Castor Oil Question

[distracted]

After seeing many people talk about Castor Oil's effectiveness, I wanted to give it a shot. I have some questions about it though:

1) Do people take this orally or do they use it topically?
2) Is there a specific type or band of castor oil that people recommend around here?
Thankks

 

[Captain Hook]

As per swisstemples' recommendations and his own personal use:

1) He does both, you can do either. Oral is more effective because the absorption with topical isn't complete, you'd need to mix it with DMSO unless you keep it on your scalp for 8+ hours. However, he does mention small amounts of castor oil (fingertip amounts or so) rubbed into the temples will completely absorb, so that may be worth trying if you're adamant about topical use.

2) Don't get Jamaican black castor oil (it contains other parts of the castor bean which are unnecessary), get cold-pressed 100% castor oil, it should look clear and pale yellow. Make sure it's either food grade or pharmaceutical grade (USP or BP) so you guarantee you're getting the standardised 90% ricinoleic acid content (the active ingredient in castor oil that activates EP3 and EP4 prostanoid receptors). Also some grades of castor oil aren't fit for internal ingestion so adhering to the aforementioned standards is imperative if you're planning on taking it orally. Brands I can recommend are Now Foods Castor Oil or any castor oil that is certified by USP or BP.

The normal oral dosage is a sub-laxative dose of 1-2 mL. Swisstemples recommends 1 mL as he says 2 mL causes more hypertrichotic side effects (growing vellus hairs on your forehead and below the eyes, darkening of scalp and body hair, increased body hair growth). That being said these side effects go away after cessation of treatment, any unwanted facial hair growth will fall out while still keeping your scalp hair gains (as PGE2 related pathways aren't dependant on the medication that grew them providing you are on an anti-androgen and/or setipiprant for maintenance)

I plan on implementing it myself in the coming months (the wait is due to wanting to see if results are present that can be attributed to my current regimen), most likely only orally. I'll post updates in My Story thread pertaining to this endeavour.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Ahoy Capitan!
Hey quick question for you when you have time.
I understand an anti-androgen is ideal to combat male pattern baldness, but do you know whether or not it( any ant-androg.) is necessary to use with castor oil for c.o. to be effective?
In other words will castor oil work alone indefinitely? Thanx for your thoughtful insight.

- - - Updated - - -

I found this informal essay somewhat fascinating. http://www.drmercola.com/cancer/what-you-should-know-before-using-castor-oil/

 

[Captain Hook]

Ahoy Capitan!
Hey quick question for you when you have time.
I understand an anti-androgen is ideal to combat male pattern baldness, but do you know whether or not it( any ant-androg.) is necessary to use with castor oil for c.o. to be effective?
In other words will castor oil work alone indefinitely? Thanx for your thoughtful insight.

- - - Updated - - -

I found this informal essay somewhat fascinating. http://www.drmercola.com/cancer/what-you-should-know-before-using-castor-oil/

That's an excellent question, in theory you don't need an antiandrogen in combination with castor oil but I think we should look at it this way:

-Minoxidil works alone, so therefore castor oil should in theory work alone too
-Minoxidil dependant hairs will be lost when minoxidil is discontinued, this isn't the case for castor oil however if there is no antiandrogen in your regimen to promote maintenance, DHT will be able to miniaturise follicles grown via castor oil, albeit at a much slower rate compared to the sudden minoxidil shed when you discontinue it.

In short, castor oil should be effective on its own but as with any regrowth treatment, it's ideal to combine it with an antiandrogen so as to make sure any follicles you grow/regrow won't be susceptible to miniaturisation via DHT.

 

[username425]

1) I use orally every day. As Captain Hook said, 1ml-2ml daily. I don't even measure it anymore, I just wake up and eyeball it. I ordered a massive 32oz bottle of it, been using for about two weeks and this thing will last me months. If I'm home and have some free time I do like to apply it topically. I am diffuse, and have trouble dealing with scalp inflammation and itch. Topical Castor Oil has made my scalp feel wonderful - I don't even know if this has any effect on hair loss, but mentally it is worth it in my opinion. I've tried a lot of things, and Castor has been the only thing I can feel reducing inflammation. It is very heavy though as a substance, so that's why I only apply when I have time home. If you wanted to rub into temples or hairline I'm sure that would work too, but I am thinning very badly that it doesn't look good with it in.

2) Heritage Products Castor Oil off Amazon. It was dirt cheap too with Prime.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Excellent response.
I'm going to make a go at it and see what we get.
Hoping it gives more than only "more regularity"..,Haha!

- - - Updated - - -

I appreciate that man!
I'm glad it's helped with the insidious itching. My scalp's a mess so I'm going to follow suit. Thanx!

