Greying hair is a natural phenomenon that happens over time with as a person gets older. However, people often experience premature greying (hair turning grey before the age of 35) due to various factors. Grey hair can be a concern for some people and make them feel conscious of their appearance, but there are numerous ways to cover up grey hair and modify a person’s appearance.
Although there is little evidence that supports pigmentation can be restored in grey hair, you can try some natural remedies for grey hair to prevent more grey hair mentioned here.
Causes of Grey Hair
The colour of a person’s hair relies only on the presence or absence of different melanin (a type of pigment). Hair appear grey/white due to the absence of melanin. Many factors, including the following, play a role in premature greying of hair:
- Genetic composition of a person
- Smoking
- Stress levels
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Diseases such as vitiligo and alopecia areata
- Obesity
According to Ayurveda, premature greying is caused by an imbalance in the different elements of the body—aggravation of Pitta dosha. The excessive consumption of alcohol, meat, coffee, tea, and oily/spicy/sour/acidic foods can increase Pitta leading to premature greying.
Home Remedies for Grey Hair
Listed below are some common home remedies for grey hair that can turn it black again:
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Reetha and shikakai rinse
You can prepare this rinse by soaking 10 to 12 dried reetha and 3 to 4 shikakai pods in two glasses of water and boil it for a few minutes in the morning. Use this solution as a rinse and/or natural shampoo every week.
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Amla hair rinse
Using an amla hair rinse after washing the hair is a wonderful natural remedy for grey hair and it can also stop premature hair greying. For the amla rinse, soak 10 to 12 dried amla in half a cup of water and strain it. You can wash your hair with clean water after about 10 to 15 minutes.
Amla is considered a holy grail for hair health in Ayurveda, and it is often recommended in natural remedies for grey hair and hair fall. You can massage your scalp with a special oil prepared by heating dried amla in coconut oil or drink amla juice daily to prevent premature greying of hair. -
Tea rinse
Another great home remedy for grey hair is a tea rinse. To prepare this, soak 1 teaspoon tea leaves in a cup of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Strain it after it cools down and apply this to the roots thoroughly and spread to the lengths of your hair. Wash with normal tap water after an hour or so and do not shampoo for 24 hours at least. This rinse nourishes and adds lustre to your hair.
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Coconut oil
Coconut has cooling properties according to Ayurveda and one can use it with various herbs, such as curry leaves or amla, to promote healthy hair and prevent premature greying.
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Curd with curry leaves
Another natural remedy for grey hair includes applying a paste of curry leaves and curd once or twice a week. Curry leaves can prevent premature greying and curd nourishes the hair.
Other well-known natural grey hair treatments at home include massaging the scalp with sesame oil, using a hibiscus water rinse, and more.
Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Further Greying of Hair
Apart from trying home remedies for grey hair to turn into black again, one can consider making some changes in their lifestyle to prevent premature greying. If you have a few grey hair, you can consider these tips to prevent further greying of your hair:
- Don’t smoke or indulge in drugs.
- Avoid (or at least reduce) caffeine consumption.
- Eat a balanced diet with ample vegetables and fruits.
- Avoid damage to the hair shaft from harmful UV rays, chlorine treated water, and extremely hot showers.
- Avoid colour- or heat-treating your hair.
- Reduce stress.
- Indulge in regular physical activity.
Instantly Covering Up Grey Hair
One can always use hair dyes—permanent or temporary—to cover grey hair and enjoy a fresh look to boost their confidence. However, permanent colour treatments may be harsh for the hair and may cause further damage and temporary colours may bleed in the rain or stain clothes and other surfaces. Another way of covering up grey hair is using a hat or scarf for styling, as this covers the entire head and reduces the likelihood of showing any grey hair.
Try this henna hair mask to cover your grey hair:
Make a paste of the following ingredients and apply it to clean hair for about 2 hours; keep it on for 3 to 4 hours if a darker colour is desired. Wash it with plain water or a mild shampoo.
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Henna powder | 2 tsp |
| Curd | 1 tsp |
| Fenugreek seeds (Methi) powder | 1 tsp |
| Coffee | 1 tbsp |
| Mint juice | 2 tbsp |
| Basil juice | 2 tbsp |
Alternatively, one can also use henna powder, egg, lemon juice, and amla extract (prepared with boiling 4 cups of water with one cup of dried gooseberry till its reduced to one cup).
Busting Popular Myths Related to Grey Hair
As with other unrealistic beauty standards, considerable stigma is associated with grey hair. People who have premature grey hair usually look for home remedies to turn grey hair into black again. By raising awareness about the cause of grey hair and debunking myths, some of the social stigma can be reduced. Here are some of the most common myths related to grey hair:
- Plucking the grey hair leads to the new hair that will grow again from that hair follicle to be grey.
- Hair greying cannot be reversed even if you try the best grey hair treatment at home. In some cases a grey hair may turn black again, but there is not guarantee.
- Plucking one grey hair does not cause other hair to turn grey.
It is important to be wary of such information that you may come across from an unreliable source as these claims are nothing but myths spread due to a lack of awareness and proper understanding of causes of greying of hair.
Remember that grey hair is only caused by the absence of melanin, and it is not an accurate estimation of a person’s age. Having grey hair, does not make you old.
Takeaway
You may have heard about numerous home remedies for grey hair from friends and family, but they usually take consistent efforts over a long period of time to show any results. In most cases, no home remedy turns grey hair into black again, but it can prevent further greying of the hair. Additionally, it may take some time to find the right home remedy for grey hair that works for you so take a trial-and-error approach with the ones mentioned here.
Generally, everybody’s hair gets grey as they turn old; it is a natural process. Maintaining good overall health can help prevent premature greying but it cannot completely eliminate it. You can try to not get bothered by grey hair or use a hair dye to hide them.
