Grow off.
Melody Yaslan, who routinely shares beauty secrets sourced from around the world with her 336,000 followers, recently took to TikTok to let them in on a natural hack for hair growth.
“This was how long my great-grandmother’s hair was at 60 years old. My 80-year-old grandma has hair like this right now,” she said, pointing to to photographs of women with cascading hair that reaches well beyond their lower backs.
The plant-based hair helper that ensures no one goes bald in the Balkans? Stinging nettle.
Yaslan explained that the benefits of stinging nettle on hair are threefold, or follicle: “This plant blocks the enzyme that causes hair loss, detoxes your scalp & strengthens hair follicles.”
If the “hair down to there” images weren’t enough to convince you, a study that tested the efficacy of stinging nettle, scientific name Urtica dioica, on lab mice showed a positive relationship between the plant’s concentrate application and overall hair growth.
Extracts of stinging nettle were applied to the shaved skin of mice and monitored for 21 days. After that period, the treated mice showed hair growth of 10.02 mm compared to the 8.94mm growth in the control group.
Further research showed that stinging nettle extract increased the growth of dermal papilla cells. These cells are part of the hair follicle and regulate hair growth.
Stinging nettle is rich in vitamins, minerals, and iron, all contributing to overall skin and hair health. Stinging nettle is also a great source of the plant chemical beta-sitosterol, which raises growth factors that stimulate hair growth.
Yaslan recommends that nettle-curious people invest in stinging nettle shampoos like this one and avoid using conditioner on their hair.
“I noticed my hair looks way more voluminous if I don’t use conditioner. I use nettle shampoo, but to ensure my hair isn’t dry, I oil it with argan oil before showering, let it sit for 1 hour, and then use nettle shampoo on my scalp. My hair always comes out so soft,” she said.
She claims this hair care regimen helped her go from a short bob to shoulder-length tresses in under a year.
Yaslan noted that users can drink nettle tea and/or wash their hair with it to maximize the benefits. As a bonus, the brew also alleviates menstrual cramps.
Commentators were quick to validate Yaslan’s claims.
“I did nettle hair rinses every week when I was younger, guys. It works,” assured one.
“I had bald spots, then my Balkan mother-in-law bought me nettle oil, and my hair grew instantly,” shared another.
