The menthol in peppermint essential oil is a vasodilator, and vasodilators improve blood flow. In many instances (such as in female or male pattern baldness), hair loss occurs due to starved blood flow to hair follicles. Increasing circulation with a vasodilator like peppermint could potentially improve hair growth and prevent some hair loss.
A recent 2014 study in mice showed that peppermint essential oils holds a lot of promise for hair growth. Researchers noticed the hair grew faster and thicker, and blood flow to undernourished hair follicles increased. Other studies (one in 2011 and one in 2013) showed that menthol from peppermint essential oil promotes vasoconstriction rather than vasodilation.
Peppermint oil can also be a solid remedy to an itchy scalp. “Its ability to neutralize certain pathogenic micro-organisms on the skin’s surface makes it an interesting and effective ingredient for combatting a dry, itchy scalp,” says Simpson, which is something that Dr. King echoes. “Small studies have shown that the topical application of peppermint oil significantly decreased itching when used in a 0.5 to 0.1 percent solution,” she says.
