Home remedies for hair growth are not only easy to find, but are also very budget friendly. They are easy to make and have no side effects. Home remedies are derived from natural resources and are often organic. Forget about your thin hair, woes! Check out our list of treatments below.

What is a Home Remedy?

Home remedies are also considered traditional, indigenous or folk medicine. Before the advancements of modern medicine, we began with traditional medicine. It might even be better to say that all modern medicine derives from the knowledge and concepts of the traditional branches found around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as “the sum total of skills, practices, knowledge, beliefs and experiences from every culture for the use of health maintenance to prevent and diagnose.”

As much as 80% of the population in some Asian and African countries rely on traditional medicine as their primary health care. There is also a term called alternative medicine, which is when traditional medicine is adopted outside of its own culture. Common forms of traditional medicine include:

• Siddha Medicine
• Ayurveda
• Islamic
• Traditional Chinese
• Ifa
• Muti
• Traditional African, and
• Iranian

The core of traditional medicine includes studying herbalism, ethnobotany, medical anthropology and ethnomedicine. However, The WHO notes that inappropriate use of traditional medicines or traditional practices can result in negative or even dangerous effects. Always do further research to ascertain how efficient and safe a medicinal plant or practice may be.

Traditional medicine may include the formalized aspects of folk medicine, which is to say longstanding remedies passed on to the younger generations. Similarly, home remedies are a treatment that can cure a disease or ailment by blending or using certain spices or vegetables and other common items for one treatment alone. Home remedies may or may not have medicinal properties that can treat or cure the disease or ailment. This is because they are typically passed along through family or friends.

Nowadays, traditional medicine is also considered the same as home remedies. There are a lot of home remedies in this world, including those for hair growth.

Aging and Hair Growth

The presence of specific genes and hormones is not the only thing to cause baldness. Even past puberty, the susceptible hair follicles must continually be exposed to the hormone over a long period of time for hair loss to occur. The age at which hair loss finally manifests can vary from one individual to another. It is actually related to a person’s genetic composition and also to the levels of testosterone in a person’s bloodstream.

There is another time factor, which is often misunderstood. Men’s hair loss does not occur all at once or in a slow and steady progression. Hair loss was identified as characteristically cyclical. For those losing their hair, it is not unusual to experience alternating periods of slow then rapid hair loss, followed by stability. Many of the reasons these loss rates can change are unknown. Generally we believe that with age a personal total hair thickness and volume will usually decrease.

Even though there is no predisposition about genetic balding as people age, some hair types do randomly begin to shrink in length and width in each follicular unit. The result is that each follicle group will contain both the full terminal hair and the full miniaturized hair. Miniaturized hairs are actually similar to fine hairs, making them clinically significant. Eventually the miniaturized hairs are lost, causing follicular units to reduce in number. In every adult patient, the entire scalp undergoes this aging process. Even donor hair is not a permanent fix, as it becomes gradually thin over time, too. Fortunately in most people, the donor zone retains enough of the permanent hair that was transplanted. It is a viable male hair restoration procedure that works well even for a patient in his 70s.

Why Shaving Is Not Helping In Hair Growth?

Shaving does not make your hair grow back any thicker, stronger, or quicker. Contrary to what parents in the world often tell their kids shaving, numerous studies going back into the 1920s that shaving has absolutely no effect on your hair growth rate.

Hair growth is controlled by the hair follicles found just underneath the skin. These follicles are actually not in any way affected by shaving routines. Only the outer part of your hair, which is already dead, is getting cut from shaving.   The follicles underneath of the hair (which determine the thickness, color and growth rate) remain unaffected by your shaving. According to the New York Times, this myth was debunked over 80 years ago.

Many people believe that the hair grows back faster, coarser and thicker, when it actually is not. If that were true, inevitably everyone who shaves on a regular routine would be covered in abnormally thicker or bigger hair sprouting out of their bodies everywhere they shaved.

Home Remedy That Promotes Hair Growth

Home remedies for hair growth are actually available. What is more attractive than a thick healthy head of hair that glimmers with softness. Hair loss is a problem that many people can avoid.

There are several factors behind hair loss, including environmental effects, too much stress, aging, excessive smoking, nutritional deficiencies, genetic factors, hormonal imbalance, scalp infections, chemically enriched hair products, some medication, medical conditions (like thyroid disorder and autoimmune diseases), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), iron-deficiency anemia, or chronic illnesses.

There are about 100,000 strands of hair on your own scalp. It is actually considered very normal to lose 50 to 100 strands per day. When you notice that you are losing more than that, it’s actually time for you to take urgent action. You don’t want it to progress to baldness or worse, bald spots. Many readily available ingredients are easy to find and can be used to treat hair loss at home.

