Bernard O'Shea: Could a homemade ginger root miracle save my precious gold dust?

There has been a surge in people using rosemary oil to treat their locks for longevity. Still, there's an outliner in the hope and form of root ginger shampoo for hair loss

Can ginger help stop hair loss? Bernard O'Shea puts it to the test - with fiery results. Pic: iStock

"Dad, you are going bald", belted out my eight-year-old. "You have a big patch of hair missing right on the top of your head". I've known this for the last few years but have ignored it, hoping it would grow back. It hasn't. I know I haven't been blessed with rugged good looks. I don't have a Don Draper jawline, and my metabolism has taken way too kindly to my growing waist, but the one thing I always clung to was a big shock of red hair. Now that is leaving me.

Receding hairlines are a fact of life for many men. They can happen at any age and for various reasons, from genetics to stress.

It's not just the loss of hair that's troubling; it's the cultural significance of hair. We've been conditioned to believe that a full head of hair symbolises masculinity, success, and attractiveness. Balding men are often portrayed as less desirable, less powerful, and less confident. It's no wonder many men feel they must hide their hair loss with hats, wigs, or comb-overs.

I have just joined the long line of men that have gradually begun to spread my remaining hair around my head like precious gold dust. I got my daughter to take a photo of the top of my head. It felt like looking at my bank balance with half an eye open. There is always less than you think there is. There's no getting away from it. I'm going bald. My receding hairline and bald spot symbolise my mortality, a reminder that I'm not invincible. It's like tiny explorers have planted a flag on the crown of my head and declared, "We conquer this land to show the world you are old."

However, to help slow the process, options including surgeries, tonics, shampoos — and prayer — are available. There has been a surge in people using rosemary oil to treat their locks for longevity. Still, there's an outliner in the hope and form of root ginger shampoo.

One of the primary reasons ginger shampoo is supposedly beneficial is its content of gingerol, a powerful antioxidant that defends the hair from harm. Ginger also contains antioxidants that help to protect hair from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals can damage hair cells, leading to hair loss. It's also rich in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus, essential for healthy hair growth. It also has an ace up its sleeve in the form of "school", a phenol which can improve blood circulation to the scalp.

Bernard O'Shea and writing assistant Jingles.

All excellent information, but do I make a shampoo or eat the stuff? For three weeks, I decided to do both. Last year; I started drinking turmeric tea in the evening. Turmeric is a first cousin of ginger, so I just swapped it for its fiery friend. I also started to slice ginger raw and chew on it. Ginger has been used for centuries to treat nausea, vomiting, and indigestion, so no surprise that I found my digestion improved; however, the same can't be said for the shampoo.

There were hundreds of recipes online for making your ginger shampoo. Ok, there were at least 20. So I conglomerated them together and made my own. I grated ginger and a plain bar of soap into a pestle and mortar I had hidden away along with several other centre aisle purchases. I knew it would be helpful until the day I bought it in Lidl. Once it was smooth, I blended it into some olive oil and made a sticky paste.

My first time in the shower with it did not go as I had envisioned. I had daydreamed that I would become the poster boy of natural hair remedies. I would relaunch my shampoo with a nod to old-time Timotei ads. Instead, I burned the head off myself and had to do everything possible so the ginger didn't reach more sensitive areas. So for the next few weeks, I placed my concoction dry onto my head and left it in for five minutes before I showered. Here's a tip. Ginger burns.

Apart from leaving my bald patch feeling zingy, unfortunately, after 21 washes, there was no sign of follicle renewal. But there was one nice side effect. I stopped getting dandruff. Usually, my shoulders are like a broken snow globe, but my concoction seemed to put it at bay. But as my daughter so innocently pointed out, "But Daddy, if you have no hair, you won't have any dandruff anyway"!