Lemon has long been utilized in hair care products and masks to boost hair health. It promotes hair growth and prevents graying. So how does lemon manage to achieve it and is lemon actually good for hair? Continue reading to find out.
Benefits Of Lemon For Hair Growth
Lemons are packed with nutrients, such as citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, pectin, and flavonoids (1), (2). A lot of people are hesitant about putting lemon in their hair because of myths that claim it turns your hair gray, but that does not happen if you use it in moderation. Here’s why you should be putting lemon in your hair:
Lemon For Hair Growth
Lemons are rich in vitamin C. This vitamin can improve the rate at which your hair grows by boosting the production of collagen (3), (4). It helps clean the scalp and unclog hair follicles. Clogging of the follicles often leads to issues, such as dandruff and hair fall. You can use lemon for dandruff management. It has antifungal properties (5). This can help maintain scalp health and curb issues like dandruff and scalp acne (6). It helps control the production of oil on your scalp.
Tinta, a vlogger, shared her experience of using a rinse made of lemon juice and guava water for her dandruff in the video. She said, “It was squeaky clean. The itchiness actually lessened alot (i).” The following are seven ways in which you can use lemon to boost hair growth.
How To Use Lemon Juice For Hair Growth
1. Lemon Juice Treatment For Hair Growth
This treatment works well for people with oily and greasy hair. It gives your scalp a collagen boost, which, in turn, influences hair growth. 1/2 lemon 15 minutes Use once a week to maintain scalp and hair pH balance.
2. Lemon Shampoo For Hair Growth
This hair pack is perfect for people who want to cover grays while boosting hair growth. Henna is a natural dye that contributes towards maintaining scalp health and reduces premature graying of hair and dandruff (7).
5 tablespoons pure henna powder 1 whole egg 1 cup warm water 1/2 lemon
1-2 hours Use once a month for hair conditioning and covering grays.
3. Lemon Juice And Coconut Water
Coconut water has antioxidant properties (8). It helps prevent oxidative damage to the hair. You Will Need
1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon coconut water
20 minutes Once a week.
4. Lemon With Castor Oil And Olive Oil For Hair Growth
Anecdotal evidence suggests that castor oil can boost hair growth and help with scalp care. In combination with olive oil, it helps with hair repair, minimizes breakage, imparts hair shine, and improves the overall health of your hair. It can also improve hair porosity and hair elasticity. However, there is no scientific backing to this natural remedy.
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon castor oil 4-5 drops lemon essential oil
45 minutes Use 2-3 times a week for complete hair nourishment.
5. Lemon Rinse For Hair Growth
Anecdotal evidence suggests that lemon juice helps with scalp and hair cleansing. It gives your scalp a collagen boost and strengthens hair follicles.
1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cups water
5 minutes Once a week.
6. Lemon Juice And Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is an excellent conditioning ingredient that improves scalp health with its antimicrobial properties (9).
2 tablespoons pure aloe vera gel 1 tablespoon lemon juice
30 minutes Use 1-2 times a week for improved hair texture and scalp and hair conditioning.
7. Lemon And Honey Hair Mask
Honey works with the olive oil to seal the moisture in your hair shaft (10). It may also help with dandruff treatment (11). Rosemary essential oil soothes your scalp and keeps it healthy and induces hair growth (12). This pack may also add some subtle highlights to your hair while making it smooth and silky.
1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons olive oil 3-4 drops rosemary essential oil
20 minutes Use once a week for hair hydration and softening. Before you use any of these remedies for hair growth, here are a few things you should know.
Side Effects Of Lemon On Hair
The studies related to the side effects of using lemon on hair and skin are limited. However, you may experience irritation and redness after using lemon juice if you are allergic to it or any citrus fruit. Therefore, always perform a patch test before using lemon topically for the first time. Also, anecdotal evidence suggests that using lemon juice for hair care may lead to dryness, breakage, damage, and brittle hair. This may be due to the pH of lemon juice, which is 2.2 (13). It means that the juice is acidic in nature. Lemon juice may also make your scalp and skin more sensitive to UV rays and lead to phytophotodermatitis (redness, blisters, and hyperpigmentation (14). Therefore, avoid sitting in the sun after using it. Can I apply lemon on oiled hair? No. Oil creates a film on your hair strands, which prevents lemon juice from penetrating the strands. Can I mix coconut oil with lemon juice? Yes. You can warm coconut oil with lemon juice before applying it to your scalp. Using coconut oil and lemon juice for hair growth and maintaining overall hair and scalp health is a common practice and works quite effectively. Does lemon juice lighten gray hair? Yes. Lemon juice works as a natural bleaching agent and lightens gray hair.
Illustration: Ways In Which Lemon Helps Hair Growth
Discover how to grow thicker hair with lemon and lemon leaves! Watch this video to learn how to use this natural remedy to get the hair you have always wanted.
