How to Use Garlic As a Hair Loss Remedy

Hair functions to protect the skin and to help maintain the body’s temperature balance. Hair growth is a cyclic process that depends on where the hair is located, the person’s age, family history, nutritional status, and environmental factors.^{[1]XResearch sourcePaus R. Principles of hair cycle control. J Dermatol 1998; 25: 793–802.} There are many ways to help hair loss, including the use of garlic. Follow a few simple steps to help combat hair loss with garlic.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Garlic Hair Salve

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1
Juice the garlic. To help combat hair loss, you can make a garlic hair salve. Start off with six to eight cloves of garlic. Peel the garlic cloves. Use a garlic press to get 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of garlic juice from these cloves.
- If you don't get enough juice from these cloves, juice more cloves until you do.^{[2]XResearch source}
Once you've juiced the garlic, set it aside. Grab some honey and measure out 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml). Mix the honey into the small bowl of garlic juice and put the mixture in the refrigerator. ^{[3]XResearch source}
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Brew chamomile tea. While your mixture chills in the fridge, you need to brew some tea. Take two bags of chamomile tea or three tablespoons of loose leaf tea. Add it to a pot of water and place it on the stove. Let it simmer in 24 ounces of water for 30 minutes.
- Once the tea has brewed for the right amount of time, pour the mixture into a cup. If you used loose leaf tea, strain the tea as you do so. ^{[4]XResearch source}
Once the tea is done, take the honey and garlic mixture out of the fridge. Mix one egg yolk into the mixture. It may take a minute to get it combined because the honey will be thick and stubborn. Next, add one tablespoon of aloe vera gel and mix together well. ^{[5]XResearch source}
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Use the salve. Once all the ingredients are combined, go to a place where you can easily apply it to your hair without making a mess. Gently massage the mixture into your scalp, not all of your hair. Since the hair grows from the scalp, you want to concentrate the garlic salve here. After it is all on your scalp, wrap a clean, cotton towel around your head.
- Leave the mixture on your scalp for 20 minutes.^{[6]XResearch source}
6
Wash your hair. After you've waited long enough, wash the mixture out of your hair with baby shampoo or another very gentle shampoo. Rinse it out thoroughly. Next, take a second egg yolk and massage that into your scalp. Rinse this off with warm water.
- Make sure you get all the egg yolk out of your hair. Do not wash it again, just keep rinsing the yolk out.^{[7]XResearch source}
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Finish the cycle. Once the yolk is out of your hair and off your scalp, you need to use the chamomile tea. Take the cup of tea and pour it over your scalp, rinsing your hair once again with it. Do this two to three times a week until hair re-growth begins or shedding stops.
- Repeat the treatment twice a month.^{[8]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Other Natural Remedies

