Castor Oil: The Culprit of Acute Hair Felting
January 2017
in “
International journal of trichology
”
TLDR Castor oil can cause severe hair matting.
The document reported a rare case of acute hair felting in a 20-year-old girl after using castor oil and coconut oil, leading to her hair becoming irreversibly matted into a hard mass. This condition, known as plica polonica, typically occurs over time due to neglect or psychiatric issues, but in this case, it happened suddenly. The high viscosity of castor oil and the cultural practice of oil baths in South India contributed to the matting. The patient experienced significant psychological distress and had to cut her hair. The study highlighted the potential risks of using castor oil for hair care, despite its traditional use for promoting hair growth.