Ethnodermatologic Hair Care Practices Across Cultures: A Molecular and Translational Review
July 2026
in “
International Journal of Dermatology Sciences
”
Studysummary This review synthesizes traditional hair-care practices from diverse cultural regions and evaluates them against scientific evidence, noting that some, like coconut oil application, have clinical support, while others rely mostly on in vitro or theoretical backing. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This review explores traditional hair-care practices from various cultures, including South and East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa, and evaluates them against modern scientific evidence. It categorizes these practices based on their mechanisms, such as protein retention, cuticle coating, and molecular signaling pathways. Some practices, like coconut oil application and oral amla supplementation, have clinical support and align with known molecular targets, while others, like argan oil and egg-based masks, are mainly supported by theoretical mechanisms. The authors suggest that these culturally rooted practices could be valuable in dermatologic care, especially for individuals with hair types not well-served by conventional hair-care products.
