Washing your hair with baking soda and conditioning it with olive oil may make your locks look more lustrous, but these treatments aren't an alternative to extensions. Your hair grows at the rate of about 0.35 millimeters per day, according to "Hair Care: An Illustrated Dermatologic Handbook." No external treatments, including olive oil and baking soda, can speed up this growth.
What Olive Oil and Baking Soda Do
While you wait for your hair to grow out naturally, a baking soda wash followed by an olive oil conditioning treatment makes the most of the hair you have. Use baking soda to remove excess buildup from shampoo and hair products that dulls the appearance of your strands. An olive oil treatment moisturizes dry hair and diminishes dry flakes on your scalp. Your hair may feel softer, have more body and be easier to style.