How I grew my hair back
My hair is "fine" in diameter, but I've always had plenty of it. Like so many people, during the COVID lockdown I started shedding more hair than usual. I was out of work and losing friends and family members to the virus. Add hormone shifts and stress from other family health issues, and my hair started falling out at an alarming rate. By 2022, I'd lost about a third of it.
April 21, 2022 / June 22, 2022 / September 18, 2022
I started taking biotin a few years ago and that did seem to slow down the shedding eventually (and made my nails grow!), but I was still losing more than I was growing back. I spoke to general practitioners and dermatologists but I didn't feel comfortable with the medicines offered.
So I gave up. I adjusted to the idea of using scarves to keep my neck warm and wearing hairpieces when I needed volume.
the hairpieces phase
Then I heard about trying rosemary oil and thought it was worth a shot. I started on June 6, 2023 and went through several stages – some a little strange. But on April 11, 2024, someone crossed a room to tell me how beautiful my hair was. I hadn't had a compliment on my hair for years and nearly wept. Now I get compliments fairly regularly but more importantly – I love my hair again!
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I am no expert and I've never written about health and beauty before, but I'm so grateful to the people who turned me onto this natural path and wanted to share it in case it helps someone else. Also, this turns out to be one of my FAQ's!
1980's hair / today
DIY Rosemary Hair Restoration
Maybe you're already using hair products that contain rosemary oil. If you've found one you like, great! But I'm a DIY person and prefer knowing which oil is being used – and how much. Turns out you can add rosemary oil directly to your own shampoo and conditioner!
I chose Maple Holistics Pure USDA Certified Organic Rosemary Essential Oil (no affiliation) for $17.95/oz, but there are many brands touting certifications. Rosemary oil cannot be directly applied to skin, it must be mixed with a carrier.
I add at least 12-20 drops to a standard bottle of shampoo (12-16 oz) and shake well. The internet recommends 3-5 drops per ounce.
Conditioner depends more on the consistency. Runnier conditioners can be handled just like shampoo. For thicker conditioners, I use a half-empty (or half-full!) bottle to allow plenty of room for mixing the contents.
Now what?
Use your shampoo as usual. No adjustments to your routine are needed. Your routine should already include 1-2 minutes of scalp massage as part of lathering. If you only use shampoo and no conditioner, massage the shampoo into your scalp 2-5 minutes. Rinse well.
If you use conditioner and have short hair, probably no adjustments to your routine are needed. Leave the conditioner 2-5 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.
If you use conditioner and have longer hair, focus on your roots – massaging the conditioner into the scalp under the hair. (I find it helpful to lift the hair in large sections as I go so I can get to the skin). Leave the conditioner in for 2-5 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.
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The dreaded shed
In the beginning, you might actually shed a little hair – which can be scary. I'm not sure what caused the small increase I saw in shedding in the first couple of weeks, but if I had to guess – it's massaging my roots with the conditioner. I have long hair and had always applied conditioner to the ends, not the scalp. Massaging the roots can stimulate growth but it can also dislodge more hair than usual.
As long as you are not putting too much rosemary into your products, putting the oil directly on your scalp, or leaving products on for extended periods of time, this is normal and should pass. You can always reduce your ratio of oil to product if trying new things is scary or dramatic for you.
All of that said - remember shed is normal and new hair is coming!
Side effects?
As your hair grows in, it could possibly be slightly darker or curlier. Rosemary oil has been shown to stave off grey hair, eliminate dandruff, and improve overall scalp health, but it might affect color and texture. My curl radius is now tighter.
May 10, 2021 / June 30, 2025 - curl with no hair products applied
The awkward stage
I hit a “Chia Pet” stage after about 3-6 months where baby hair grew through the older hair.
At some point, my hair was getting thicker around the crown while still stringy at the bottom. As the baby hair got longer, I trimmed the old hair shorter, giving me immediate volume after years of thin hair. Every few months, I'd trim more from the bottom, closing the gap between the length of the new hair and the existing hair.
"Chia" hair / fuller on top than ends
Two years into the rosemary routine, I’ve cut at least 6” from my hair and it’s now long, thick, and full of body.
Results and maintenance
The shorter your hair is, the faster it will fill in. But all hair growth is slow. Be patient.
I continue to add rosemary oil to my shampoo and conditioner. If it ain't broke... I purchased a 1 oz bottle of the rosemary oil in 2023 and have only used half of it, but I have curly hair that doesn’t require frequent washing. It's possible that people who wash their hair more often will see faster results than I did.
That said, MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER! Using more rosemary oil or leaving it on for longer periods of time is not necessarily going to yield better or faster results. Hair growth is slow and using too much rosemary can irritate skin.
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For me, the truest measure of hair growth is the ponytail test. My hair doesn't just look thicker, it takes a thicker hairband (and fewer twists) to make a ponytail. I need larger hair clips. There's even an up-do that I used to create with a hairpiece that I can now do with just my own hair and a few pins. If you've always had short hair – what I'm saying is that I have measurably more hair.
hairpiece July 18, 2024 / my own hair June 19, 2025
Fingers crossed!
Like I said, I have no expertise, only an experience I wanted to share. I truly hope it helps you. Hair isn't the most important thing in the world, but it makes many of us feel good about ourselves. I know how I felt going from a former hair model with a mane of curls to someone using scarves to keep my neck warm. I felt like I was letting go of something that helped me feel like me.
modeling in the 80's
Superheroes have fabulous hair – like it's part of their powers. Thicker hair may or may not make you more powerful, but it definitely makes me feel super.
NOTES:
- I do not color or treat my hair in any way and have no idea how rosemary oil interacts with other treatments. That said, many hair care companies use it as an ingredient in their products and the internet says it's safe.
- My hair is textured. I have no idea if results are different for more or less textured hair than mine.
- Though I may have removed the occasional wrinkle or under-eye circle, the hair in these photos is unretouched.
Please let me know if you have a question you’d like me to address. I’ll be selecting some of these questions for future newsletter topics (with an emphasis on topics that can benefit more than just the single individual who asked).
Subscribe to the Know Small Parts Newsletter and get Chapter 2 – Breaking Down the Scene of my book as my gift to you!
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