I transformed my damaged, scrawny hair into long, healthy locks using a £6 oil – people ask me to ‘drop the routine’

Anabel Kingsley, Consultant Trichologist and Brand President at Philip Kingsley spoke exclusively to Fabulous.

How long does it take for hair to grow back? 

Hair grows, on average, half an inch a month. You cannot speed this up.

Do rosemary oil and scalp massages work? 

Oils do not promote hair growth. In terms of rosemary oil, the current trend stems from one small study carried out on 50 men in 2015. No women were involved, and the study compared the effects of 2 per cent minoxidil to Rosemary oil. 2 per cent minoxidil doesn’t do much for
male pattern hair loss anyway, so the results were not very impressive.  Oils do serve a purpose in conditioning hair treatments though. They help add shine and smooth the hair cuticle to lock-in moisture and improve combability.  Scalp massages alone won’t cure hair loss, but it can help relax you, aid in lymphatic drainage, exfoliate and help topicals penetrate.

Are there any products or foods/vitamins you recommend someone using or eating to help with hair regrowth?

To support healthy hair regrowth, if you are experiencing hair thinning we’d recommend our Density Preserving Scalp Drops clinically proven to help slow hair loss with continued daily use within three months.  

Telogen effluvium (hair shedding) due to nutritional deficiencies can often be simply treated with changes to your diet, and nutritional supplements such as our specially formulated Density Healthy Hair Complex and Density Amino Acid Booster. 

Iron and Ferritin (stored iron) in red meat, dried apricots and dark, leafy greens. Vitamin B12 in animal products and fortified plant-based foods. Protein from oily fish, lean meat, cottage cheese, tofu, nuts, chickpeas, and beans. 

However, there may be an underlying cause for their hair loss and rather than this being masked by using an off-the-shelf product, they should be encouraged to seek the advice of a specialist such as a Trichologist.