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I never imagined using onion juice for hair growth, but after reading the great results of a recent study, I decided to give it a try!
Onions are more than just a healthy vegetable. They have been shown to help increase hair growth and reverse grey hair when applied to the scalp. That’s why every night you’ll find me applying onion juice for hair growth.
Onion juice has been used for hundreds of years to treat thin and greying hair.
Onion juice helps by providing nourishment and circulation to the hair follicles. It also kills germs, parasites, and is helpful in treating some fungi infections, all of which can aid in prevention of hair loss.
How Onion Juice for Hair Growth Works:
Onions are high in sulfur, which helps in regenerating the hair follicles. They are also beneficial in decreasing inflammation.
A few weeks ago, a breakthrough study for thin and grey hair was published and showed great results for the effectiveness of a topical compound called pseudocatalase (PC-KUS). The reason this topical cream was found effective was that it targeted the cause of grey and thinning hair.
Research from Bradford University in the UK and several other universities have shown that grey and thinning hair is caused by a buildup of hydrogen peroxide and a decrease in the natural antioxidant, catalase. When a buildup of hydrogen peroxide occurs at the hair follicles, it causes oxidative stress resulting in greying and thinning hair.
Catalase can not only be found in the topical cream, but it can also be produced from the application of onion juice! Onion juice reacts similarly when it is applied. It increases the level of catalase on the skins surface, reducing the buildup of hydrogen peroxide.
Onion Juice for Hair Loss and Greying Hair
The results from the topical application of onion juice can be observed within just a few weeks.
One study from the Journal of Dermatology found that just after four weeks of using onion juice, 74% of individuals with alopecia areata experienced significant hair regrowth. Within six weeks of using onion juice, 84% of the individuals were reported to have hair regrowth.
How to Make Onion Juice
When I first started researching using onion juice for hair growth, I immediately did a search for where I could buy some. Even though you can buy it online, it is better to use the juice of a fresh onion. Any onion juice you purchase from a store has most likely been sitting on a shelf for months. Fresh onion juice will be more potent. It is best to make the juice in small amounts so it is does not have to be stored for a long period of time.
There are 3 Ways You Can Make Onion Juice:
1) Juicer- If you have a juicer, this is the easiest way to make onion juice. Just peel the onion, cut it in half and put it in the juicer. I decided to buy a juicer just for the purpose of juicing onions because it is the fastest and easiest way to get the most juice. You can get an inexpensive juicer and they work great. I bought this one because of the very low price and absolutely love it!
2) Blender/Food Processor- Peel the onion and cut it into about 4 sections. Then put them into your blender or food processor and start blending. Lastly, strain the mixture so that only the juice is remaining.
3) Grater – Peel the onion and cut it in half. Grate both halves of the onion over a dish. Then strain the mixture to get just the juice.
How to Use Onion Juice for Hair Growth and Grey Hair
For the first application of onion juice, you may want to test it on a small area (in case you may be allergic to it) or water down the mixture. Even though it’s natural, pure onion juice is strong.
Steps:
- Apply the onion juice daily to your scalp and lightly massage it in. This helps stimulate the hair follicles and allows for maximum absorption.
- Leave the onion juice on for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
The smell is powerful, but the results may be worth it! To avoid smelling like onion all day, you can apply it at night and then wash it out before you go to bed.
If you’re allergic to onions or are looking for another option, there are many more ways you can increase hair growth with natural ingredients.
Nice post. Yes onion juice works great for treating hair loss, you can also apply ginger/garlic juices too. It can be good to add honey/lemon juice to the juice for more nutrients. Try to have more vegetables, dark green leafy veggies, nuts, dairy products to get sufficient proteins, fatty acids. Healthy diet always makes your skin, hair and body fit n active.
how many month it take to disappear grey hair…into black…?? 😮
plzz tell me 🙂
Those involved in the study saw results in about 4 to 6 weeks.
hi.
any body send me before and after picture
[email protected]
This sounds interesting. However, I noticed that there is no reference as to how this would affect color treated hair. It’s disappointing that the majority of posts on remedies for hair loss do not address this and I always send an email to the bloggers requesting this information and not one has replied. Hopefully I will receive a response.
