Updated: January 22, 2021
I know! Believe me, I know what you’re thinking. ONION JUICE for hair growth? How???
When are we going to stop putting any and everything in our hair?
If you’re skeptical, here’s everything you need to know about why it works. This way you can make the active decision to ignore these potential benefits, or just try it and see what happens!
I personally see no harm in experimenting. Experimenting is a way I get in touch with my hair and get a better feel of what it likes and what it needs. With this knowledge, I can feed my hair appropriately and tend to it as soon as I realize it doesn’t like something!
The faster you can respond to your hair’s needs, the healthier your hair will be in the long run.
Onion juice is also great if you experience thinning or hair loss. Especially around your edges or the nape of your hair. These are the most fragile parts of the hair, and this is usually the case if you have thin, 4C hair.
Why Should I Use Onion Juice for Natural Hair Growth?
1. It is rich in sulfur
Dietary sulfur is the main explanation for the effect of onion juice on the hair. Sulfur is one of the essential micronutrients in the body. It is necessary for enzyme and protein production. It is also a main component of keratin. And keratin is a necessary nutrient for hair.
Simply put, the sulfur content of onion juice is what nourishes and regenerates the follicle, and increase the growing phase of the hair.
2. It is an antioxidant
If you’ve noticed, most ingredients that promote hair growth are antioxidants. This should come as no surprise because your hair will not grow as long as there are toxins on your scalp and in your follicles. Antioxidants protect the scalp from free radicals that may damage hair follicles and lead to hair loss over time.
Onion juice contains antioxidant enzymes. These enzymes help breakdown hydrogen peroxide and improve the hair growth cycle.
The antioxidants in onion juice also help prevent premature greying.
3. It is antibacterial
Onion juice also has antimicrobial or antibacterial properties that prevent and combat scalp infections and dandruff. As you know, a healthy scalp means healthy and strong follicles.
Despite these properties, it is important to know that the use of onion juice has not been extensively researched. A study has been published in the Journal of Dermatology that supports this idea. However, the study was limited in its robustness and its participant size.
Quick notes from the study:
- The participants involved had a form of alopecia which causes patchy hair loss. (alopecia areata)
- Hair growth began after 2 weeks of applying onion juice to the scalp two times a day
- After 4 weeks, about 74% of participants experienced hair regrowth
- After 6 weeks, about 87% experience hair regrowth
Side Effects of Onion Juice for Natural Hair Growth
- You shouldn’t expect this treatment to work overnight. This is because the science of hair is intricate, and seeing results requires patience.
- If you’re allergic to onions, please don’t try this remedy. You can achieve hair growth and follicle strengthening with many other Ayurvedic herbs. See our guide for a growing list.
- The smell is horrible. I know you know this, but I’m just stating it again. Whenever you have to put onion juice in your hair, you can cut the smell with lemon juice, rose water, or essential oils.
- You shouldn’t leave onion juice in your hair overnight, or even longer than a few hours. It can cause irritation, inflammation, and itching even if you don’t have allergies.
- Try not to get it into your eyes, if you do wash your eyes immediately with cold water and check often for further irritation.
- Always do a patch test on the skin before trying out new ingredients and recipes on your entire scalp. You can apply the onion juice to the inside of your arm, and check that there is no burning or redness before you apply it to a larger surface of your body.
How to Make Onion Juice for Hair Growth
- First, peel and cut 3-4 onions
- Blend or crush the onions until the mixture becomes a wet paste
- Pass the mixture through a cheesecloth or filter and squeeze the juice out
- Pour the juice into a spray bottle or an applicator bottle for easy application
- Finally, add your favorite essential oils to the juice for added benefit and fragrance
If this all seems like a lot, or you don’t want to risk the smell of raw onions in your hair, you can find commercial natural hair products that contain onion juice available for purchase here.
How to Use Onion Juice for Hair Growth
The best way we recommend using an onion juice treatment is as a pre-poo.
Once you are able to juice the onions, all you need to do is apply it to your scalp. Massage it in for a few minutes, and continue with your pre-poo and the rest of your curly hair routine.
The benefit of doing it this way is that you get to wash the horrible smelling onions out of your hair. However, the con is that you will only benefit from the treatment as often as you wash your hair. Check out this article for more on how often you should be washing your hair.
Here’s a video by GreenBeauty, an Ayurveda-influenced YouTuber we love, going into detail about the science behind Onion Juice for hair growth!
Let us know in the comments if you are open to trying onion juice!
If you do try it, add your before and after pictures if it actually works for you!
If none of this is your cup of tea, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss an ingredient or recipe spotlight that’s more suited for you!
featured image: source
