Could Onion Juice Really Be The Secret Sauce To Preventing Hair Loss?

It's hard to explain the fear that enters your body when you look in the mirror one day and think you see a bald spot. You may even start having dreams where you're bald and wonder what it means. The truth is, hair loss can be an extremely vulnerable and painful process. Just the thought leads many down the path of prevention. Investing in your hair health early on can definitely have many benefits. However, it can be easy to fall for marketing myths or waste money on products that really don't do what they claim. Therefore, it is vital to understand what you're putting on your hair and why it's actually helping.

One DIY method that may sound a little crazy is applying the juice of raw onions straight onto your head. While it may not be the most pleasant-smelling home remedy, many doctors have actually given it the green light. According to Martha Stewart, homemade onion juice has the potential to restore the cells around your scalp and roots, leading to less hair loss.

Although raw onions aren't the first vegetable-turned-beauty product, they may start rising in popularity because of their benefits.

Onions are naturally anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants, contain fiber and prebiotics — which aid in digestion — and are filled with nutrients that improve overall health (via Spice World). It's no surprise that people started looking into other ways onions could be used to support overall wellness.

"Onion juice has the potential to help stimulate hair follicles and thereby encourage hair growth," certified trichologist Tiffany Young explained to Martha Stewart. "It is also a natural antiseptic. Hair loss that is caused from inflammatory disease, poor blood flow, and poor diet could see a benefit." The onion juice has the ability to combat any scalp infections or treat bacteria that may be preventing hair follicles from growing.

While all of this sounds promising in theory, there is evidence to support these claims as well. Alopecia areata is a relatively common skin disease that specifically causes the immune system to harm hair follicles that would otherwise be healthy (per Vegamour). This leads to restricted hair growth on certain areas of the body or scalp. Luckily, the hair follicles are not dead, so hair regrowth is possible still. This is where the onion juice comes in! Nearly two decades ago, a study was done on alopecia areata patients where they applied onion juice to their scalps twice daily for two months. Halfway through the trial, 74% saw hair regrowth and two weeks later it was up to 87%. This led researchers to believe that topical applications of onion juice had real potential.

If you are thinking about giving this onion juice treatment a try, the great news is that it is a very affordable hair growth option that really doesn't have any downsides. While there are some hair loss products on the market that already use onion juice in their ingredients, going the DIY route may actually be a better choice. Not only will it save you money but the studies that have been done involve crude onion juice which means it was made fresh. Since store-bought products contain preservatives that might interfere with the onion's efficacy, it makes sense to bypass these additives if possible.

Even celebrities like Cardi B, who is no stranger to DIY hair masks, have jumped on the onion bandwagon, sharing her "healthy hair growth journey" on Instagram, noting she boils onions in water and uses that liquid to wash her hair. The singer's method is apparently odorless too. If the smell is something you are worried about, including coconut oil or castor oil in the mixture is a great option.

However, if you want to stick with the tried and true method that was studied, adding diced onions to a blender and putting that liquid on your scalp twice a day will be your best bet. This method is more effective if you leave it on overnight, but it is recommended to do it for a minimum of 30 minutes. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to luscious locks.