Best Tea for Hair Growth: 3 Options to Consider

Green tea, black tea and perilla leaf tea are three teas to consider for hair growth, but none is proven to make hair grow when consumed.

These options are ranked by how closely the available research relates to their ingredients, not by demonstrated results from drinking them. For a broader look at hydration and nutrition, see the best drinks for hair growth.

3 teas to consider for hair growth

The strongest finding below comes from research on a green tea compound and human hair follicles, not from a trial of brewed tea. The ai symptom analyzer can help you organize symptoms to discuss with a clinician, but it cannot diagnose the cause of hair loss.

Green tea

How it might work: Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG, a plant compound studied for its effects on cells involved in hair growth. Researchers have investigated whether EGCG affects signals associated with hair follicle cell growth and survival. That is a possible mechanism, not proof that a cup of green tea reaches follicles in a useful amount.

What the evidence says: In a 2007 study of EGCG and human hair follicles, EGCG promoted growth in follicles cultured outside the body and affected human dermal papilla cells, which play a role in regulating hair growth. Researchers also observed related effects in human scalp tissue. The findings are preliminary: isolated EGCG is not the same intervention as drinking green tea, and the study did not establish a tea-drinking regimen for hair growth.

How to brew it: Add 1 green tea bag or 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of loose green tea to 1 cup (240 mL) of hot water. Steep for 2–3 minutes, then remove the bag or strain the leaves. Follow the package directions if they differ; longer steeping can make the tea taste more bitter.

Cautions: Green tea normally contains caffeine, although the amount varies with the product and preparation. Choose decaffeinated green tea if caffeine disrupts your sleep or worsens symptoms such as a racing heart. Brewed green tea is different from concentrated green tea supplements; extracts should not be assumed to offer the same safety profile as a beverage.

There is no established number of cups that promotes hair growth. If you enjoy green tea, drink it as an ordinary beverage rather than increasing your intake in pursuit of an unproven result.

Black tea

How it might work: Black tea contains plant compounds that researchers have investigated for possible effects on hair follicles. One proposed mechanism involves interactions with estrogen receptors, but the relevance of that finding to people drinking black tea is unknown. It does not mean black tea is an established hormonal treatment for hair loss.

What the evidence says: A 2013 study of a fermented Chinese black tea extract in mice found increased hair growth after the extract was applied to shaved skin. The preparation was a specific extract fermented with a fungus; it was not a standard cup of black tea. Mouse results from applying an extract cannot establish whether drinking black tea affects human hair growth.

How to brew it: Put 1 black tea bag or 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of loose black tea in a cup. Add 1 cup (240 mL) of freshly boiled water, steep for 3–5 minutes, and remove the bag or strain the leaves. Let it cool enough to drink comfortably.

Cautions: Black tea contains caffeine, so consider decaffeinated black tea if you are sensitive to it. Tea consumed with meals can also reduce absorption of iron from plant foods. If you have iron deficiency, take an iron supplement or are being evaluated for hair loss, ask a clinician or pharmacist about timing tea around meals and supplements.

Black tea is a reasonable beverage if you like it, but choosing it over another drink has not been shown to restore thinning hair. The mouse study also does not provide a tested brewing method or amount for people.

Perilla leaf tea

How it might work: Perilla leaf is used as an herbal ingredient, and researchers have studied it as part of a mixture containing other plants. That mixture affected markers associated with hair growth in mice. The mechanism cannot be assigned to perilla alone because the ingredients were not tested individually in that experiment.

What the evidence says: In a 2017 mouse study of a three-plant herbal complex, an oral mixture containing perilla, green tea and Houttuynia cordata was associated with hair growth. This is animal evidence for a combination preparation, not evidence that perilla leaf tea works in humans. It also does not show whether perilla contributed to the observed effect or how it would compare with the other ingredients.

How to brew it: Use only dried perilla leaf sold as food or tea, following its package directions. For a simple cup, place 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of dried perilla leaf in a strainer, add 1 cup (240 mL) of freshly boiled water, steep for 5 minutes and strain. This is a way to prepare a beverage, not a dose tested for hair growth.

Cautions: Do not use unidentified garden or foraged leaves in tea. If you have a known allergy to perilla, avoid it. Because the safety of medicinal use is not well established for everyone, ask a clinician before using perilla leaf tea regularly during pregnancy or breastfeeding, giving it to a child, or using it alongside medicines.

Perilla leaf tea ranks below green tea because the relevant study tested a mixture in mice rather than a perilla ingredient in human follicles. Enjoying it as a tea is a personal choice; there is no evidence-based schedule for hair growth.

Which teas should you avoid for hair growth?

Avoid products marketed as hair-growth cures or promising rapid regrowth. The studies above do not support those claims for brewed tea, and a product label cannot tell you whether a blend has been tested for your particular cause of hair loss.

Be especially cautious with “detox,” laxative and weight-loss tea blends sold for hair or general wellness. Laxative ingredients can cause diarrhea and fluid or electrolyte problems, and there is no reason to expect them to promote hair growth. Avoid blends with unclear ingredient lists or those that encourage replacing meals with tea.

Concentrated extracts and supplements are not interchangeable with a brewed cup. They can contain much higher amounts of plant compounds and may pose different risks or interact with medicines. If a product makes medicinal claims, discuss it with a clinician or pharmacist before using it.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your clinician about caffeine and herbal products. Children should not be given caffeinated tea as a hair-growth remedy, and herbal products should not be assumed safe for them. People with iron deficiency, sleep problems, anxiety, reflux or a condition affected by caffeine may also need to limit or avoid particular teas.

If you take prescription medicines, including blood thinners, check with your clinician or pharmacist before regularly using herbal blends or concentrated extracts. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine because of a tea product.

See a clinician if hair loss is new, persistent, worsening or concerning to you. Seek prompt assessment for sudden patchy loss, or for hair loss accompanied by a painful, inflamed scalp or pus. Hair loss can have several causes, including iron deficiency, thyroid problems, illness and scalp conditions; identifying the cause is more useful than relying on tea alone.