As you grow up, it’s not just the candles on your birthday cake that grow in number. Your body grows up along with you and this includes your hair as well. Your hair too needs nourishment, essential nutrients, and good care. And as time passes, it too shows the signs of aging.
It is said that graying is an extremely natural process. One particular journal mentioned, “Fifty percent of the population has about 50% gray hair at the age of 50 years, known as the 50-50-50 rule.” One thing we often don’t realize is that hair doesn’t actually “turn” gray. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the color of that one strand of hair is already determined when the hair follicle produces hair. This means that once it starts sprouting from the tip of your scalp, the hair is already set as blonde, brown, red or the infamous gray. As you age, hair follicles tend to produce less color as they die and regenerate. So it is likely that once you cross the age of roughly 35, your hair regenerates as gray.
If you are looking for natural remedies to retain the color of your hair, try some of these methods:
Indian gooseberry
Gooseberry has been observed to have great antioxidant and anti-aging properties. If you’re looking for another way to reverse your gray hair, you can try this natural treatment. It also checks off the boxes for a natural treatment against hair loss and dull hair, according to Idea Hacks.
You will also need some coconut oil for this treatment. Grab a pan and pour some coconut oil in it, and let a few pieces of gooseberries boil. Once you notice the berries slightly charring, allow the mixture to cool off before you apply it onto your scalp. You can leave it on for an hour or even overnight and then rinse it off. Repeating the process once a week should be good enough. Instead of gooseberries pieces, you can even substitute it with gooseberry powder.
The juice of the berry can also promote the health of your hair and be a remedy for gray hair. An article medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D. recommended drinking 6 ounces of fresh gooseberry juice every day.
Onion juice
When you notice your hair thinning or prematurely graying, onion juice can be the solution to your problem. It is said that researchers discovered gray hair as a result of hydrogen peroxide collecting at the base of your hair follicles. It can also be due to the decrease in a natural antioxidant compound, known as catalase. The good news is that onion juice has been observed to promote the production of catalase. Every day for three weeks, applying onion juice to your scalp and leaving it on for about 30 minutes can give you results.
Curry leaves
One of the natural ways you can activate melanin in your hair is by using curry leaves to prevent the graying of hair. Get your hands on some curry leaves and let them boil in some coconut oil (a spoonful will do). Once you notice that the leaves have charred, strain out the leaves and apply the mixture into your hair. The mixture acts as a very effective hair tonic. Repeat this once or twice a week, and each time you can leave it in your hair for 45 minutes and then rinse it off.
Another method would involve making a paste out of curry leaves and yogurt. For this, you will need a quarter cup of curry leaves and half a cup of yogurt. After massaging the mixture into your hair and scalp, leave it on for 30 minutes before washing it out thoroughly. Repeating this a couple of times a week will do the trick.
Henna
Masking the grayness of your hair can be done by applying henna to darken your hair. Depending on how dark you want the effect to be, you can apply it to your hair once a week or even once a month. You can mix it up with lemon juice or vinegar or cloves before application.
Another way to effectively use henna is by making a paste out of mixing henna powder with a cup of black tea or coffee. When you notice that it’s reached the consistency of yogurt, keep the mixture covered and let it rest for 6 hours. Once done, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil before applying it to your hair. Again, depending on how dark you want the color to be, you can leave it on for anything between 1 to 3 hours before rinsing it off.
Tea
Tea can prove to be a great method to cover gray hair and restore the color of its natural hues. According to Natural Living Ideas, if you have darker shades of hair go for black tea; if you have blonde hair, turn to chamomile tea while red shades would need rooibos.
You can try this once a week but make sure you are applying it to clean and wet hair. Get yourself 3–5 tea bags and allow them to steep in 2 cups of boiling water. Once it has cooled down, apply it to your hair and let the grays absorb the color. Leave it on for at least an hour, but note that the longer you leave it on, the more intense the effect will be.
Potato skins
The next time you cook potatoes for lunch or dinner, don’t throw away the skin because they act as a natural ingredient to darken your gray hair. It is said that the starch found in the peel of potatoes can act as a slow colorant. For this, you will need to add a cup of potato skins to two cups of water and let it boil. Once done, strain the peels and give the potato water left behind enough time to cool off. If you want to counter the smell, a few drops of essential oil added to the water can do the trick. While doing this procedure, you can shampoo and condition your hair like you normally would. Make sure that you part your hair into different sections before pouring the liquid directly on each of them. You can even use a hair dying brush to apply it to each section. Make sure to rinse it off with cool water and repeat the process until you get the desired effect you want.
Black sesame seeds
One way you can slow down the graying process or even reverse it is by consuming black sesame seeds. Having one tablespoon about 2–3 times a week should do.
Fo-ti
A method coming from traditional Chinese medicine, fo-ti can be consumed as a supplement to your meals. It has been observed to have properties that can reverse the process of graying hair. Having 1,000 milligrams with food twice a day should do the trick.