'My Derm Recommended A Hair Growth Oil, And I’m Never Going Back'

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If your hair is looking a little thinner than usual, a hair growth oil could be your new BFF. Anyone who's South Asian, like myself, will know that hair oiling isn't just a vanity project or self-care routine—it's a standard weekly or bi-weekly ritual in Ayurveda, a centuries-old Hindu system of medicine. I myself passed off the practice as silly till I started experiencing thinning hair in college (likely due to stress).

My hair was literally falling out in chunks out of the back of my head, so I was willing to try anything. I started oiling my hair with my mother's promise that it would grow back thick and long fast. That was five years ago, and today I have the thickest hair I've ever had—I get compliments on it almost every day, and I'm even continuing to grow more hair after oiling it twice a week every week.

What causes hair loss?

First, let’s consider why your hair may be looking a little sparse. Chemicals and heat can damage the shaft of the hair (the part we can see) itself, and that leads to dullness and breakage, says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. If you’re experiencing thinning hair, though, your follicles—where the hair is made—are behind it. When these aren’t functioning optimally (they can be weakened by things like free radical damage, for example), they don’t grow hair as well as they should, he says.

Would a doctor recommend hair growth oils?

Hair growth oils can condition hair, hydrate the scalp, and support your follicles as they grow new hairs to the best of their ability. They can also help strengthen and protect hair strands themselves to make your mane shinier and less prone to breakage, according to Dr. Zeichner.

What should you look for in a hair growth oil?

Dr. Zeichner recommends looking for oils that include ingredients like botanical extracts and antioxidants such as vitamin E, which can help to neutralize free radical damage around the follicles. See below for the 18 best hair growth oils to try, all of which come recommended by our editors and doctors.

Meet Our Expert: Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital's Department of Dermatology

Custom Hair Oil

Recommended by Dr. Zeichner, Prose will create a custom formula that targets your particular hair needs. Ingredients include a range of natural oils that can hydrate, soothe, protect, and encourage growth depending on what your hair needs and goals are.

Night Density Rescue

Let this one work while you sleep. Nioxin's treatment contains a blend of antioxidants said to neutralize free radical damage, says Dr. Zeichner. Now that's what I call beauty sleep.

Healing Oil

Virtue's oil contains nourishing vitamin E, which Dr. Zeichner says can neutralize free radical damage. It also contains gardenia extract to help strengthen and protect your individual strands of hair, so this is a great option if you live somewhere with an aggressive environment (heat, pollution, or humidity).

Weightless Healing Oil Treatment

Infused with vitamin B7, collagen, and strand-strengthening proteins, reviewers say this oil treatment makes hair look thicker and fuller without weighing it down. It's actually not meant to be washed out, so you can use it as a leave-in conditioner next time you want to nourish your strands straight out of the shower or are styling your hair with a sleek bun pre-wash day.

Régénérescence Naturelle

Formulated with apricot, hazel, and sunflower seed oils (just to name a few), this oil is a fan-favorite amongst new mothers who are struggling with hair loss and thinning post-pregnancy. Just check one of the many five-star reviews.

Mighty Majesty Fortifying Hair Serum

This oil will forever be the one I attribute my hair transformation to. After years of stress-induced, hormonal hair loss, I massaged the jasmine- and safflower-infused oil into my scalp twice a week every week for two years—and I often get compliments on how thick my hair is. I still have new hair growing in from all areas of my scalp, but I also love the luxurious floral scent and the fact that this helps fight frizz during humid NYC summers.

Ayurvedic Intensive Hair Drops

Like so many South Asians, Kaia Skin's founder, Kalpana Semple, was inspired by her mother who spent a lot of time whipping up Ayurvedic solutions in their kitchen. After decades of learning and practicing herself, Semple's Ayurvedic hair oil has glowing five-star reviews behind it, and I'm a new fan, too. It's lightweight and doesn't have a strong scent, so I recommend the hibiscus, fenugreek, and cumin-infused oil to my friends with sensitive scalps (and noses).

If you're spiritual, you'll love that all her products are infused with Reiki energy.

Moringa Anti-Breakage Hair Serum

Hair breakage is totally normal and natural, whether you're dealing with hair loss from the follicle or split ends—especially if you like to dye your hair or heat style it. Enter: Shaz & Kiks' anti-breakage serum. The five-star product is especially great at reducing frizz and making hair feel soft after just one use, according to many reviewers.

