Tea Tree Oil...Part of the Big 3?

[Guest Cousin_It]

Guys....

 

I haven't found much reference to any products utilizing Tea Tree Oil on the forum, but I recently had the opportunity to use a shampoo with this ingredient. I must say I have found it a most exhilarating shampoo. The first time I used it, my scalp felt very much alive, it seemed like it was able to breathe again. Within the first week I noticed a change in scalp condition. Any slight redness I had, possibly from Rogaine usage, was completely gone. My scalp took on a uniform whitish appearance, it really looked very healthy. I know that guys here advocate the use of Nizoral and Nioxin as their favorites, I have tried them, and was disappointed. In the case of Nizoral, after 2 applications, I began to get scalp acne, so I dropped it. Nioxin was a bit better, didn't cause any side effects, but didn't cause an improvement either, but felt nice.

 

I have done a bit of research on the properties of Tea Tree Oil and have found it has amazing benefits. A number of which are:

 

Antiseptic / Bacterial

 

Treatment of cuts, burns, insect bites, infected splinters and all kinds of

wounds, especially dirty or ones which contain puss. As an antiseptic it is

valuable for general skin care, spots, acne and blackheads etc. The oil immediately penetrates outer skin layers and mixes with body oils to treat such conditions as insect bites, cuts, burns, acne, infected wounds, bruises, boils, scabies, lice, chillblains, diaper rash , hives, poison ivy and oak, prickly heat , and sunburn .

 

Anti-fungal

 

Tea Tree's effective treatment for ringworm, athletes foot, thrush. It

has also been used to combat fungal diseases affecting animals fish and plants.

 

Immuno-stimulant Properties

 

It this context Tea Tree is of great value as a preventative remedy to help the

body fight off all kinds of infections. Especially important if the body is

already in a weakened condition brought on by either stress, illness or the use

of antibiotics or other drugs which have lowered the body's natural resistance

levels. It can be helpful to those who need to build up their strength before a

surgical operation or for those suffering from chronic or long standing

debilitating illness. Its possible application to AIDS is also currently being

researched.

 

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

 

Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used topically for sprains, arthritis, bunions, bursitis, eczema, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome , and hemorrhoids. It is best to use products containing essential tea tree oil, since the pure essential oil would be irritating to sensitive areas.

 

A study at the Flinders University of Adelaide is currently researching tea tree oil's affects on various inflammations in the body. The goal is to discover if the essential oil reduces the inflammation besides killing the microorganisms causing it.

 

Safety

 

Non-toxic, non-irritant, possible sensitization in some individuals. The

strength of Tea Tree oil should be respected and therefore large amounts should

never be used in particularly sensitive areas

 

 

 

As you can see it has an incredible number of positive effects. One of the most promising aspects are its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Current research show that androgenic alopecia may be due in part to the body's own reaction to microorganisms proliferating in the sebum with the subsequent inflammatory response initiated by our immune system to rid it. In fact, there are promising clinical trials ongoing which I have previously posted on Roxithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic used to treat skin infections, as a treatment in androgenic alopecia. So it seems this compound may be a safe and natural alternative to its chemical counterpart. Though it has the potential of helping MPB, I would not look for any clinical trials being done, it just does not have the profit potential the big drug companies are looking for, and may not even be patentable.

 

While too early to say if this will cause any hair regrowth, I believe it has the essential properties to be effective. I believe that at this point it should seriously be considered as an adjunct to Minoxidil an Finasteride. Apparently its properties encompass those of Nizoral and go far beyond it. I know many members will point to the possible effect of Nizoral on DHT, but frankly has anyone actually reaped the benefits of this?

 

I would be anxious to hear of anyone's opinion of this treatment and hope that perhaps you would take into consideration implementing this into your regimen. Its cheap, safe and may do you some good. Really no downside.

[hairbank]

Cousin_It,

 

As usual, a very well thought-out and informative post from you.....Thanks. Mobogo must have used his brain enhancement serum on you when you got the 1,000,000 FUT's!

 

This is the first I've heard about Tea Tree Oil or its use in a shampoo. I may have missed it in your post but what shampoo contains Tea Tree Oil? Is there ANY information anywhere showing that this may help combat hairloss? You've definitely piqued my interest!

 

I'm one of those Nioxin/Nizoral-ites you speak of and I have to agree with you that I'm not sure of its efficacy. I use Nioxin daily then alternate the Nizoral shampoo once or twice a week. The Nioxon does give the "nice" feeling you speak of but I suppose there's no way to tell if it's working alone for me as I take Finasteride as well (which I have had minor regrowth from). Nioxon does state on the shampoo that it removes toxins "like" dht, however, if it really did I would think they would be advertising that fact more directly.

