Does rice water really produce strong, shiny hair? An expert weighs in

Some villages in China have long-held traditions of using rice water when washing hair. Huangluo Yao Village in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region of southwest China, for example, is known as the “village with the world’s longest hair”. There, more than 70 women have hair that’s over a metre (3.3 feet) in length.

Instead of shampoo and conditioner, they wash their hair with spring and rice water that has been fermented with yuzu peel, herbs and camellia seed oil, and boiled.

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The court ladies in Japan during the Heian period (794-1185) were also said to have combed their hair each day using rice water.

Is rice water a good hair treatment in today’s day and age? In short, maybe not.

“A lot of information on rice water treatment is historical and anecdotal,” says Andrea Clark, a hair and scalp specialist who works in Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia. “There needs to be more proof of trendy treatments. Health is the key to better hair.”

If someone is losing their hair, or trying to regrow lost hair, they should not expect to regain it by using rice water – understanding why the loss is occurring in the first place should take precedence.

“If you’re not well, or have a dietary problem, or are stressed, these can all be underlying reasons (for hair loss),” Clark says.

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There is no hard link between good hair and rice water – a report from Chinese broadcaster China Central Television found that the women who live in a village near Huangluo Yao Village, who also use rice water, do not have hair as long or black.

In the report, a professor noted that the difference in hair characteristics between the two villages could be attributed to genetics.

Clark agrees that hair growth can be affected by genetics – as well as diet and health. Having good sleep, being less stressed and eating healthily are keys to growing healthier hair, she says.

“No one treatment will work for all,” adds Clark, who has been a hair stylist for over 40 years. She fields questions from customers all the time about treatments trending on social media, including rice water.

If you really want to test out this treatment yourself, she says, shampoo the hair first and do not leave the rice water on the hair for too long – leave it on for up to 20 minutes before rinsing well. If possible, do a patch test and wash only a small area of hair first.

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People with skin conditions such as eczema must be more cautious, as sometimes even natural remedies can irritate the skin.

A simple way to make rice water is to soak well-rinsed, uncooked rice in two to three cups of water for 30 minutes. Strain, and keep the water.