slathering onion juice on my scalp, I could see some white fuzz struggling through.

And I’m not the only one – a study of patients with alopecia areata showed a distinct improvement in hair growth after using onion juice for just 2 weeks.

You can rub ½ an onion on your scalp twice a day, or try this hair mask once a week.

You’ll need:

  • 1 tbs fresh aloe vera gel 
  • 3–4 red onions 
  • Cheesecloth/Paper towel/Coffee filter


How to make it:

  • Blend the onions in a food processor.
  • Use a paper towel or a coffee filter to extract the juice (since most people don’t have a cheesecloth lying around).
  • Mix the aloe vera gel into the juice, blending again if needed.
  • Massage the mixture into your scalp and hair until it’s wet. 
  • Leave it on for an hour before rinsing with cool water.
  • Follow up with your usual shampoo and conditioner.

3. Aloe Vera, Coconut and Honey

Coconut oil is another versatile gift from Mother Nature. I won’t go into all its health benefits here but it acts as an amazing moisturiser for the skin and hair. It also reduces inflammation, which can damage the hair follicles, and locks in protein when it’s needed most. The milk is the main source of nutrients and moisture, while the deeply penetrating abilities of the oil lets this goodness gets through.

Honey, apart from smelling great, works to regulate and retain moisture while strengthening the hair follicle. 

Coupled with all the many benefits of aloe vera, you’ve got a winning hair growth mask on your hands. (Or rather, on your head). Try it once a week, or however often you want to smell like holidays.

You’ll need:

  • 3 tbs fresh aloe vera gel 
  • 2 tbs coconut milk
  • 1 tbs organic cold-pressed coconut oil 
  • 2 tbs honey

How to make it:

  • Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl to form a slightly runny paste.
  • Massage it all over your head, running the mixture right through to the ends of your hair.
  • Leave in for 30–40 minutes before rinsing with cool water (skip the shampoo and conditioner that day).
A pot of aloe vera in the sun

Final Thoughts: Does Aloe Vera Really Work?

When it comes to natural hair loss treatments, it’s always hard to gauge their effectiveness. You rarely get instant results. And since there are no real controls on claims made by manufacturers, sometimes you don’t even know whether the product you’re using is the genuine article.

Not to mention the fact that there’s a lot of controversy surrounding aloe vera’s use in the health and beauty industry.

The thing is, while aloe vera might not magically cause hair growth, it does soothe and calm the scalp. I noticed that whenever I felt stressed or had a headache, rubbing some cool aloe vera onto my head offered instant relief. (It calms my angry red patch of inflammation at the base of my neck, too.)

With stress being one of the leading causes of alopecia, I call that progress. 🙂

Aloe vera also improves the scalp’s condition by reducing flakiness and dandruff, plus it can limit the amount of sebum produced. (FYI: too much sebum mixes with dirt to block pores and stop growth. Ugh.)

Basically, whenever the scalp gets irritated and itchy, the hair follicles get pretty p***ed off, too. They refuse to grow in these conditions and they make existing hair weaker, too. (The brats.)

So anything that keeps your pores clean, your scalp healthy and your follicles happy is A Good Thing. And aloe vera does all three.

Take Lady Alopecia’s advice: Use aloe vera on a regular basis. Watch how it moisturises your scalp and nourishes your hair. Try out a few hair masks and enjoy experimenting with hair loss products, the natural way.

After a while, let a lustrous mane be your reward.

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Author

Lady Alopecia

Alopecian. Yoga Teacher. Copywriter. Here to share information, offer support and show people the adventures that can lie in hair loss. I’m proud to have alopecia and I want to help others embrace their baldness, too!

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Comments

2 Responses

  1. I’ve read your reviews…Nioxin vs. Shapiro md makes me curious. I lost all my hair with chemo treatment for Ovarian Cancer 11 years ago. My hair grew back thin and limp. Very different from my coarse, thick hair before chemo. I have tried many products. Been using Nioxin 4 Shampoo, Conditioner, and Scalp Treatment for many years and my hair continues to fall out, get thinner, balding in spots. My Dermatologist said it is female pattern hairl oss. No one in my family, either side, has thin, limp, balding hair. Got any ideas in what products may help? Also, do you think ShapiroMD might work? Thanks.

    1. Hi Cathy,

      Thanks so much for your question, and I hope you’ve found my reviews helpful so far! I’m also so sorry to hear about your hair loss after chemo, as if you hadn’t been through enough…

      Can I ask, have you been using Nioxin recently? As the system you mentioned (system 4) is specifically for colour-treated hair with progressed thinning. If you don’t colour your hair, perhaps one of their other systems (which I explain here) might be more suitable.

      However, Nioxin isn’t for everyone. And if you’re still experiencing all that hair loss, perhaps you could switch to something more gentle? Shapiro MD does have a great reputation – I can’t say what would work for you or not but it could be worth a try if you’re not seeing any benefits from Nioxin. (BEWARE though: don’t order from the manufacturer’s site!! I’ve heard a lot of bad things about their auto-ship policy and customer service in general, that’s why I added a disclaimer to my review of it.) So if you want to try it, get it from Amazon, your local salon or another retailer.

      I’d also like to recommend my favourite hair thinning shampoo – Revita (see my full review here) I started using it towards the end of last year and saw white vellus hair growing back after just a couple of weeks! What I love about Revita is, it seems to have all the benefits Nioxin brought me, but without any bad side effects…it’s totally natural, too. I tried their regular shampoo and conditioner set and am about to start on their own with CBD oil, too. I’ll do a full post on it when I’ve had a chance to test it properly!

      I’d also like to recommend you read my nutrition post and have a think about factors in your lifestyle that could be affecting your hair loss. So often hair loss is linked to internal stress like gut inflammation, which will be triggered by inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, eggs and soy products. I’ve learned this from personal experience, and there’s no point trying a million treatments if the foods you’re eating are causing excess inflammation (or on the other side, if you’re deficient in certain minerals/vitamins that are preventing you absorbing the nutrients from your food properly). If you were on a lot of medication for your cancer before, and perhaps didn’t take good probiotics afterwards, there’s a strong chance you could have an underlying gut condition that’s causing your hair loss (in my case, I had gut dysbiosis from antibiotic use/cortisone injections). And it was only when I went to see a functional medicine doctor, who ran some tests to diagnose me and offered a treatment plan, that I could make certain lifestyle changes to stop my hair loss and even start seeing regrowth!

      So in addition to looking for treatments, I’d look at a more holistic approach – looking at what you eat, ways to reduce stress (like this course, if you’re interested!) and so on.

      I hope that helps, Cathy!

      Wishing you all the very best,

      Emma

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