Does Putting Raw Egg In Your Hair Actually Do Anything?
The health benefits of eggs are indisputable. Healthline calls egg yolks "one of the most nutritious foods on the planet," claiming they're often referred to as "nature's multivitamin" and contain a multitude of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients as well as healthy fats and proteins.
While eating eggs in moderation is great for your body, applying egg yolks to your hair can also be beneficial for its health. Healthline claims that egg yolks are often applied to hair to strengthen brittle locks, prevent hair loss, and to make hair grow faster. In addition to applying egg yolks as a hair mask, those looking to maximize the hair health benefits should incorporate more of them into their diets.
"The better you nourish your body, the better your hair will look," the article states.
Mixing a DIY egg mask is simpler than it might seem and can also be made using common ingredients you may already have around your home. A mask of olive oil and egg yolks should be applied to the scalp and ends of the hair and left on for about an hour for the best benefits (via Healthline). Healthshots also offers a variety of egg mask recipes, including an egg, banana, and honey mask as well as an egg, coconut oil, and almond oil mask.
The pros and cons of egg masks
Egg yolks contain vitamins A and E, biotin, and folate, all important nutrients that are associated with hair growth. Egg yolks can also be used as a moisturizer because it strengthens strands, thus avoiding damage (via Healthline). Eat This, Not That reports that egg yolks contain a high level of vitamin D, which can help generate new hair follicles, thus improving the thickness of your hair.
Not all folks, however, are on board with the benefits of an egg yolk hair treatment. SFGATE claims that the proteins in egg yolks are actually too large to permeate individual strands of hair.
"Only proteins with a low molecular weight, such as silk proteins, can penetrate the hair shaft; larger proteins must be hydrolyzed, or broken down to be absorbed. Egg proteins such as ovoalbumin have a high molecule weight, around 46,000, which is too high to enter the hair shaft," SFGATE reports.
So, maybe the proteins of eggs aren't able to enter into the hair shaft. Does that mean we should give up on applying eggs to our hair completely? Probably not, as the benefits clearly outweigh the negatives. Mask on, my friends!