Initialiste for Scalp and Hair

A serum-oil hybrid, Kérastase's oil contains peptides that strengthen hair, native plant cells to hydrate the scalp, and proteins to help repair the flexibility of damaged and over-processed hair. It makes it a great pick for anyone experiencing hair loss, especially if you've dyed or heat-styled it a lot (hear! hear!).

HoliRoots Indian Hair Growth Oil

After rising to TikTok fame, I tried out this hair oil myself and will never turn back. Not only does the totally lightweight oil favor Ayurvedic ingredients like amla and ashwagandha, the earthy scent makes for a real self-care moment when you take the time to massage into the scalp for a few moments. I love using it with a scalp massager while watching Love Island (don't judge).

Champi Hair Oil

Any beauty product junkie knows the benefits of castor oil: It's meant to strengthen hair while nourishing the scalp. That said, it can also feel really heavy, but this Champi Hair Oil is the ultimate exception. It blends castor with coconut, hibiscus, and Argan oil for a lightweight texture that smells so good that I will actually put it in my hair in the morning before heading to the office and styling it with a sleek braid. Since using it for the past several months, I've noticed way less hair fall.

Pre-Wash Scalp Oil & Hair Treatment

You don't have to be a Jonathan Van Ness fan to love his brand, but it definitely doesn't hurt. I'll be real with you: As someone who tests products for a living, I'm skeptical of celebrity-owned brands. JVN is a total exception. I swear by his nourishing hair products as a standby in my shower routine, and that absolutely includes his hair oil. You only need to leave it in for 10 to 15 minutes, so it's lower maintenance than most oils you'll want to leave in overnight.

Alpha Hair Growth Oil

The Mane Choice's growth oil is jam-packed with holy grail ingredients like strengthening soybean, growth-enhancing castor, and nourishing almond oil to help reduce shedding. While this is definitely thick enough that you'll want to wear it overnight and wash it out in the morning, it's not so thick that you'll have a hard time getting it out.

Complexe 5 Stimulating Plant Extract

This pre-shampoo treatment has an impressive cult-following that actually happens to include yours truly. The instructions say to leave it on for five to 10 minutes before shampooing, so people love that you don't need to wear it overnight or for several hours. The clarifying formula feels great on the scalp in the summertime or after I've used a lot of styling products.

Grow Long Anti-Breakage Oil

Not only does this budget-friendly oil work to strengthen hair, it's also said to smooth frizz and add shine thanks to the caffeine, ginseng, and sunflower seed oil in it. When using this pick, don’t just stop at the roots—you can spritz it all the way to your ends to tame frizz and hydrate split ends.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil Hair Serum

Ideal for curls and coils, this serum-oil hybrid features castor oil, shea butter, and safflower seed oil, purported to penetrate the scalp with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals for stronger, healthier hair. It makes hair look super shiny, too, so people love using it as a styling product.

Energizing Superactive

This uber lightweight hair oil is said to reduce hair loss while also boosting hair density. Shampoo and condition your hair, apply the formula all over your scalp, and style as usual. It's a great way to make sure you're nourishing your strands and scalp at all times, even in between the more intense treatments.

Marula Oil Hair Mist

Featuring antibacterial marula oil, this easy-to-use spray can be applied all over the hair and scalp, conditioning it without added build-up. Users like the mist for smoothing flyaways without weighing hair down. It's not the most intense treatment, so it's better as a maintenance product.

How Our Team Chose The Best Hair Growth Oils

Women’s Health editors, including our senior commerce editor Neha Tandon, have tested the bestselling, most popular, and top-rated hair growth oils. Our team consulted a dermatologist, and then evaluated thousands of customer reviews and ratings to narrow down the 18 best electric razors for a wide range of needs and preferences.

What is the best way to use a hair oil for more growth?

Start treatment ASAP. The best time to use hair growth oils, according to Dr. Zeichner, is when you initially start to notice hair thinning. “It’s far better to keep the hair that you have than to try to regrow it after you’ve lost it,” says Dr. Zeichner.

But if you’re already seeing a lot of hair in the shower drain, he says not to worry. Hair oils can help to maintain the hair you have, prevent future loss, and potentially help you grow new hair.

Be consistent. Like with many treatments, you’ll see the best results with regular use. “Hair growth oils need to be used continuously to experience benefits,” says Dr. Zeichner. Your hair typically grows half an inch per month, so it may take a while to see any noticeable improvements.

It took me about a year of using an oil twice a week before I saw results, and two years till other people started noticing and giving me compliments.

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