Horsetail for Hair Growth: Benefits and How to Use It Safely

If you’re just getting into hair care, you might not know what horsetail extract is or how people use it. It’s long been taken as a diuretic, and more recently it’s shown up in hair care for supporting growth and easing excess shedding.

Here’s how horsetail ended up in hair routines and how you can put it to work for yourself.

Key Takeaways

• Horsetail is loaded with minerals and especially rich in silica, which supports stronger, glossier hair strands.

• Horsetail in supplements may help with less shedding and, over time, better texture, fullness, and thickness.

• You can use a horsetail infusion after washing as a rinse or tonic, or mix it into shampoo.

• Possible downsides include allergy, contact reactions, diuretic effects, and a potential risk for thiamine deficiency.

What Is Horsetail

The Horsetail herb is a mineral-dense, antioxidant plant from the fern family, named for its tail-like look. It contains one of the highest levels of Silica among plants, a mineral known to make hair stronger, so it can help restore some strength and body to hair that needs support.

Because it’s packed with minerals, horsetail suits anyone aiming for healthier growth by helping replenish what your hair and scalp may be missing.

Is Horsetail Good for Your Hair?

The Horsetail plant can support overall hair wellness. This single herb offers several benefits that may improve how your hair behaves. From aiding regrowth to reinforcing strands, Horsetail supplements can play a helpful role.

Here are the kinds of changes you might notice with consistent use:

Reduce Hair Loss

Research on horsetail suggests it may reduce hair loss by lowering shedding and improving retention. Adding Horsetail to your routine could help you hold on to more of what’s already growing.

Improve Hair Texture

Horsetail may also shift hair texture in a good way. Regular oral use has been linked with a natural shine and a smoother feel. In one study, people taking a hair supplement with Horsetail for 180 days noted better shine and overall texture.

With steady use, this plant can help hair look healthier and feel softer and more lustrous.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

A key benefit of horsetail is its potential to calm inflammation. Irritation in the follicles and scalp can drive or worsen issues like thinning, breakage, flaking, and itch.

By easing inflammation and supporting circulation to the scalp and hair shafts, horsetail extract may help limit loss and encourage fresh growth.

High Silica Content

One standout feature of horsetail extract is its silica content. Silica is a mineral that matters for healthy hair growth. It also supports cartilage and bone, skin health, and collagen formation.

We often connect collagen with skin, but it’s important for hair too. Collagen helps hair stay shiny and resilient, and low collagen can be linked with loss and other hair concerns.

By supplying silica, horsetail extract may support growth regulation, stronger shafts, and fewer breaks. As a bonus, your skin and nails can look better as well.

Strengthen Hair Fibers

Taking a horsetail supplement has been associated with better strength and elasticity, plus less breakage. As a natural add-on for stronger strands, Horsetail can help you build healthier hair from root to ends.

Improve Hair Volume

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, people who used a hair supplement with dried Horsetail reported visible improvements in volume, scalp comfort, and overall thickness after 90 days. That makes Horsetail a reasonable option if you want more lift and to thicken hair naturally.

How to Use Horsetail for Hair

Horsetail has strong potential, but how you use it matters. Make a basic horsetail infusion by simmering two to three tablespoons of the dried herb. Keep it simple so you can track your results.

Make a Horsetail Infusion

Add two to three tablespoons of dried horsetail to a pot. Pour in three cups of water. Simmer gently for fifteen minutes. Strain, then let it cool.

Use It After You Wash

Shampoo and rinse like normal. Massage the cooled infusion into your scalp and hair. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water.

Scalp Tonic

Prepare the infusion the same way. After washing, work a small amount into your scalp and hair. Leave it in if your scalp feels fine, or rinse if you notice any sensitivity.

Shampoo for the Easiest Option

Stir one to two tablespoons of horsetail into your shampoo and mix well. Use it the same way you’d use regular shampoo.

Add Keyoma Batana Oil With Rosemary

After rinsing out the horsetail infusion, gently towel-dry until hair is damp. Warm a small amount of Keyoma Batana Oil with Rosemary between your palms. Smooth it through mid-lengths and ends. If your scalp feels dry, lightly tap a small amount at the roots. Style as you like.

Possible Side Effects of Horsetail

Horsetail is usually well tolerated, but you should know about potential side effects.

• Increased urination: A study on 36 men found that oral horsetail acted as a diuretic, meaning participants urinated more often.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency: Horsetail contains thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down thiamine. Using horsetail regularly can raise your risk of deficiency.

• Allergic reaction: Horsetail is related to carrots. If you’re allergic to carrots, you might react to horsetail too.

• Contact reactions: In rare cases, hypersensitivity reactions like rash or allergic dermatitis have happened after topical horsetail.

Use Horsetail and Then Seal The Moisture With Keyoma Batana Oil

Use horsetail when you want less breakage and a stronger feel, not instant regrowth. Begin with the simplest version so you can see what helps. Patch-testing behind my ear tended to keep reactions away. Make the infusion, apply it right after shampoo, leave it for about 15 minutes, then rinse well.

If your scalp becomes reactive or feels dry, cut back on how often you use it and avoid stacking new steps. Finish on damp hair with a light oil through the mid-lengths and ends so strands stay flexible, not stiff. For more gentle routines, ingredient checks, and low-risk ways to layer botanicals, explore the Keyoma Hair Care blog.