It is important to all to have healthy and strong hair, and because hair loss and baldness are very common phenomena in advanced ages, we often pay close attention to its speed and quality of growth. Because of this concern, it is not surprising to see that store shelves are full of products and treatments that help the body in this area and encourage the growth of healthy hair.
But what if we told you that there’s a much cheaper and effective solution to hair growth problems and that it’s even completely natural and backed by research? You’re probably itching to know what it is and how to use it to enjoy its wonderful benefits. Well, we have a hint for you: it has to do with onion and coconuts...
Although these are two foods you probably don’t use regularly, onion juice and coconut oil have many healing properties, and their use can provide significant health benefits, especially for the body in general and for hair in particular. These ingredients have been used in the framework of complementary medicine and various "Grandma’s remedies", but over the years they have also been subjected to quite a few scientific studies proving their effectiveness. Before we teach you how to prepare and use a hair-growth encouraging salve from these ingredients, you should know why they are considered recommended and effective.
Just like the onion itself, the juice of this healthy vegetable also contains high amounts of sulfur compounds that stimulate blood flow to the hair when applied to the scalp. The blood brings oxygen to the area as well as other vital substances needed to maintain a healthy growth rate and healthy hair. At the same time, due to the antibacterial properties and the onion's ability to fight various infections, it also helps to treat various skin diseases that affect the skin of the scalp and hair.
These are definitely important benefits to take advantage of, but the real reason onion juice improves hair growth lies in two other characteristics. The first is the juice’s catalase content - an antioxidant enzyme that prevents premature aging and contributes to hair growth and is proven to have the ability to delay (and perhaps even prevent) the appearance of gray hair. Another characteristic is the proven ability of the onion to treat various medical problems that cause hair loss and baldness, such as alopecia areata. A 2002 study of men and women with this condition showed that the treatment of onion juice caused renewed hair growth in more than 85% of the subjects, compared to only 13% in the control group who did not receive such treatment.
Coconut oil has a long list of benefits and uses, from the treatment of hair problems and skin infections to the healing of burns and wounds, to the alleviation of mosquito and insect bites. Many of these benefits are due to the lauric acid in coconut oil, a substance with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Although there are other ingredients in which this compound can be found, studies have shown that coconut oil can penetrate efficiently into the hairs and enrich them in this acid and in a significant amount of vitamin E.
In addition to all these benefits, coconut oil has another welcome effect on hair, preventing loss of proteins that weakens the hairs which makes them thin and fragile. It also contains a high percentage of saturated vegetable fat, which is why many health organizations recommend reducing the consumption of this oil in food, but on the other hand the same fat makes this substance a tool that does wonders not only for the hair and scalp but also for the skin and other parts of the body.
Now that we know the power and benefits of these two ingredients, we will learn how to use them to make a hair-growth promoting salve. The preparation instructions below show one of the hundreds of "recipes" that use onion juice and coconut oil. There are different versions that combine honey, alternative oils (such as castor oil, various essential oils, etc.) and other ingredients, but this simple and basic treatment is considered very effective and there’s no real reason to complicate it.
Ingredients:
Preparation and use instructions:
1. Peel and grate the onions into a large bowl. In order to avoid eye irritation, it is recommended to put the onions in the refrigerator for a few hours before preparation or to protect your eyes with appropriate equipment.
2. Place the grated onion into your cheesecloth and squeeze it well. The squeezed juice should be poured into the spray bottle.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Then add it to the bottle with the onion juice, add a few drops of essential oil (If you’ve chosen to use one), close the bottle and shake it lightly.
4. Spray onto dry hair, massage into the skin of the scalp and then cover the hair with a shower cap.
5. After 30-45 minutes wash your hair thoroughly and then use your favorite conditioner.
6. For the best results, it is recommended to repeat the treatment twice a week. The bottle can be kept in a dark and cool place for several days, but when it starts to emit a pungent smell it should be remade.
Most people see a marked improvement in their hair’s condition after 6-8 weeks of treatment depending on the severity of the condition. It should be remembered that despite their great efficacy, coconut and onion cannot completely counteract the effects of aging and there are situations where thinning hair or balding is inevitable. But if your hair is important to you and you want to keep it looking young and feeling good inside and out, you should definitely try this simple natural treatment.
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