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1
Use other garlic remedies. You can use pure garlic oil as a treatment for hair loss. Massage the garlic oil into your scalp before you shampoo your hair. To make it easier and more comfortable on your scalp, pre-warm the garlic oil before you use it. Repeat this two to three times a week until hair re-growth begins or shedding stops. Once it starts working, repeat the treatment twice a month. Puritan’s Pride, Boyajian, and the Eclectic Institute sell pure garlic oil.
- You can also buy garlic infused hair products.
- You can also just add pure garlic to a mild shampoo you use. Chop two to three cloves of garlic and drop them into a very mild shampoo. Use this shampoo two to three times a week.
- While there is no direct evidence that eating garlic or taking it as a supplement can help with hair loss, it is reasonable to think that it may. Add garlic to as many foods as you want or take garlic as a supplement to help with hair loss.
- There have been some studies that looked at combining a garlic gel with steroid treatment of extreme hair loss and found that the garlic significantly improved hair growth.^{[9]XResearch sourceHajheydari Z, Jamshidi M, Akbari J, Mohammadpour R. Combination of topical garlic gel and betamethasone valerate cream in the treatment of localized alopecia areata: a double-blind randomized controlled study.Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007 Jan-Feb;73(1):29-32.}
2
Eat protein for hair growth. Hair is primarily protein and strong, healthy hair comes from the inside despite what makers of shampoos and conditioners try to tell you. Make sure you are getting enough high quality protein in order to grow more hair. You should try for a variety of sources of complete proteins, which contain all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
- Eat more eggs, dairy products, quinoa, buckwheat, hempseed, chia seeds, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, natto, rice, and beans.^{[10]XResearch sourceHajheydari Z, Jamshidi M, Akbari J, Mohammadpour R. Combination of topical garlic gel and betamethasone valerate cream in the treatment of localized alopecia areata: a double-blind randomized controlled study.Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007 Jan-Feb;73(1):29-32.}^{[11]XResearch source}
You need to eat a diet high in B-complex vitamins. These are needed for healthy hair follicles and healthy hair growth.^{[12]XResearch source}^{[13]XTrustworthy SourceUS Food and Drug AdministrationU.S. government agency responsible for promoting public healthGo to source} These foods include spinach, parsley, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, beet greens, broccoli, beets, turnips, bell peppers, legumes, lentils, calf and beef liver, and fortified grains.
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Have more minerals. The only mineral that has been proven to be connected to hair loss is iron.^{[14]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source} While low zinc and low selenium have been implicated in hair loss, it is still not known if zinc or selenium deficiencies play a primary or secondary role in hair loss.^{[15]XResearch source Hajheydari Z, Jamshidi M, Akbari J, Mohammadpour R. Combination of topical garlic gel and betamethasone valerate cream in the treatment of localized alopecia areata: a double-blind randomized controlled study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007 Jan-Feb;73(1):29-32.} You can take iron, zinc, and selenium in supplements as well as increasing foods rich in these minerals in your diet.
- Eat more foods with iron, such as eggs, lean, grass fed red meat, dark leafy green vegetables, beans, lentils, and liver. You can also get more zinc with seafood, shellfish, spinach, pumpkin, squash, sunflower seeds, and nuts.^{[16]XTrustworthy SourceRed Cross Blood Donation ServicesWebsite run by the Red Cross Organization providing information about how and where to donate blood safelyGo to source}^{[17]XResearch source}
- Omega-3 fatty acids used on the scalp have been shown to increase the numbers of hair strands.^{[18]XResearch source Bureau JP, Ginouves P, Guilbaud J, Roux ME. Essential oils and low-intensity electromagnetic pulses in the treatment of androgen-dependent alopecia. Adv Ther 2003; 20: 220–9.}^{[19]XResearch source Lourith, N., & Kanlayavattanakul, M. (2013). Hair loss and herbs for treatment. Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 12(3), 210-222.}^{[20]XResearch source Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD. Randomized trial of aromatherapy: successful treatment of alopecia areata. Arch Dermatol 1998; 134: 1349–52.} Increasing the amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may be useful for hair loss. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, mackerel, eggs, flaxseed oil, soybeans, chia seeds, walnuts, herring, sardines, and bass.
- If you decide you want to take mineral supplements, don’t over do it and follow manufacturer’s instructions. You can have too many minerals.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Changing Your Hair Care Routine

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1
Avoid over-shampooing. You can help your hair loss by changing your hair routine. Avoid shampooing too often because frequent shampooing can strip the natural oils from your hair. Frequent shampooing doesn’t really cause hair loss, but if you are stripping the oils from your hair, it can make the hair more fragile.^{[21]XTrustworthy SourceAmerican Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologistsGo to source}
- It is recommended that you only wash your hair two to three times a week.^{[22]XResearch source}
- Avoid using products with ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), parabens, and ammonium chloride, especially if you have thin, fragile, or treated hair.^{[23]XResearch source}

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Medical Hair Loss Treatments

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If your hair loss is a perpetual problem, you need to determine the cause of your hair loss. Because of this, a full check up by a physician is strongly recommended. There are many, many diseases where hair loss may be a symptom and it is critical that you try and find the cause of hair loss. There are, however, a number of approaches that can help your situation before you get a diagnosis.
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Use drug treatment for men. The main drug treatment for men’s hair loss are the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors Proscar and Propecia. The 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors that help block the activity of damaging hormones on the hair follicles. Another drug used to increase hair growth is minoxidil.
- Minoxidil is generally less effective than finasteride, but it can be applied directly to the areas of hair loss.^{[24]XTrustworthy SourceFamilyDoctor.orgFamily-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family DoctorsGo to source}
3
Try drug treatment for women. Women’s hair loss has long been ignored, even though women represent up to 40% of all those who have hair loss.^{[25]XResearch source} The 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are not often used for women because of potential adverse effects of female hormones. 2% minoxidil is more commonly prescribed because it can be applied to the areas of hair loss, has fewer side effects, and works better for women. Other drugs include aldactone, tagamet, and cyproterone acetate.
- In women, hormone replacement therapy can be helpful. You have to be careful if you are pregnant when taking these medication because they can cause birth defects.

Expert Q&A

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What is the role of castor oil on hair?
Zora Degrandpre, ND
Natural Health Doctor
Dr. Zora Degrandpre is a Natural Health Doctor and Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007.
Zora Degrandpre, ND
Natural Health Doctor
Expert Answer
Castor oil has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties. It can be helpful with inflammatory scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis, reactions to head lice and other conditions. It has a reputation of increasing hair growth, but there are no studies supporting this. The moisturizing ability can help both the scalp and the hair.
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