 

I'm curious to learn more about Tea Tree Oil and read what I can. Any links you can share with me here (or PM if you want)?

[irish homer]

It's used a lot over here to stop children from picking up head lice. used in a shampoo .

[Guest Cousin_It]

Glad some guys took notice of this post, I wasn't sure if it would get lost in the shuffle.

 

Hairbank..

 

Strange you should mention some type of serum. During the process of my transplant, Dr.Mobogo was applying some sort of paste he has boiling in a cauldron. When I asked what it was, his response was "Don't ask!"

 

The brand I am currently using is Paul Mitchell, they have a complete line of shampoo,conditioner and other scalp and body treatments utilizing Tea Tree Oil. Up until recently my girlfriend and I sold haircare products on the side. As a result I have come across every imagineable brand. But until recently I really have not tried any of them, just though they were overpriced luxuries. After my transplant I began to experiment with a number of them, up until I tried out this product I found they did not have an advantage over cheaper alternatives.

 

There is a ton of information on the web on Tea Tree Oil, so if you just run a google you can look through it. The info I gathered came from these two particular websites:

 

http://www.indianchild.com/tea_tree_oil_uses_benefits.htm

 

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0001/ai_2603000122

 

In light of the beneficial effects I have obtained from the shampoo I am looking into the possibility of using the oil itself for direct application. I am currently researching the best way to do this and will let you guys know what I find.

 

BTW...I am alternating this shampoo with a baby shampoo similarly to what you guys do with Nizoral. Hope this helps.

[MrJobi]

Good thread

 

Tea Tree oil shampoo can dry out your hair..This was told to my by several hair stylists, Yes, it does have a great feel to it but I would not agree that it has any " hair regrowth" properites. So with that being said, it has no legit value for hair loss..

 

Add it to the list of other "nice" but worthless products regarding hairloss

 

At the end of the day, thats what it is all about

[Guest Cousin_It]

Mrjb...

 

Sorry you did not obtain similar results when you used it. If you don't me mind asking, how long did you try it out?

 

Personally I tend to have very dry hair, but I did not notice a worsening in the 3 weeks I have used it.

 

On the issue of the information you obtained from your hair stylist, actually I mentioned this to mine a week ago, his feedback on these products was very good. I did not post this information since I did not believe it gave any credence to whether it was any good.

[MrJobi]

Hey Cous

 

I used it for about 2 weeks but it did dry my hair a bit..They told me its a good shampoo for those who use a lot of gels, sprays as it cleans the hair well ( thus the drying) I do agree it feels very refreshing, but Nioxin does as well.. Both feel good but do not regrow hair. For me I use smoothing shampoos to tame my wavy hair..

also use Nizoral a little

 

Cheers

[iwanthair]

my mother used to make me put tea tree oil on my head when i was like 18. She (and all people i knew) believes it helps.

Also some root she was boiling in water - but that was able only to regrow fuzz.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Cousin_It,

 

Very informative post. I have actually used Tea-Tree Oil shampoo in the past and I agree that it does give a very refreshing feeling to the scalp. Regarding any benefits that pertain to hairloss...I am not so sure about...but I'd be willing to give the shampoo a try just simply for a more clean and healthy scalp, not to mention the refreshing feeling. Where have you bought the shampoo? Do they also have a conditioner?

 

Bill

[TooThin]

Cousin_It:

 

The best product I ever tried that contained tea tree oil is a skin cream called 'Renew'. I had ongoing excema on my hands that I could not get under control. I had three different doctors examine it and they all prescribed a different cortisone cream. I also tried a number of over the counter creams. Nothing seemed to work. My wife brought home a bottle of 'Renew' cream she bought through this company called Melaleuca. The primary active ingredient in 'Renew' is tea tree oil. I saw a substantial improvement within 24 to 48 hours and continue to use it to this day. That was my first experience with tea tree oil. The stuff definitely has anti-inflamatory properties. My son also gets excema and we have a number of friends whose children have experienced excema. This 'Renew' cream does a great job at controlling excema.

 

I was so pleased with the 'Renew' cream that I tried a tea tree oil shampoo. My wife bought some from the same company. I found the shampoo to be quite good with results similar to what I have experienced with Nizoral 2%. It certainly did not grow any hair for me but it left my scalp feeling clean and healthy. I didn't have any nagging itch or irritation. I used it for awhile but then stopped using it. I find it is good to occasionally rotate shampoos so I will probably try it again.

 

TooThin

[MrJobi]

Paul Mitchell makes a good Tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner

 

good luck