Rice water challenge - is it safe?
Yes, we have all seen the rice water challenge going around, yet again, and more so with newly transitioning community members and those who have taken the plunge and done the big chop. Boosting hair growth is, in general, a largely researched and discussed topic. While many try the techniques and produce before and after pictures of how the hair growth hacks have worked for them, others have seen little to no results using the same method. Scientifically it has been proven that our hair grows at an average of 1.27cm per month. And though we keep hearing about different ways to boost our hair growth, are these really growing our hair faster? Though there is no relaliable scientific evidence proving that rice water does indeed grow hair faster, it has been used in cultural practises for many decades where the evidence is word of mouth.
The liquid, which is either made by rinsing raw rice grains and then soaking it in water for at least 24 hours before using or by using the milky water remaining after boiling your rice, is rich in vitamins B, C and E, starch, complex carbohydrates, protein, as well as some minerals and has been the topic of many natural hair groups as the rice water challenge peaks, again. There is a recommendation for rice water to be used, at most, once or twice a week however, it is being used daily for refreshing hair, amongst other methods, to encourage even faster hair growth. I've even seen naturalists claim their hair grew approximately 4cm in 4 days since using rice water.
As advertised by bloggers; influencers and members of the natural hair community, rice water can be very beneficial to your hair. Some of the benefits include strengthening the roots, adding shine, leaving hair smooth and silky, repairing and protecting damaged hair, removing dandruff and improving hair appearance. However, there are also the side effects which we don't often hear about. These include but are not limited to a drying effect on hair, protein overload, flaky build up on scalp and sadly breakage.
The question still remains, does rice water help your hair grow faster? In short: as with everything else, just because it worked for one person doesn't mean it will work for another. There are many things to take into account before taking on this challenge as repairing the damage it may cause could prove to be difficult or simply impossible. Above all else, rice water is a protein treatment therefore the biggest question to answer is whether you're protein sensitive or not.
Scientifically, there are six things that affect the speed at which our hair grows, they are: hair type, texture, hairstyling habits, genetics, diet and lifestyle choices.
Do you have experience with using rice water for hair growth? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
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Yours in Curls
Kinky Skylaur
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