From reading this article's title I know you're probably thinking this can’t be right – “Onion?!!!.”. But I tell you "Yes, onion. Don’t be so surprised". I know you’ve definitely heard of the olive oil wonders not only in the kitchen but also as a fantastic aid in beauty for our skin and hair. Well, what could be so different about onion? Say what? The smell..? Well yeah, we can’t go past that, but there are some tweaks you can make. Nevertheless, make no mistake onion can be a strong allied if your quest for hair growth.

If you are reading this article, you might have considered buying (or even bought) some pills to increase hair growth or some kind of hair tonic. The truth is many of us have considered this even if we’re not suffering from hair loss. Hair loss can be genetically related, but for us women many times it is associated with stress, pregnancy, hormones or even medication. The American Hair Loss Association reports that Americans spend 3.5 billion dollars a year in hair loss treatments. These figures are expected to have a steady rise for the next 5 years according to IbisWorld, a market research organization.

What if I told you that onion can be as effective in the treatment of hair loss and hair growth as monoxidil, one of the most common and effective prescribed treatments? This certainly raises your curiosity. Monoxidil works by increasing blood flow in the scalp, which stimulates hair follicles and consequently increases hair growth.

Did you know that the application of onion juice in the scalp has been approved by the FDA, and the American Hair Loss Association? The latter, regards this as a prime treatment for hair loss, assigning monoxidil to second place. There are many products in the market with little scientific basis while other products have questionable marketing ethics and have little effectiveness.

A study published in the Journal of Dermatology found that 73% of people who applied onion juice to the scalp had positive results and achieved a higher rate of hair growth. Onion is known to effectively treat hair loss and hair growth, premature hair ageing, alopecia, yeast infections, fungal infections, scalp acne and dandruff. I know you are probably as surprised as I was when I discovered this. Why spend enormous amounts of money in products filled with chemicals and uncertain results, when you have this tiny, readily available and affordable vegetable? Furthermore, including onion in your hair routine is completely safe and is a natural solution given to us by Nature.

Onion works as a treatment for hair growth because it is rich in sulphur. This nutrient encourages hair growth and hair regeneration by increase blood flow in the hair follicles. Additionally, it has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-asthmatic, antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic properties. This small vegetable is definitely a winner!

Onion juice is the most effective way to use onion has a treatment. You can easily incorporate it in your hair routine by simply extracting (e.g. use juicer or processor) the onion juice, massaging it to your scalp, let it act for ½ hour before washing your hair normally. If you are concerned about the smell, don’t worry, it will disappear once you wash it off. However, you can always add a couple of drops of an essential oil, such as rosemary which also promotes hair growth. It will disguise the smell perfectly.

This treatment is said to be more effective if applied 3 times a week, but for curly girls this might be too harsh if a regular shampoo is used. It would deplete the hair’s sebum (hair’s natural oil) of a hair already deprived of sebum. So maybe, you could co-wash (use cleansing conditioner) and this way your hair is still moisturised. Or, you can go at your own pace you will still see results.

Additionally, you could also adopt an Ayurvedic recipe. You add sliced/chopped onion to your regular shampoo, let it stand for 2 weeks and use it as usual. This recipe will still increase your hair’s growth rate, reduce any hair loss you may have and give you amazing hair shine. If you still can’t stand the smell use an essential oil of your choice, but just a few drops as it is very concentrated.

I hope you are just as convinced as I am that onion is the way to go for hair growth. Its effectiveness is scientifically proven, it is a natural option, it rivals chemical solutions and is very affordable. So what do you say? Should we grab some onion?!