Uses:
- Treating hair loss and promoting hair growth
- Treating dermatitis
General Information and Safety:
Though I will not be getting into how to hunt down, slaughter, and correctly process an emu, I will disclose that the way animal oils are processed can affect whether the final product has any benefits at all. For one, if the oil is processed at too high of a heat, it will develop trans fatty acids which may cause an increase in cholesterol if consumed. In the long run this can lead to increased risk of heart disease. Additionally, if solvent extractors are used in processing of the oils, it can lead behind non-edible solvent residue in the final product. It is important to do your due diligence on a product and know where it came from to better understand the result you will get.
Emu oil comes from emus, a flightless bird native to Australia. Yes, they do need to be killed to harvest their body fat. Liposuction on birds is not a thing and their population is rampant through Australia. In fact, they were such big pests at one point in time that Australia’s military declared war on them in 1932, as the Great Emu War in an attempt to prevent the mass destruction of agricultural crops. Unfortunately, the emus came out victorious with only 986 killed, they continued to ravage farmers’ crops until landowners collectively decided to put up fences.
The FDA has not set standards for the production and selling of emu oil. The data of emu oil’s health benefits have never been submitted to or approved by the FDA, who considers it a fraud product and is mentioned in their article, ‘How to Spot Health Fraud.’ This article addresses the wild claims some influencers will make to promote trending health products/alternative medicine with no evidence to back them. Such claims include the notion that emu oil cures cancer and Alzheimer’s within days. Definitely untrue, although there is strong evidence of Emu Oil’s abilities to improve hair growth and treat certain skin conditions such as dermatitis– as documented in published clinical trials.
My Experience:
I personally have used emu oil as my only skin product for the past 2 years. I add a few drops of tea tree oil as well to help with acne breakouts. As it’s a thick oil; almost grease-like consistency, it is messy to use and easy to overapply, but I have found dabbing a finger into a jar of it, and adding water makes for easier application and prevents using too much. After massaging the oil into your face, dab off excess oil and remaining water with a face towel. In addition, I do hair oiling with emu oil every few days. It is hard for me to personally record any improvement because my hair seems to naturally grow fast and be in a pretty ok state already. Of course, someone suffering from hair loss is likely to see a greater difference than someone using the oil for hair maintenance.
Regardless, I have included a photo and link to the brand of emu oil I use. There is no guarantee this product is 100% emu oil as mentioned previously, Emu oil is not standardized by the FDA.
The Case Study- US Patent No. 5,744,128 (1995)
Dr. Michael Holick was a Professor of medicine, Physiology, and Dermatology from the Boston University School of Medicine. He received U.S. Patent No. 5,744,128 for his “successful study showcasing emu oil’s specific ability to penetrate the scalp and reach the hair follicles below, treating disorders relating to hair cycling disturbances such as alopecia, male pattern baldness, female baldness, and chemotherapy-induced alopecia.”
In his clinical trials, Holick found the growth activity of animal skin increased by 20% from the application of emu oil. He noticed there was a significant increase in hair follicle thickness, and over 80% of hair follicles that had previously been dormant were woken up and actively growing hair. Note: Anagen phase is a medical term describing the first stage of hair growth in which hair actively grows. There are 3 other stages of hair growth- Catagen [transition phase], Telegen [resting phase], exogen [shedding phase]. Basically, Dr. Holick was able to induce and prolong the Anagen phase of the hair growth cycle.
Why does it matter?
With hair loss medications such as Minoxidil available, who’s to say which is better over the other? Like any product, it is up to the individual. But the main side effect experienced from emu oil is mild skin irritation. If this were to happen, one would just stop using emu oil and try another solution such as therapeutic grade essential oil blends of rosemary, thyme, lavender and cedarwood- all found to also stimulate hair growth in live follicles.
From shortly browsing the web of information about Minoxidil, I found a recall the medication had for potential heart failure and organ damage. Vantis Institute is a hair loss solution center [So mind you, they have an incentive to drag other hair loss solutions], that wrote an article of what to consider before using Minoxidil to treat hair loss:
Common side effects include irritation, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, possible allergic reaction to any of the ingredients, irregular heartbeat, and you may experience unwanted hair growth all over your body, not just your head. In the first clinical trials of Minoxidil for treating hair loss:
- – 60% of men in the first study did not experience hair growth
- – 38% of men in the second study did not report hair growth
- – 81% of women in the third study did not report significant hair growth
So it may not work for a significant demographic of people.
It has also been reported that patients who just start the medication may experience more hair loss and may need to wait months of using it 1-2 times a day to see any improvement. What’s more is that Minoxodil is more selective of who qualifies than you may think. The medication is not prescribed to patients that have any of the following conditions:
- Any hair loss condition besides androgenetic hair loss
- Heart problems
- Heart rhythm issues
- Internal conditions
- Teens under the age of 18
- Breastfeeding mothers
- People with pre-existing kidney disease
- Cancer patients who lost hair due to chemotherapy
Lastly, when you stop the medication, you lose all your hair again.
The Verdict:
I personally have not dealt with hair loss but if you are, or if you are looking to grow healthier hair. Emu Oil is affordable, natural, with no harsh side effects. It doubles as a skin moisturizer, can be used as cooking oil depending on the way it’s been processed, and may work out great if you are trying to cut back on the amount of synthetic products you have in the house. I think emu oil is worth a try.
So that’s all there is to it! Sources used to write the article are listed below.
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