Mythbusters: Is Onion Juice Good For Hair?

Although hair extensions can greatly help improve your hair’s appearance, we believe that it’s still much better to make sure that your natural hair is healthy all the time. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for effective additions to our hair care routine, whether DIY or commercial.

In today’s ZALA mythbusters, we’ll answer the question: is onion juice good for hair? 

History of Onion Juice for Hair

Using onion juice on hair may seem a bit unconventional, but surprisingly, it’s not really uncommon nor unheard of. In fact, there’s a thread on Quora about using onion juice for hair that received a total of 158 answers both from supporters and naysayers alike.

There are also some scientific studies done to see whether any of the positive claims are true. In 2002, researchers had one group of participants wash their hair using onion juice, while another group was made to wash with tap water. Based on the results, participants who used onion juice, especially the men, experienced more hair growth than the other group.

A more recent study conducted in 2014Journal of Dermatology involved 38 participants suffering from alopecia areata. They were made to apply onion juice twice a day for the entire duration of the study. After two weeks, some hair regrowth was observed in a few participants. After 4 weeks, 74% of the participants had already experienced hair regrowth. And after 6 weeks, the number was already at 87%. Just like in the 2002 study, it was also found that men experienced greater hair regrowth than women.

Benefits of Using Onion Juice For Hair

As you can see, onion juice does have some benefits for hair, especially if you’re suffering from hair loss or thinning hair. 

One of the reasons for this is because of the sulfur content in onion. Sulfur is proven to help promote the production of collagen which is very helpful for skin and hair.

Onion juice can also help blood circulation on the scalp by improving the blood supply to the hair follicles. If you have greying hair, this may also help you since its antioxidants can help delay premature greying. Lastly, onion juice has antibacterial properties that can aid in itchiness and dandruff.

Possible Negative Side Effects

That’s not to say that onion juice is completely safe though. There are still possible negative side effects that you need to be wary of before using this ingredient for your natural DIY hair treatments.

Even without ingesting onion, some people can get an allergic reaction just by making contact with it. For those who are not allergic, it’s still possible to experience redness and irritation. That’s why it’s important to do a patch test first before putting the onion juice on your entire scalp.

Something that needs to be taken in consideration is how pungent onion juice’s scent is. Since you’ll have to use this at least once a day in order to see results, this may hold back some interested people.

Is Onion Juice Good For Hair?

Based on studies and personal anecdotes, onion juice does seem to be worth a shot for those who are experiencing thinning or greying hair. 

Do keep in mind that nothing, including onion juice, can cure hair loss disorders like alopecia. Even if you use this daily, there’s still a chance for you to develop new bald patches. Still, it’s worth trying, if only to regrow the hair that was previously lost. 

The verdict on onion juice for hair? Definitely not a myth.

For more ZALA mythbuster articles, don’t forget to check out our ZALA blog!