Q. My beautician told me to add 8 oz. of vodka to a whole can of cayenne pepper, let it sit overnight, strain and apply it to the top of my scalp with a cotton swab to counteract hair loss. Does this work or will it cause more hair loss?
A. Our first impulse was to discredit such a remedy. We feared that the active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, might be too irritating.
To our surprise, however, we discovered an article in Current Medicinal Chemistry (# 29, Dec., 2008) reporting that capsaicin can stimulate growth factors in the hair follicles of mice and in human volunteers with hair loss. The investigators suggest that hot pepper extract stimulates nerves in skin, improves blood flow and might help counteract hair loss.
Before you dump a lot on your scalp, though, it would be prudent to do a spot test to make sure it doesn’t burn you.
Many medications can contribute to hair loss. You will find a list of the most common in our Guide to Hair and Nail Care.
