Here's How Coffee Grounds Could Help With Hair Loss

After brewing a pot of coffee at home, you're likely left with a filter full of soggy grounds. Chances are high you just dump them in the trash or rinse them down the sink, but that could be a big waste. Turns out there are actually a lot of unique ways to use your leftover coffee grounds. You can compost them to turn into fertilizer for your garden, turn them into fragrant bars of soap, or stick them in the fridge to get rid of any yucky odors. Who would've thought?

Another interesting use for coffee grounds — either used or brand new out of the bag — is for your hair. According to scientists and bloggers alike, coffee can help reverse hair loss in both men and women. If you're struggling with thinning hair or simply want to encourage more strands to grow, here's how to use coffee grounds on your hair.

It isn't the coffee grounds themselves that help undo hair loss, but rather the caffeine that's in said grounds. A 2007 study found that caffeine can block some of the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is the sex hormone associated with hair loss (via Healthline). Additionally, because caffeine is a stimulant, it can speed up a lot of processes in your body including, yep, increasing blood circulation and stimulating new hair growth. Healthline adds that it not only makes your hair grow faster, but also stronger.

So, should you just dump coffee grounds on your head and pray for the best? You could — but there are likely more effective (and less messy) ways to get the hair-growing benefits. The Hair Fuel recommends mixing coffee grounds with the oil of your choice to make a paste. Massage the mixture into the roots of your hair for five to 10 minutes and then rinse. Easy peasy.