What benefits can beer provide to hair? Experts share their thoughts
A tried-and-true hair routine can be difficult to establish. The same routine simply isn’t going to work for everyone because there are so many different factors at play.
Starting off by finding a shampoo and conditioner that works with your hair type is the first step to establishing your hair routine.
After that, many people incorporate different at-home remedies to help them grow luscious locks.
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One remedy that has been tried is beer for the hair. While there is a lack of clinical evidence that supports the claim that beer can benefit your hair when ingested or applied topically with a rinse, many sources cite potential benefits from beer, according to Healthline.
Below is more information on how beer could be beneficial for your hair.
Beer could provide potential benefits when used after washing your hair. (iStock)
- How does beer promote healthy hair?
- How do I put beer in my hair?
- What negative impacts could I see from using beer in my hair?
1. How does beer promote healthy hair?
Beer is not the answer to rapidly growing hair, but there could be potential benefits.
Beer contains a number of nutrients, including calcium, iron, protein, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin E and zinc, according to Healthline.
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Though it’s important to note that these nutrients can come from a lot of other foods and drinks.
“There are some vitamins and minerals that are found in beer, but your normal dietary intake is going to overcome what you get from beer,” Dr. Ryan Welter, founder and CEO of Regeneris Medspa & Cosmetic Surgery and the New England Center for Hair Restoration, based in Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital in a phone call.
Beer used on the hair can give it a conditioning effect. (iStock)
“There are things that you can do for your hair, obviously vitamins, nutrients and otherwise, that can stimulate the scalp to give your hair follicle better cellular structure, and then that develops stronger, better hair. … Beer is not doing that,” Welter added.
Beer has been used topically, in the form of a rinse, mostly for its “conditioning effect.”
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“Beer in your hair is more like a conditioning effect. So, your hair has basically character protein strands, and as things can adhere to these strands, it can help your hair appear to be much more healthy than it is or actually augment how healthy it is by conditioning it basically,” he said.
There are different remedies you can try to promote long, healthy hair.
There are many different remedies that can be used to promote health and growth. One of these is applying oils, such as rosemary or tea tree to your hair. (iStock)
For example, there are several different oils that are known to promote hair growth.
These oils include rosemary, pumpkin, lavender, peppermint and tea tree, Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a board-certified dermatologist from Scottsdale, Arizona, previously told Fox News Digital.
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To give your hair extra shine without the alcohol content, a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (one part vinegar to three parts water) could do the trick because it “debrides the scalp and hair of buildup and results in shiny hair,” said Tiffany Young, a certified trichologist and CEO of Thin Hair Thick, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
2. How to I put beer in my hair?
Those who decide to incorporate a beer rinse into their hair routine can do so in tandem with hair washing, according to Welter.
That said, how often it should be done depends on the person and their hair type. Some can get away with washing their hair once a week, while others need to wash more often for optimal health.
Applying beer to your hair can be done after washing. How often you wash depends on the scalp, an expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Your hair, over time, will accumulate oils and dirt,” Welter said.
When you get more oil and dirt in your hair, it will become gritty and greasy, signaling it’s time for a wash, he also said.
Welter suggested rinsing and repeating with hair washing to ensure the scalp is clean.
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“Now, the other caveat to that is that if you wash your hair a lot, your scalp can become dry, or too oily,” he said.
“If it’s too oily, you might get pustules or acne on your scalp. If it’s too dry, you’re going to get flakes, dandruff and that sort of thing. So the amount of times per week that you wash your hair really should be dependent on your scalp.”
One expert recommended doing a wash, rinse and repeat on hair wash days for optimal cleansing. (iStock)
As far as how long you should leave beer in your hair, five or so minutes should do the trick.
“Generally, when you do a conditioner, you should leave the conditioner in your hair … usually, a minimum of five minutes to get it to bind to the keratin and adhere to all the areas it’s going to stick to. Then it’s a light rinse, and you’re done,” Welter said.
3. What negative impacts could I see from using beer in my hair?
When it comes to using beer in your hair, some things you’ll want to look out for are a drying effect, increased frizz as well as grittiness of the hair.
“I would pay close attention to the alcohol content with the understanding that alcohol has a tendency to dry hair out and make it frizzy with repeated use,” Young told Fox News Digital.
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“If you get too many oils or proteins in your hair, you’re going to get grittiness,” Welter said.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed reporting.