Hi there, the study did not mention anything about color treated hair. However, since the onion juice is primarily massaged into the scalp and not on the hair itself, I don’t think it would have any affect on the color. My mom uses the onion juice occasionally with color treated hair and it hasn’t caused any discoloration.
Wow! It’s nice to know that aside from being good to our body, onion juice is also a big help in treating thinning and greying hair. Very nice of you to share this post. Thank you.
Hi I m getting white hair and i am just 25.Suddenly they have started showing up.
Is the Onion gonna transform them into black again?
The study mentioned reversing grey hair, but I’m not sure if it would have a similar effect on white hair.
Thanks for writing this article. I’ve been reading blogs about hair loss and hair growth treatment to make a conclusion about the real treatment. Nice post very helpful.
best way to avoid the smell put something on your nose until you wash your hair breath from your mouth in that way it will not smell.
I ‘ve heavy hair loss after giving birth my son how to stop my hair fall give me any suggestions
It is a nice article. But I think there is something missing in this article and that is side effects of onion juice. So can any expert tell me the side effects of onion juice?
Dear Sir,
I want to put Onion juice on my head for hair regenerating purpose.
What is the maximum time to keep on my Head.
it really helped me!
Yay! So glad to hear it worked for you, thank you for sharing your results.
Hi all I have been reading and reading and started the onion juice on 6/2/14 my fingers crossed, I have quite a few bald patches so hoping it works. I use a eye drop to put it on and massage my scalp I leave it in all night just put a shower cap on to sleep with, yes it does smell but I don’t care if it works, when I wash my hair in morning I rinse it with apple cider vinegar and am pretty sure that gets rid of smell. I am going to take photos of my hair tomorrow of my patches just to see, Oh and I have been using it twice a day first thing in morning I wash my hair only once then dry it and put some more in my hair for a hour as I am getting desperate im just sick of my hair as you can see the scalp its embarrassing I have short hair but it takes ages to do my hair in morning and am fed up with hairspray. So fingers crossed that it works shall keep you posted.. Cheers Aine
Look forward to hearing your results.
Hi Lori,
Well its been 13 days since I started I missed one night and I can feel new hair growing, the smell is not the best but who cares lol. The people asking about grey hairs I had my hair coloured last Week and I shall let you no if it works for grey hairs.
Thank you Lori for your great work much appreciated, shall keep you posted. thank you
So glad to hear you have noticed a difference. Thanks for sharing your results!
Hi jeeva im getting balled in the crowning area please send me the remedies to stop hair loss… to the email given…
warm regards,
hi everyone ,
i am facing this problem for the last 5 to 6 yrs….
i ve so many questions could anyone help me out?
should i apply the onion juice after applying oil or apply oil after hair wash and haire getting dried out?
will i see hair fall on the first application?
wat should be the duration of the application?
how many times a week should i apply the juice?
when can we see the result?
pls help me out!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi
Am confused about which onion to use
Red or white.
Please do reply.
You can use either kind.
Use red onions as red onions are rich in sulfur, that promotes hair growth.
Can anyone please send me before and after pics please??? [email protected].
No one is sending pics.. im really curious
Has onion juice helped any one of the suffering from grey hair helped them.
I’ve used it for thinning hair, but haven’t tired it for reversing grays. Hopefully, someone who has tried it will be able to comment.
Hey all! Been searching for MONTHS for a hair loss/regrowth remedy, so glad I stumbled onto this thread! I’ve been reading a lot about Onion Juice and whatnot, and thought from reading some of these posts, I’d give it a try! Just finished up an hour with a tiny bit on my scalp (to test for reactions on my skin). NONE! So tomorrow I will be using this to cover my entire head and do it every other day if I can! 🙂 I have a receding widow’s peak (my dad’s side) and very fine/thin hair (mom’s side) and, as an actor, a full head of head definitely extends my career’s length, and helps branch out to different looks/roles! So I hope in coming months, I really see some results!
Just a quick question – After everyone is leaving the juice concoctions in on their scalps, what is everyone washing it out with? Water? Special Shampoos? Apple Cider Vinegar+Water? .. I’m curious to know from the success stories, so I can have the best chance at regrowth in throughout my entire scalp and balding hairlines!
Thanks! 🙂
Aaron, 22yrs.