1) I use orally every day. As Captain Hook said, 1ml-2ml daily. I don't even measure it anymore, I just wake up and eyeball it. I ordered a massive 32oz bottle of it, been using for about two weeks and this thing will last me months. If I'm home and have some free time I do like to apply it topically. I am diffuse, and have trouble dealing with scalp inflammation and itch. Topical Castor Oil has made my scalp feel wonderful - I don't even know if this has any effect on hair loss, but mentally it is worth it in my opinion. I've tried a lot of things, and Castor has been the only thing I can feel reducing inflammation. It is very heavy though as a substance, so that's why I only apply when I have time home. If you wanted to rub into temples or hairline I'm sure that would work too, but I am thinning very badly that it doesn't look good with it in.

2) Heritage Products Castor Oil off Amazon. It was dirt cheap too with Prime.

 

[Parsia]

Ahoy Capitan!
Hey quick question for you when you have time.
I understand an anti-androgen is ideal to combat male pattern baldness, but do you know whether or not it( any ant-androg.) is necessary to use with castor oil for c.o. to be effective?
In other words will castor oil work alone indefinitely? Thanx for your thoughtful insight.

- - - Updated - - -

I found this informal essay somewhat fascinating. http://www.drmercola.com/cancer/what-you-should-know-before-using-castor-oil/

Dear Friend ID.WALKER

Just wanna share with you my personal opinion / Response

Castor oil is actually a Pge2 increaser , So it works to make your hair Thicker ( diameter ) and also help to regrowth .

By today , Generally speaking the anti androgen is something you have to use it in your regimen because if you don't you will loose your hair in a

long-time , ( And I'm not talking about short term ) . So with that case , it works in a different angel .

The problem here is male pattern baldness and reversing hairloss needs to be attack from different angels , You would be better off to use anti androgen as a base of

your regimen ( Although you have a chance to get some regrowth / Thickening with that ) . So you will definitely get better result with adding

castor oil with anti androgen . And you already may know I don't mean black castor oil.

So in my opinion its not IDEAL , its NECESSARY to have anti androgen in your regimen.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Another great response Parsia, and I thoroughly agree I'll soon need to begin adding antiandrogen. Do you use c.o. orally also?
Thanx for the extra clarification my fellow lubricious friend.

 

[g.i joey]

Has swiss seen improvement from castor oil alone or only in conjunction with everything else? Also, weren't people mocking the efficiency of castor oil a couple months ago?

 

[Parsia]

Another great response Parsia, and I thoroughly agree I'll soon need to begin adding antiandrogen. Do you use c.o. orally also?
Thanx for the extra clarification my fellow lubricious friend.

Haha , Lubricous ? How come ? Loooool .

You're so welcome. anytime. I don't use castor oil at this moment , Its on my wish list for the next couple months.

I believe it is a good idea to use castor oil cold pressed orally and topically. ( although it looks gross ) .

 

[distracted]

As per swisstemples' recommendations and his own personal use:

1) He does both, you can do either. Oral is more effective because the absorption with topical isn't complete, you'd need to mix it with DMSO unless you keep it on your scalp for 8+ hours. However, he does mention small amounts of castor oil (fingertip amounts or so) rubbed into the temples will completely absorb, so that may be worth trying if you're adamant about topical use.

2) Don't get Jamaican black castor oil (it contains other parts of the castor bean which are unnecessary), get cold-pressed 100% castor oil, it should look clear and pale yellow. Make sure it's either food grade or pharmaceutical grade (USP or BP) so you guarantee you're getting the standardised 90% ricinoleic acid content (the active ingredient in castor oil that activates EP3 and EP4 prostanoid receptors). Also some grades of castor oil aren't fit for internal ingestion so adhering to the aforementioned standards is imperative if you're planning on taking it orally. Brands I can recommend are Now Foods Castor Oil or any castor oil that is certified by USP or BP.

The normal oral dosage is a sub-laxative dose of 1-2 mL. Swisstemples recommends 1 mL as he says 2 mL causes more hypertrichotic side effects (growing vellus hairs on your forehead and below the eyes, darkening of scalp and body hair, increased body hair growth). That being said these side effects go away after cessation of treatment, any unwanted facial hair growth will fall out while still keeping your scalp hair gains (as PGE2 related pathways aren't dependant on the medication that grew them providing you are on an anti-androgen and/or setipiprant for maintenance)

I plan on implementing it myself in the coming months (the wait is due to wanting to see if results are present that can be attributed to my current regimen), most likely only orally. I'll post updates in My Story thread pertaining to this endeavour.

Wow! Thank you! Just ordered 16 ounce NOW Foods Castor Oil!

1) I use orally every day. As Captain Hook said, 1ml-2ml daily. I don't even measure it anymore, I just wake up and eyeball it. I ordered a massive 32oz bottle of it, been using for about two weeks and this thing will last me months. If I'm home and have some free time I do like to apply it topically. I am diffuse, and have trouble dealing with scalp inflammation and itch. Topical Castor Oil has made my scalp feel wonderful - I don't even know if this has any effect on hair loss, but mentally it is worth it in my opinion. I've tried a lot of things, and Castor has been the only thing I can feel reducing inflammation. It is very heavy though as a substance, so that's why I only apply when I have time home. If you wanted to rub into temples or hairline I'm sure that would work too, but I am thinning very badly that it doesn't look good with it in.

