We’ve heard it all when it comes to hair growth solutions. There are so many different theories, home-remedies, and old wives’ tales about how to grow your hair back faster, but most of them are not backed by any type of science.

We recently heard a new one involving Vicks Vaporub… yes, the same Vicks Vaporub that you put on your chest when you’re congested or have a cold. Supposedly there are some magical properties of this gel that, when rubbed on your scalp, can help promote hair growth. But is any of this true?

We wanted to get to the bottom of this to find out why people believe that Vicks can have an effect on hair growth, and if there is any sort of truth to this claim.

What is Vicks Vaporub?

If you’ve ever been terribly congested and can’t seem to clear your nose or cough, then you probably have memories of your mom rubbing that pungent smelling gel on your chest as a child. This gel is known as Vicks Vaporub.

Vicks Vaporub is a menthol-based gel that contains camphor and eucalyptus oil (cough suppressants), which is rubbed on your throat and chest to help suppress coughing associated with minor throat and bronchial irritation. The fumes from the gel are inhaled through the mouth and nose helping to suppress your cough and allow you breath easier.

So, if this gel works so well as a cough suppressant, why do some people believe that it helps with hair growth? That’s exactly what we wanted to find out.

Vicks Vaporub for Hair Growth?

It appears as though this idea that Vicks Vaporub can help stimulate hair follicles started in the African American community and has since found some legs on social media.

African American women have been posting on social media about how rubbing Vicks Vaporub on their scalp appears to stimulate their hair follicles leading to noticeable hair growth after a few weeks. It’s also worthy to note that most of these women, and influencers, are also mixing other ingredients with the Vicks before they apply it to their scalp. Some are using essential oils, some are using coconut oil, and some are using castor oil.

After a couple months of applying this mixture of products, these women claim to have seen significant hair growth, up to an inch after a month.

Is There Science to Back Up These Claims?

While we are only recently aware of this home remedy trend circulating the internet, the key to whether or not Vicks Vaporub is actually promoting hair growth can be found in the ingredients used in the product.

Vicks Vaporub consists of 3 main active ingredients, camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol. The inactive ingredients consist of cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, petrolatum, thymol, and turpentine oil.

Have any of these ingredients been found to help promote or stimulate hair growth on their own?

Camphor has been show to help stimulate blood circulation in the scalp which can help bring more blood to your follicles and help to promote some hair growth. It can also help to straighten roots and improve overall scalp health.

Eucalyptus oils have been found to help reduce inflammation in the scalp and also help increase blood circulation around the follicles.

Menthol is known as a vasodilator which means it has the ability to stimulate the blood circulation in the scalp and help to open up the follicles. This wasn’t always the case though, as menthol was originally thought to be a vasoconstrictor, which would have the opposite effect. Scientists have switched their stance on menthol in recent years and now believe that it can help promote healthy hair.

On a side note, thymol is the preservative for Vicks because it is a strong antimicrobial agent.  For years, Dr. Krejci and other dermatologists, have recommended using this on thick discolored toenails to help with hard to treat fungal infections.

Does Vicks Vaporub Promote Hair Growth?

While the active ingredients in Vicks Vaporub have been shown to have properties that can help stimulate blood circulation and open up pores and follicles on their own, there is no scientific proof that using actual Vicks Vaporub will promote hair growth.

In fact, as hair loss specialists, we wouldn’t recommend using Vicks on your head as it could cause allergic reactions and even damage to your scalp if left in too long. Not to mention it’s going to smell like Vicks Vaporub (for some people this is a yum for others it’s a yuck. Menthol is a distinct odor).

If you’re looking for medical options for hair growth, there are many different treatments available that have been scientifically proven to help stimulate hair growth. These products can be bought over-the-counter or prescribed by your doctor, and won’t have the unintended side effects that Vicks Vaporub may have on your scalp.

Home Remedies for Hair Growth

There are many hair products out there that promote healthy hair and include different ingredients that claim to stimulate hair growth, but it’s always important to speak with your doctor before trying a random home remedy like Vicks.

Just because a product contains ingredients that you may find in other hair products, the other ingredients and chemicals in Vicks may change the way those ingredients interact with your scalp. And yes, some products do have off-label uses that have proven success, we recommend following the guidelines set forth by the scientific community when it comes to medications.

Talk with a hair transplant specialist or a board-certified dermatologist regarding your hair loss. They will be able to guide you towards safe and effective products to help with your hair loss without having to resort to something like Vicks Vaporub.