Tea Tree Oil For Hair: Benefits & How To Use It Effectively [AU] 2023

Essential oils can provide many benefits. One particularly versatile oil is tea tree oil, and one of its touted benefits is helping hair growth. This oil is used across many industries, including the health and beauty industry. 

Products with tea tree oil for hair are abundant. While there are many tips for how to stimulate hair growth, tea tree oil for hair growth may be a potential treatment. 

Keep reading and find up-to-date information on tea tree oil and the answer to the question, does tea tree oil help hair growth?

What Is The Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil^[1] is an essential oil derived from plants that are part of the Myrtaceae family, which is Indigenous to Australia.  This natural oil is known for providing antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungal infections.

Historically, tea tree oil was used as an insect repellent and general anti-microbial agent in World War II. It is now used as a preservative, fungicide, and natural biocide and is found in many cosmetics, herbal medicines, and aromatherapy. 

There has even been a recent exploration into using tea tree oil as a natural microbicide in the food and agriculture industry.

While this essential oil is clearly versatile, what are the tea tree oil benefits for hair? Does tea tree oil help with hair growth?

Benefits Of Tea Tree Oil For Hair

A lot goes into keeping our scalp and hair healthy. Numerous factors, such as the nutrients we consume, the environment we are exposed to, and the hair tools and products we choose to use all influence our hair health. 

It can be difficult to navigate which product for hair is the one you need. Below are the many tea tree oil for natural hair and scalp benefits.

Tea Tree Oil For Hair Loss

Is tea tree oil good for hair growth? A recent 2021 review^[2] investigated the efficacy of using essential oils to treat androgenetic alopecia, which is the medical term for male and female pattern baldness.

The review included findings from a randomized control trial in 2013^[3] which found individuals with hair loss receiving minoxidil, diclofenac, and tea tree oil instead of just minoxidil or the placebo had an earlier response to the hair loss treatment.

The review determined that hair oils are likely best used as complementary supplements to prescriptions or conventional treatments. This is because while most essential hair oils are well tolerated, limited studies prove the efficacy of these essential oils on their own. 

There are many hair products on the market that claim to promote hair growth. Currently, only oral finasteride, topical minoxidil, and low-level laser therapy are approved for hair loss treatment by the Food and Drug Act.

Scalp Health

A 2015 review^[4] summarized research on dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, a skin condition characterized by scaly skin patches, inflamed skin, and stubborn dandruff. Both conditions involve an itchy, flaky scalp. 

The review stated the most common treatments for these conditions are topical antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea tree oil was noted as an alternative therapy, as studies have suggested this essential oil could be used as a treatment for seborrheic dermatitis. 

While it is possible to see results after using tea tree oil for hair dandruff that could reduce itchy scalp and scalp inflammation, more research is needed to determine the true efficacy.

Lice

A 2022 systematic review^[5] investigated the antiparasitic activity of tea tree oil. The findings demonstrated that tea tree oil and its components could potentially treat several parasitic infections, including those caused by lice.

Due to the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory of tea tree oil, and its ability to kill head lice and lice eggs, the review also stated it could be a headlice treatment if part of a pharmacological formulation.

Ingrown Hairs

Is tea tree oil for ingrown hair? Ingrown hairs occur when hair grows into the skin instead of outward past the skin’s surface. While there are many articles online stating tea tree oil can prevent and treat ingrown hairs, there is no scientific research to back up those claims.

What tea tree oil has been shown to do is enhance healing.^[6] This is due to its antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities that reduce inflammation. So, tea tree oil may have the potential to promote the healing of ingrown hair lesions.

Side Effects

While there are many benefits to using tea tree oil, what are the risks?

Tea tree oil^[7] has traditionally been used as an antiseptic and herbal medicine traditionally by the Indigenous people of Australia. Today tea tree oil is used for many ailments, including acne, athlete’s foot, lice, fungal infections, mite infections, and insect bites.

However, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports only small amounts of research with human trials have been completed on the topical use of tea tree oil. Thus there is not enough evidence to make solid conclusions.

This does not mean tea tree oil products must be avoided. However, you should always exercise caution when trying a new product. Some factors to consider before trying a new tea tree oil product are listed below.

Do Not Swallow

Tea tree oil is not digestible and should not be swallowed. Swallowing tea tree oil has been shown to cause confusion, loss of muscle coordination, breathing problems, and coma. Tea tree oil products should not be ingested and should be out of reach of children.

Contact Dermatitis

As with any skincare or hair care product; there is the risk of having contact dermatitis, which is allergic skin irritation. If you obtain contact dermatitis from a hair product, you may have an itchy scalp. Individuals with sensitive skin may be more prone to contact dermatitis.

To reduce your risk of having a bad reaction, always be sure to do a skin patch test when trying out a new product. Simply put a small amount of product on a small patch of skin where the product is not likely to be rubbed or washed off, for example, your arm, and wait 24 hours.

If you have particularly sensitive skin, you may want to wait a couple of days after you do the skin patch test to see if irritation occurs.

Pregnancy/Breastfeeding

There is not much known about the use of tea tree oil during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. If you have questions about using tea tree oil during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, it is best to contact your primary healthcare provider.

Conclusion

Overall, tea tree oil is good for hair. While there still needs to be more research done to determine the effectiveness of tea tree oil as a treatment for fungal and bacterial infections, acne, and bug bites, there is no indication at this time that it is bad for hair. 

Further, most research to date is promising, indicating a tea tree oil has the potential to promote growing hair, treat head lice, promote a healthy scalp, and result in healthier hair.

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