2) Heritage Products Castor Oil off Amazon. It was dirt cheap too with Prime.

Thank you! Do you mix the castor oil with anything? Does it taste bad?

 

[opti]

did some1 ever think of oral castor oil leading to a PGE2 beeing less produced because you already get it trough your castor oil? I'm just curious..dunno what long time oral castor oil will lead to some side effects or sth. like that

 

[username425]

Wow! Thank you! Just ordered 16 ounce NOW Foods Castor Oil!



Thank you! Do you mix the castor oil with anything? Does it taste bad?

It doesn't taste good lol. I don't think it tastes bad though. If you chase it with water it's nothing.

 

[I.D WALKER]

Probably be ok with your salad (castor oil and vinegar).

Parsia lubricious has a couple meanings. Maybe both fit Haha, but the (2)definition I intended using means smooth or slippery with oil or a similar substance.

 

[Captain Hook]

did some1 ever think of oral castor oil leading to a PGE2 beeing less produced because you already get it trough your castor oil? I'm just curious..dunno what long time oral castor oil will lead to some side effects or sth. like that

What? It increases PGE2 expression, it doesn't decrease it, what are you talking about?

As for side effects,

While potassium loss and inhibition of absorption of fat soluble vitamins may be a problem with castor oil when used frequently at doses necessary to induce catharsis (15+ mL usually, can be as low as 10 mL), there are no adverse effects when used in doses at and below 4 mL. Castor oil is an excellent example of a medication where more doesn’t equal better. The absorption of castor oil decreases (and hence won’t have the desired effect) as the dose increases (with 64% of a 50 mL dose being excreted unchanged whereas a 4 mL dose is almost completely absorbed). Anecdotal reports even state that little benefit is seen when doses above 1 mL are used. With 2 mL only causing more hypertrichosis and that such a dose doesn’t seem to have much more growth stimulating effects. These hypertrichotic side effects go away after cessation of use too, meaning hair grown in unnatural places like below the eyes will fall out whereas scalp hair regrowth will remain.

Castor oil wouldn't be approved for use as a food additive if it wasn't safe or had serious side effects, nor would it be approved for use in skin products or by USP and BP for induction of catharsis (laxative use). Take a look at your favourite moisturiser or shower gel and chances are it will contain an ingredient such as "PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil".

Toxicological reference: http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v14je05.htm

 

[Parsia]

Probably be ok with your salad (castor oil and vinegar).

Parsia lubricious has a couple meanings. Maybe both fit Haha, but the (2)definition I intended using means smooth or slippery with oil or a similar substance.

My first language is not English so for some of the words you use I always need to look it up . Lol .

Do I LOOK like a smooth or slippery friend? I don't think I am smooth in real life Haha.

Anyway thanks for your comment , I just wish nobody get a conclusion of me or you are hemosexual

 

[I.D WALKER]

Like your good nature Parsia your English also is remarkable.

Therefore that assuredly makes you a "smoooth" character.

Sorry for the hassle you had with "lubricious".., I get bored easily.

They might be partly (hemosexual) right; We know that's only half of it. Let's try this then:

Hemo/hemato - of or relating to blood

Sexual- of or relating to the two genders or sexes

So I'm okay (if you are) that we'll be recognized as "Blood Brothers".

Hemosexuality here I come! Lol

Ahem, now back to castor oil.

 

[Parsia]

Like your good nature Parsia your English is also remarkable.

Therefore that assuredly makes you a "smoooth" character.

Sorry for the hassle you had with "lubricious".., I get bored easily.

They might be partly (homosexual) right; We know that's only half of it. Let's try this then:

Hemo/hemato - of or relating to blood

Sexual- of or relating to the two genders or sexes

So I'm okay (if you are) that we'll be recognized as "Blood Brothers".

Hemosexuality here I come! Lol

Ahem, now back to castor oil.

Lol.




I

Haha ,thanks , You're funny bro.

Yes back to topic , I will start castor oil in the next week and start sulfasalazine yesterday.

 

[username425]

Haha ,thanks , You're funny bro.

Yes back to topic , I will start castor oil in the next week and start sulfasalazine yesterday.

Parsia, I hope you will update us on your usage of Sulfasalazine. Very interested in what it will do. I have some incoming, haven't decided to incorporate it just yet.

 

[recedingyt]

Question regarding oral castor oil:

I know it causes hypertrichosis which will go away once you stop taking oral castor oil, but how long does this take? And is absolutely certain you will keep head growth gains while simultaneously getting rid of excess body hair caused by it? I'm a trans woman, so body hair is definitely not something I want to deal with, but I'm willing to put up with it for a few months if it does indeed go away after you stop using castor oil and you keep your gains. I shouldn't have to worry about miniaturization after I stop using castor oil because my androgen levels are pretty low since I am on hormone therapy & finasateride