I honestly could not believe the difference this made to my hair.

If you, like me, can't seem to get your hair to grow much at all (like, it takes forever to get mine to even grow an inch), you need to hear about this. Ever since having a baby a few years back, my hair got thinner and just did not seem to grow much at all. And this is despite me trying every trick in the book to make it grow. I ate healthily, didn't over-brush it, had it trimmed just a tiny bit every six months to keep the ends in good condition – nothing. I bought expensive salon shampoos and leave-in treatments promising to make my hair stronger and fuller, took every hair vitamin I could get my hands on, but still I didn't think it made much difference at all. Sigh. However, then I came across this new method – and I was intrigued in an instant. Especially after having done some research and realised this might actually just be worth a shot. All I needed to get? Just a bottle of castor oil apparently. Yup, you heard me: Castor oil. If you don't know, castor oil is a natural seed-pressed oil that up until now has mainly been known for being used as a laxative (yes, really) – but according to my research, this little hard-working oil had more tricks up its sleeve, by the sound of it. Naturally, I popped into my local Holland & Barrett store as soon as possible, just dying to see for myself if this could really work. The idea is that you massage your hair – and especially scalp – with castor oil and leave it on for some time before rinsing and washing your hair as normal. So far, so good. Now – having done this – be aware that your hair will feel incredibly – well, oily. Castor oil is thick and gloopy and will drip on your clothes, so the best bet is to just strip off and sit on a little stool in your bathtub or shower while you are letting it do its thing. Alternatively, some recommend leaving the treatment in overnight – in that case, just pop a shower cap on your head and leave a towel over your pillow, and wash your hair the next morning. I had been using it twice a week for about three weeks when I started noticing a difference. Somehow, my hair just felt thicker and fuller and it definitively grew longer too. I was hooked. After another couple of weeks, my mother commented that my hair looked longer and at a dinner with friends, two people told me my hair looked so healthy and bouncy. It almost seemed to good to be true – all this from a €12 bottle of oil? But honestly, I can't deny it – it really did make a difference to my hair and there was nothing else new I was doing that could explain the change. I am still using it – and by now, even my hairdresser has commented on how long my hair was after getting – and how she couldn't remember it ever feeling this thick before. As for how it can help your hair, castor oil is chock-a-block with monounsaturated fat, which is often used in beauty products, as it is great when used to help maintain moisture levels. Used in your hair, it turns out castor oil will increase circulation in the scalp to promote hair growth, as well as treat split ends and feel lovely when used as a hair mask to strengthen and moisturize your hair. Having looked into the science bit behind the use of castor oil as a hair product, it seems as well as promoting growth, castor oil can also contribute to your hair getting thicker, as the omega-9 fatty acids will help control water loss in hair and make hair more pliable. Remember – if you can, leave it in overnight for a real treat for your hair before rinsing it out again in the morning. The best news? Castor oil is available from all health food stores nationwide and cost in the region of €10-€12.