Could nightly oil treatments with centella wake up sleeping follicles?

Hair loss is a common concern affecting both men and women, often raising the question of how to reactivate hair follicles that seem to have "gone to sleep." In this context, many natural ingredients have gained popularity for their supposed stimulating properties, and one of them is Centella asiatica, also known as Gotu kola. But can a nightly application of oil with centella truly awaken inactive hair follicles? This article delves into the available scientific evidence to answer this question clearly and thoroughly.

What are sleeping follicles and when could they be reactivated?

Before exploring centella’s effects, it’s essential to understand what a “sleeping” follicle really means. Hair grows from microscopic structures called hair follicles. These go through cycles that include three main phases:

Anagen phase: this is the active growth phase of hair. It can last from 2 to 7 years. In this stage, the follicle is deeply anchored in the scalp and continuously produces hair.

Catagen phase: this is a brief transition phase lasting a few weeks. The follicle stops actively producing hair and begins to shrink.

*Telogen phase: this is the resting phase. It lasts around 3 to 4 months. Hair doesn’t grow, but it doesn’t immediately fall out either. After this phase, the follicle can re-enter the anagen phase and start a new cycle, or remain inactive for a longer period.

When we talk about “sleeping” follicles, we usually refer to those that remain in the telogen phase for too long or fail to reinitiate the anagen phase. The goal of most treatments is to stimulate the follicle’s environment so it can become active again and resume hair production.

Centella asiatica: miracle plant or unproven promise?

Centella asiatica is a perennial plant traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to heal wounds, improve circulation, and stimulate collagen production. Its main active compounds include asiaticoside, madecassoside, and asiatic acid, which laboratory studies associate with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. This has sparked interest in a possible role in hair, but that role has not been tested in people.

There are several products on the market containing Centella asiatica extract, especially in the form of serums, scalp massage oils, tonics, and creams. Many of these combine centella with other natural ingredients such as rosemary, caffeine, or peptides, making it difficult to isolate centella’s specific effects. Its presence in commercial products reflects marketing interest, not evidence that it grows hair.

What does the science say about centella and hair growth?

No published human trial has tested centella for hair loss. The only hair-related study is a cell-culture study of dermal papilla cells: Choi and colleagues (2017) reported that a titrated extract of Centella asiatica increased the hair-inductive property of human dermal papilla cells grown as three-dimensional spheroids (Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry). It involved no people and no measurement of hair growth, and results in cultured cells often do not reproduce in humans.

Could applying centella oil each night help?

There is no scientific evidence that applying centella oil at night wakes up dormant follicles. Laboratory work on cells is not evidence of an effect on the scalp, and no human study has tested it.

User Experiences

Community feedback on the use of Centella asiatica oil (often combined with other treatments or oils) for hair regrowth or reactivating "sleeping follicles" is sparse but notable. Several users on Tressless have discussed the ingredient within broader regimens, and while no one specifically documented waking up dormant follicles from Centella alone, some indirect reports provide insight.

One relevant post featured a user recovering from transplant-related trauma to the donor area, who included La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5, which contains Centella asiatica, as part of a topical recovery strategy. The user mentioned this was used alongside thermal water, topical antibiotics, minoxidil, and dutasteride. Other community members chimed in with approval for B5 and Centella-based balms, particularly for reducing inflammation and calming irritated or inflamed scalp areas. However, none of the commenters reported Centella reactivating dormant follicles directly—they primarily praised it for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties, particularly useful after trauma like microneedling, scalp infections, or transplants.

Another post mentioned Centella-derived exosomes, which were discussed in the context of regenerative medicine. While a user shared a before-and-after timeline involving exosome treatments over two months, there was no conclusive evidence pointing specifically to Centella-derived versions being more or less effective. The tone of the discussion was cautious optimism, with some skepticism due to the lack of rigorous human trials comparing these treatments to established options like finasteride.

No community member provided photographic evidence or detailed progress showing that nightly oil treatments with Centella alone (such as a massage oil) led to visible reawakening of follicles. The consensus leaned more toward using Centella as supportive care—a way to enhance scalp condition, reduce inflammation, and potentially complement other more powerful regrowth agents like minoxidil, finasteride, or microneedling.

If you're considering nightly oil treatments with Centella, users suggest it's best viewed as a scalp health enhancer rather than a primary growth stimulator.

So, yes or no?

Answering the original question requires nuance. Can a nightly application of centella oil awaken sleeping follicles? The current evidence does not allow us to state this with certainty. No human study has tested this, and the only hair-related evidence comes from cultured cells. Plant extracts and oils can cause skin allergy; patch-test first.

What is clear is that no natural remedy alone replaces a medical evaluation, especially when hair loss is persistent or severe. There is currently no evidence that nightly centella applications can reawaken sleeping follicles.

References

Choi, Y. M., An, S., Lee, J., Lee, J. H., et al. (2017). Titrated extract of Centella asiatica increases hair inductive property through inhibition of STAT signaling pathway in three-dimensional spheroid cultured human dermal papilla cells. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 81(12), 2323–2329. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29032741/

Tressless. (2023, December 21). Huge holes on donor area of scalp is this even normal? Reddit. https://reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/18nvl4b/huge_holes_on_donor_area_of_scalp_is_this_even/

Tressless. (2025, January 22). Exosomes 2 months before and after. Reddit. https://reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/1i7bgzj/exosomes_2_months_before_and_after/