The Top 9 DIY Home Remedies for Hair Growth

1. Scalp Massage with Homemade Hair Oil

   

   Photo by Kerala Tourism

The first step you can take to reduce hair loss is to massage your own scalp with the appropriate hair oil. Proper hair and scalp massage can increase the blood flow to  hair follicles. Afterwards, make sure to condition the scalp to enhance the strength of your hair’s roots. Added benefits to scalp massages include relaxation and reducing stress.

You can use hair oils like coconut virgin oil, almond oil, olive oil, castor oil, or amla oil. Consider adding a few drops of rosemary essential oil to the base oil for a better results. Other alternatives include emu, argan or wheat germ oil.

Massage your hair and scalp with any of the hair oils mentioned above by applying light pressure from your fingertips. Do this at least once a week for best results.

 

2. The Indian Gooseberry

For natural and fast hair growth, you can use Indian gooseberry (also known as amla). The Indian gooseberry is rich in vitamin C. Deficiency in this vital nutrient can cause hair loss.

Amla also promotes anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and exfoliating properties, which can help maintain a healthy scalp and promote hair growth.

Just mix one tablespoon of amla pulp and add some lemon juice for extra vitamin c. Like stated above, massage your scalp with the mixture before you cover your hair with a shower cap overnight. Rise and shine with healthy hair every day.

3. The Fenugreek

Fenugreek is also known as methi. Methi has been highly effective in treating hair loss for many years. Fenugreek seeds contain a hormone called antecedents that enhance hair growth and help rebuild hair follicles too. They contain proteins and nicotinic acid that stimulate hair growth and make it fuller.

Soak one cup of fenugreek seed in water overnight. Grind them in the morning to make a paste and then apply it to you hair. Cover it with a shower cap and after 40 minutes you can wash and rinse your hair. In a month, you will see how thick your hair can become.

 

 

4. The Onion Juice

Onion juice actually helps treat hair loss because of its high sulfur contents, which help improve blood circulation to the fine hair follicles. They then regenerate and reduce inflammation.

The antibacterial properties in the onion juice helps kill germs and parasites. It can treat scalp infections, which can cause hair loss in everyone.

According to dermatologist research in 2012, it has a 74% growth success. Try using the extract from one onion, then directly apply the juice onto the scalp for 30 minutes before you rinse it. Finally, just shampoo your hair. Repeat this two or three times a week.

 

5. Aloe Vera gel and juice

Aloe vera contains enzymes that can promote healthy hair growth. Its alkalizing properties help bring the scalp and hair’s pH to a more desirable and normal level, which can highly promote hair growth.

Regular use can also relieve the scalp from itching, reduce scalp redness and reduce the inflammation. Aloe vera adds strength and luster to hair while alleviating dandruff. Both aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice will work for your hair.

Apply aloe vera gel or juice onto the scalp and leave it for few hours before washing it off with water. Repeat this process three to four times a week. You can also consume one tablespoon of aloe vera juice everyday to enjoy faster hair growth.

6. The Licorice Root

Licorice root is another herb that can prevent hair loss and further damage to the hair and follicle. The mollifying properties of licorice root can open the pores, then soothe the scalp and help to get rid of irritation from dandruff. This remedy is good and highly recommended for treating dandruff, hair loss or baldness.

To make your own paste, mix the following:

• 1 TBS Ground Licorice Root
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/4 tsp Saffron

Mix it thoroughly and apply the paste on bald patches before bedtime. Leave this on overnight with a shower cap. Wash your hair in the morning and do this remedy twice a week.

7. Garlic paste

Just like the onion, garlic has a high sulfur content. This is the main reason why many have used it in traditional hair regrowth medicines.

Just crush few cloves of garlic, add coconut oil and boil it for few minutes. Cool it down first before massage it onto your scalp. Leave it for 30 minutes before you wash your hair. Do this twice a week to see change.

8. Eggs

Eggs have several ingredients which actually prevent or control hair loss. It is a rich source of sulfur selenium, zinc , iodine and protein. All of these promote hair growth!

Seperate the yolk and egg white. Using the egg white, mix in a teaspoon of olive oil. Beat it until a paste forms. Apply this paste to your entire hair and scalp. Leave it for 20 minutes before rinsing with cool water. You can shampoo it later, too.

9. Hibiscus flower

Hibiscus flower, also called shoe flower, nourishes the hair. It can prevent premature greying, treat dandruff and control hair loss.

Crush a few flowers and mix with sesame oil to make a paste. Apply the paste to the scalp and hair. Leave it for a few hours and rinse off with cold water.

 

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Written by: Sabrinah A. Health Inspector, Public Health, Sipitang Town, Sabah State of Malaysia