Emu Oil - Benefit Or Bane For Your Hair?

Emu Oil - Benefit Or Bane For Your Hair?

In the January 26, 1999 issue of Sun Magazine the amazing healing powers of emul oil was featured.  According to Sun,  Australian aborigines have relied on the large flightless emu for meat, feathers and medicine for thousands of years.

The oil extracted from emu fat is also treasured as a potent natural pain-killer.  It reportedly speeds relief to strained muscles, arthritic bones and damaged skin.

Hair and beauty experts have also raved about the hydrating and moisturizing effects of emu oil for dry, parched strands.  Animal rights activists have expressed outrage at the use of emu oil in hair and beauty products because the only way to harvest the oil is to kill the emu to extract the oil from their fat.

David Scott, president of Rate Enterprises, a company specializing in emu oil products said "we know that emu oil works well on just about anything you do with it."

Modern Day Benefits Of Emu Oil

The Sun noted that Western science is only now catching up, using the powerful outback remedy effective against a host of modern-day ailments.  A study at Texas Tech University showed burns treated with emu oil healed 50 percent faster - and without any ugly scars.

Other experiments found aging skin increased in thickness by two to three times when treated with emu oil, eliminating wrinkles and age spots.  The itchy redness of psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions will fade away thanks to the moisturizing oil.

Effect On High Cholesterol And Arthritis

When taken internally, emu oil has even been claimed to lower unhealthy levels of high cholesterol.  Arthritis sufferers report that their agony gets rubbed away thanks to the analgesic oil, which is now used in the Arthritis and Joint Replacement Center of Tennessee's Vanderbilt Hospital.

And sports trainers in the NFL, NHL, NBA and PGA are using emu oil to reduce joint pain and muscle aches for professional athletes.

Tests done at the University of Texas Occupational Dermatology Laboratory demonstrated emu oil's power comes from two potent ingredients:  a penetrating agent called oleic acid and the natural painkiller liolenic acid.

"Chiropractors and occupational therapists are using the oil as a skin linricant to faciliate a better massage and to penetrate the muscle," claims emu farmer Joe Cates.  He also says "the oil relaxes and holds the relaxation in the muscle better than other products they have found."

FDA Warnings

The FDA U.S. Food And Drug Administration is not as sure about emu oil.  In fact, they included emu oil in their 2009 article on health frauds and listed the oil as #1 in Tip-Offs to Rip-Offs.   The FDA specifically warns they "determined that a pure emu oil product marketed to treat or cure a wide range of diseases was an unapproved drug. Its marketer has never submitted to FDA data to support the product's safe and effective use."

The FDA also warns of products like emu oil which claim to do it all.  The FDA states "be suspicious of products that claim to cure a wide range of unrelated diseases--particularly serious diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.

No product can treat every disease and condition, and for many serious diseases, there are no cures, only therapies to help manage them."

The FDA also says "Cancer, AIDS, diabetes, and other serious diseases are big draws because people with these diseases are often desperate for a cure and willing to try just about anything."

Personal Testimonial Warnings

Personal testimonies can tip you off to health fraud because they are difficult to prove.

Often, says Reynaldo Rodriguez, a compliance officer and health fraud coordinator for FDA's Dallas district office, testimonials are personal case histories that have been passed on from person to person. Or, the testimony can be completely made up.  "This is the weakest form of scientific validity," Rodriguez says. "It's just compounded hearsay."

Some patients' favorable experiences with a fraudulent product may be due more to a remission in their disease or from earlier or concurrent use of approved medical treatments, rather than use of the fraudulent product itself.

Quick Fix Warnings

The FDA also says to be wary of talk that suggests a product can bring quick relief or provide a quick cure, especially if the disease or condition is serious. Even with proven treatments, few diseases can be treated quickly.

Note also that the words "in days" can really refer to any length of time. Fraud promoters like to use ambiguous language like this to make it easier to finagle their way out of any legal action that may result.

Can Emu Oil Cure Dry, Parched Hair?

Emu oil is recommended as a hot oil treatment to nourish the scalp, the strands and the ends.  It is also thought, but not proven, to help promote cell regeneration and wake up inactive hair follicles.

Can you use emu hair for your own tresses?  It never hurts to try a product which might help your hair.  Of course if you are against killing animals for use in hair or beauty products you may not wish to experiment with this famous oil.  Should you pay attention to FDA warnings?  Of course, but ultimately you have to make your own decision based on the results you see.