Hair Experiments: Lotion To Make Hair Grow

In a post originally at Edwardian Promenade, Aline Vallandri was recorded as saying her famous long hair was achieved with the help of a "lotion" given to her by nuns for the purpose, but advised that any pharmacist could provide a similar preparation. I reposted this with some other hair advice a while ago.

One day at the drug store, I came across a product called Doo Gro: Stimulating Growth Oil. Now, in the past I have been in the hair oil business myself, and know that you can promote just about any oil product as helping hair to grow -- the massaging action when it's applied and the moisturizing properties are what do it: the massage stimulates the scalp to grow more hair and the moisture prevents breakage of existing hair. Nevertheless, I looked over the ingredients on Doo Gro and didn't see much that looked out of character for an Edwardian era preparation -- it was mostly mineral and almond oils with a variety of herbal extracts, vitamins and some other moisturizers -- so I decided to give it a try as a replacement for Vallandri's lotion.

PROS: After two or three days I actually did notice a lot less hair coming off on my comb and brush. Also really does keep down the flyaways and kind of keeps hair from becoming tangled thanks to greasing it into place.

CON: Greasy hair. Like mid-week in the Historical Hair Wash Experiment, though thankfully minus the dandruff. Also, this stuff is really hard to wash out: I was shampooing for days to get rid of it.

I suspect if I kept using the oil as recommended I would see my hair grow thicker and longer over time -- but is it worth it if that hair has to look oily and sticky? To me, no. (Though I think this was less of an issue in the 1900s and 1910s when shampoos were so less frequent.) I don't have any great need for Vallandri length hair, frankly; but after giving it some thought, I decided I might start using it on the "ponytail" length of my hair (usually tied up in a bun, so it's not so visible) to keep it moisturized and to keep it from tangling and to help tame the flyaways. Thing is the oil seems to spread upward anyway, when I do that. Really, I'm very much back and forth on whether or not I like this... I like the lack of breakage and preservation from tangles, but hate the grease and oil. What do you guys think?