The story of avocados masks for hair is as old as dirt.

When I lived in the US, I used to love eating avocados. Because they weren’t abundant, I never thought to apply them as a hair treatment.

When we moved to the Dominican Republic, I met a girl whose hair was so gorgeous. I asked her what she uses on it? Her simple answer was avocados.

From that point on, I became a believer, fully convinced there was no downside to Avocados. 

The only dark side I thought, was when they oxidize and turn brown.

We’re going to consider:

• DO Avocados have benefits for your Hair?
• Are Avocados always hair healthy or do they have a Darkside?
• What they don’t tell you about Avocado for hair and scalp health?

Are Avocados Good for your Hair?

In a word, YES!

This blog isn’t about EATING avocados for healthy hair.

We’re talking about applying avocados directly as hair cosmetics .

The most apparent benefits of avocado hair masks are; they moisturize your hair.

Why is that?

3 Reasons Why Avocados Make Excellent Conditioner

1. Oils in Avocados act like emollients to seal in moisture.
2. Avocados contain a small amounts of protein that helps repair damaged hair.
3. Avocados contain Sugars, Salts, and Minerals like magnesium & zinc that draw water to themselves, acting as humectants adding moisture to your hair.

The Benefits of Micro Nutrients In Avocados

• Rich source of B vitamins. Studies suggest that B vitamins are most effective when people apply them directly to the skin.
  • Niacin (B-3) and Pantothenic acid (B-5) help brighten the skin, reduce pigmentation, and aid skin rejuvenation. Making them a potential treatment for acne and rosacea. (source Dailymail.co.uk)
  • Biotin (B-7), and other B vitamins are antioxidants that help treat signs of aging and alleviate sensitive skin. Biotin when consumed is essential for healthy hair growth
  • Folate or Folic Acid (B-9): Avocados contain a significant folate amount, vital for tissue growth.

Some people have stated that Avocados help eczema. After further investigation, I found that only Topical vitamin B12 decreases eczema symptoms like inflammation and itchiness by reducing nitric oxide production. (source PubMed)

Avocados, however, DO NOT contain B12.

• Avocados contain more potassium than bananas. Potassium helps grow and repair cells and tissues.
• Vitamin E: This vitamin curbs hair fall and stimulate hair growth by Improving scalp circulation and Balancing oil production.
• Iron boosts circulation, which helps the hair grow faster and longer. Topically applied Iron is potentially therapeutic for skin wound healing.
• Vitamin C: A potent antioxidant that promotes healing and can help strengthen the scalp and hair through increased collagen production.
  • Citric acid is one of a group of ingredients known as alpha-hydroxy acids used for Skin renewal
• They also contain essential amino acids, copper, omega-3 Fatty acids. However, I didn’t find any research as to how they help when directly applied to skin and hair.

(source  medicalnewstoday)

Avocado Hair Mask Recipe:

• 1 ripe or overripe Avocado
• 1-2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp of Water (optional)

Blend with a fork or in the blender until smooth.

*For more healthy hair benefits, TRY adding a small amount of one or two of these other ingredients to your mixture:

The Darkside of Avocados

In 2016 I started the keto diet, and I had avocado shakes almost every night.

Then in 2018, We moved to a house that had three avocado trees in the backyard.

At first, all was well; after a while, I felt like I didn’t want them anymore. I shrugged it off as I oversaturated my body on Keto.

In 2019 I started working with the Kerotin Company and giving more attention to my hair care routine. 

I started doing weekly hair masks. They included neem powder, henna powder, avocado, coconut oil, and a little water.

I would get an itchy scalp and scalp inflammation when I was near the end of my treatment, which I attributed to the neem.

But this year, upon returning to the Dominican Republic and again having plenty of avocados. I asked, “Why do avocados make me itchy?”

Why do avocados make me itchy?

To prove to myself that I wasn’t crazy. I experimented with using Avocado and Coconut oil only, as a hair mask, no other ingredients.

I tried ripe and rotten ones.

I did it on dry and wet hair.

Nothing helped. My scalp still got itchy, red, and Scabbed up.

I was also suffering excessive hair fall even though I brushed my hair before applying the avocado. The hair loss was better when I used the paste mixture on damp hair.

That’s when I finally decided to do some research.

Low and behold.  I have an allergy to avocados.

So I tested my husband, who has more intestinal issues with avocados.

He was fine; nothing happened after almost 2 hours with avocado on his head.

Avocado Allergy

If you have a latex allergy,  you may also have symptoms with avocados. Avocado Allergy is called latex-food syndrome or latex-fruit allergy. Latex (made from the Brazilian rubber tree) and Avocados have a very similar protein, causing allergic reactions. Your symptoms could be mild or severe. They can also get worse each time you have an avocado. WebMD

An avocado allergy can be caused by eating or touching this fruit. Skin coming into contact with avocado may cause irritation, redness, swelling, and itching, and an oral allergy will usually result in symptoms like itchy lips, mouth, and throat. Health24.com

Side effects of avocado oil are rare, but it is possible to be allergic to avocados or oil. The best way to rule out an allergy is to do a patch test. Apply a small amount of avocado oil to a 1-inch patch of skin on the inside of the arm. medicalnewstoday.com

Can avocados make your hair fall out?

No avocados won’t make your hair fall out.

However, if you have Avocado Allergy, Continued exposure can cause contact dermatitis.

Signs and symptoms of contact dermatitis include:

• A red rash.
• Itching, which may be severe.
• Dry, cracked, scaly skin.
• Bumps and blisters, sometimes with oozing and crusting.
• Swelling, burning, or tenderness.

(source mayo clinic)

In a recent study: Symptoms experienced in suspected scalp contact dermatitis patients.  The most commonly reported symptoms were scalp itching and burning (194 cases, 85.8%). Hair thinning and shedding was a common complaint as most patients had consulted the hair clinic because of hair loss (58.8%) (source karger.com)