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Hair care

Garlic for Hair: Benefits and Uses

Garlic for Hair Benefits and Uses

Garlic is known to have multiple benefits when consumed raw due to its high content of vitamins and essential minerals. It is commonly used to treat colds, coughs, and fever because of its antiseptic, antimicrobial, and immune system boosting agents.

Advantages of using garlic for hair

Crushed garlic has an excellent use for healthy hair and can be used on its own or mixed with other ingredients like honey or ginger to :

  • reduce hair loss
  • improve the general aspect of the hair strands
  • strengthen the follicles
  • stimulate hair growth and re-growth
  • treat oily hair
  • to nourish the scalp
  • reduce dandruff

How to use garlic for hair

Raw garlic can be ingested to benefit the body, mind, and hair. If a specific hair issue demands to be addressed, garlic can be used to apply straight on the scalp and the hair:

  • To treat dandruff – the scalp should be massaged with a crushed garlic paste. The garlic can be mixed with coconut oil or honey for a smoother, easier-to-apply mixture.
  • To nourish the hair strands – crushed garlic mixed with olive oil, apply on the hair lengths as well as over the scalp.
  • For hair growth – mix garlic with ginger and apply it regularly on the scalp.

These treatments should be left on the scalp/hair for up to 50 minutes, then washed with warm water.

Before deciding to apply raw garlic on the scalp, it’s better to test a small skin area. The sulfur contained by garlic is an irritant for the skin, and caution should be taken on sensitive areas. If the skin is damaged, avoid applying garlic.

Garlic and oil

Can you put garlic in a shampoo?

Shampoos and conditioners contain all kinds of ingredients and cleansing agents. It is hard to say what type of reaction these components mixed with crushed raw garlic cloves might give. It’s better to refrain from adding garlic to your shampoo.

There is the option of mixing your ingredients and create a homemade shampoo for your use. It is far more convenient to use ready-made shampoos, conditioners, and hair masks bought in stores or online shops.

Garlic infused products for hair

There are garlic infused products useful for people who are too busy to make their own garlic mixtures on the market. These cosmetic items would also benefit people with sensitive scalps:

  • garlic tinctures
  • cosmetic creams and serums
  • gels to treat baldness
  • hair masks
  • shampoos with garlic

Beauty stores and online shops can offer a varied assortment of garlic hair products. There are a few easily recognizable brand names; however, there are plenty of hidden gems that are worth a try as NoraRoss.com, a family-owned brand that manufactured its first garlic shampoo in 1988 and developed a full range based on garlic use. Their shampoos and conditioners are fair priced and suitable for all hair types. Moreover, there are other natural products on offer on their online shop.

NoraRoss garlic shampoo

Garlic for hair – side effects

Hair can not be damaged by applying garlic products and even raw smashed cloves. However, what can happen is to affect the sensitive skin on the scalp, forehead, and skin on the neck.

The side effects of using garlic on hair can resemble small burns on skin patches. Most commonly, there would be irritation and redness in the affected areas.

If this appears, the area should be washed gently with water and a gentle soap or shampoo. Applying olive or coconut oil on the affected skin could remove the immediate burning sensation and restores the moisture on the scalp.

A strong odor is another side effect of using raw garlic. Replacing the use of the homemade paste with odorless cosmetic products will sort out this issue.

Garlic can decrease the effectiveness of some medicines, such as contraceptive pills. To avoid this, ensure the use of a product with less garlic content.

Can garlic cause hair loss?

Garlic is used to treat alopecia. It is safe to say that it would not cause hair loss. 

Hair loss could only be associated with garlic use, when applied externally, only if used in excess, damaging the scalp and left untreated. 

Garlic is a fantastic ingredient that nature has created for us, and its health and wellbeing benefits are documented since early ages. Its properties benefit the hair and skin; however, precaution must be taken before starting a garlic treatment for a prolonged time.

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