Aine (Melbourne, Australia) on 07/22/2008
Replied By Lana (Melbourne, Australia) on 11/12/2008
Replied By Rob (Kentucky) on 03/19/2024
Let it be said at the outset that there are many things capable of producing hair on a balding head. If you rub your head with a mixture of vodka and cayenne peppers you may see some hair growth. Ethyl alcohol and propylene glycol can stimulate some growth (for this reason they are common ingredients in many baldness treatments). Italian barbers have passed a scalp massage technique down through the generations that seems to grow hair. Irritating the scalp in any number of ways can cause hair growth. The point of a baldness treatment is not just to grow hair. A treatment is of interest to a balding man only if it grows enough hair to improve his appearance and if he is able to keep that hair.
From the book: The Bald Book by Klenhard 1986 page 46.
Cayenne Pepper Hair Tonic:
The ability of this herb to irritate the skin, increase blood flow and stimulate cell division is well known.
Recipe:
– Mix four ounces of cayenne pepper with one pint of 80 proof vodka.
– Let it stand for two weeks, shaking the mixture once each day.
– Strain through several layers of fine cloth until the mixture is free of pepper.
– Once or twice a day, rub a small amount onto the thinning areas of the scalp.
Note: Alcohol is list as a remedy for Alopecia in the Mereck Manual 1899, page 86. If you do not like the idea of alcohol, substitute with apple cider vinegar.
Rub your scalp every morning with a mixture of cayenne pepper and vodka. Rub a small amount of this mixture into your scalp in the morning. This will help to stimulate your hair follicles and promote blood flow to your scalp, according to stylist and hair expert Riquette Hofstein, owner of Riquette International Salon in Beverly Hills, in her book "Grow Hair Fast: 7 Steps to a New Head of Hair in 90 Days."
Capsaicin in Cayenne can trigger the vallanoid receptors in hair follicles and may boost hair growth (3). The spice may also stimulate hair growth by inhibiting substance P (a peptide). In a study, participants with alopecia showed hair growth in a 5-month period when they ingested capsaicin and isoflavone (4), (5). Most peppers in the same family as cayenne pepper are rich in vitamins A, C, and E, and folate (7). These vitamins are known to play a role in hair loss (8).
A Treatise on Materia Medica and Therapeutics Including Pharmacy, Dispensing By Rakhal Das Ghosh 1922. page 542 states:
Externally. – The action of Capsaicin is like that of volitile oils and to some extent that of cantharidin. In other words, it is a powerful irritant, rubefacient and therefore counter-irritant. Like cantharidate, capsaicin may be used to promote the growth of hair.
Replied By Rob (Kentucky) on 03/01/2026
Dr. John Christopher Herbalist stated back in the 1970's:Baldness – Vigorously massage a mixture of baby oil and cayenne pepper on balding areas daily to stimulate new and revitalized hair growth. You can expect visible results within days.
I was almost completely bald. But I now have a full head of hair after just three weeks of rubbing cayenne and baby oil into my scalp. T.O., Ogden, Utah
Replied By Bart (Thessaloniki - Greece) on 05/24/2026
Here is the Italian barbers traditional massage. They don't use tools like wooden scalp massagers. They move the sculp over the scull.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rrsMIxD5RAI&pp=ygUVaXRhbGlhbiBzY2FscCBtYXNzYWdl0gcJCQQLAYcqIYzv
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xoG8iygEecc&pp=ygUNc2NhbHAgbWFzc2FnZQ==
Replied By Ruralady (Illinois) on 03/01/2026
A lot of Dr Christopher's products are sold on Amazon, pretty good stuff but won't work for everyone.