Hey! Ive been using this for the past 3 weeks now, and i usually wash it out with a Dr. Organic Vitamin E shampoo twice with only a little more than a capsize each time 🙂 i use it twice only so i can get most of the onion out, but i dont use alot since it can dry the hair out. Remember to use a nice, moisturizing conditioner afterwards since its really drying ! 😀
email me at [email protected] if you want any tips on making the onion more effective, since it would take me ages to type on here lollll hope this works for you !!
[email protected] ****
Typo lol
Hi Aaron, I use castile soap (the tea tree oil one) to wash my hair afterwards, it helps get the smell out.
Is there any way of getting rid of the smell of onion juice?
I left it on overnight, and washed it out in the morning with shampoo and conditioner.
i could still smell the onions, mostly when i worked out later in the day and started sweating. Its a bit embarrassing to smell like onions. I washed my hair thoroughly so im not sure what to do; i also dont know if its a good idea to shampoo and condition your hair every day. is there any alternatives that will help the smell come off? essential oils seem to hide the smell a bit.
thanks lori for the article; im fairly confident the onion juice will work. im still pretty young and i think i can regain some of the hair ive lost.
oh also, what is your opinion on refrigerating or freezing the onion juice?
its a bit impractical for me to make the juice every day, as i dont have a juicer.
I haven’t tried freezing it, but that may be a good option. I usually put it in the fridge, but it only lasts a few days before it starts to smell like it’s going bad.
Hi Dave, I use castile soap with essential oils to wash my hair, so maybe that helps remove the smell more than a typical shampoo. After I wash my hair, I can still notice a slight onion smell, but it’s not too noticeable. Hope this helps.
I have tried to use lemon juice to get rid of the smell and it works pretty good
Adam,
It would be grateful, if you could send your before and after pics…of using onion’s juice or onions on your scalp. My email id is [email protected]
Thanks in Advance.
Do we have to shampoo at the of washing or a water wash is enough ?
I only shampoo it out because it makes my hair stiff and I also do it to get rid of the smell.
I love your website. I’m going to try the onion. I have also read (what do you think Lori) you can finely chop a half an onion and let steep in your shampoo bottle for two weeks.
Also with your recipe on applying it to the scalp as straight juice how often per week? Thanks
Just saw it says daily.
Thanks Claudia! Sounds like a good idea; however, it might be more powerful when used raw. In the study they used it twice daily, but I cut back to once a week and still had good results.
I have grey and use henna for coloring them. Can i boil the onions in coconut oil and use it. Will it show results.
I think the onions are most powerful when used raw, the participants in the study applied raw onion juice.
hello 🙂 friends , i read the whole article n almost all comments . i was using this onion formula 1 week ago before visiting this site . i looked for further reseach n found tht site. I have almost full hair but i have hair fall from 12-13 years. My hair get so soft n shiny after applying it even have turened to coper color . I dont care about its smell .
After reading lots of positive comments i have a hope to stop my hair fall 🙂
Hope it works for you!
Can we leave the onion juice overnight and wash in the morning ?
Yes, Jack. That’s how I do it. =)
The study didn’t mention how long they left it on. I leave it on for only an hour or so because the smell gets to me.
Hi ..
I am 6 weeks pregnant now…I have heavy hair loss .. can I use onion juice for my hair
A lot of people have success with it, but it is very powerful. I had to water it down because it was too powerful at first for me and my scalp was itchy.
Hi guys.. Has anyone tried onion juice for grey hair? I am keen to know the results.. I am just 22 n half of my hair is grey 🙁 if this has worked for anyone please let me know.
Regards
Vini
I started this evening using the onion, my question is I also use the Bosley Shampoo and conditioner, is it wise to use the conditioner everyday and your saying we should use the onion twice a day, isn’t that a little excessive with shampoo and conditioning so much. I’ve always heard we shouldn’t shampoo everyday. I am excited to see if this works, is there a way to post before and after pics..you’ve been asked by several and yet no response.
The study involved having participants use it 2 times a day, but it became too time consuming for me. So I started out using it daily for a week or two and then used it only once a week after that.
Hi Lori I want to ask you how much onion that must be placed on the scalp is one mile
For the first time, I would only use a small amount a teaspoon or so to make sure you’re not allergic to it. After a few times, I then increased it to about 1/4 to 1/2 cup and applied it over my whole scalp.