Homemade Hair Treatments for Hair Loss

Drop the Rogaine, and put down those pills. Before you shell out for expensive hair-loss treatments with dangerous side effects, try these easy, safe, and impossibly cheap solutions for thinning hair. All you need is a kitchen and a willing scalp.

Aloe Vera

• Aloe vera is nothing short of a miracle plant. It soothes sunburn, moisturizes skin, and even cleanses the body when taken internally. It should come as no surprise, then, that aloe is also touted for its hair-regrowth properties. The gel helps to stimulate the hair follicles and sooth the scalp, encouraging new hair growth.

  Take a fresh aloe leaf, and split it lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the fleshy inside, and apply this like a mask to your hair and scalp. Leave on for at least a half hour; if you want, you can even sleep on it, and rinse out in the morning. To see results, you should repeat any natural hair treatment at least once a week for 2 to 3 months.

Essential Oils

• When essential oils are massaged into the scalp, you're receiving dual benefits. Not only are the oils working like mad to stimulate your hair, but the massage itself encourages blood flow to hair follicles and improves scalp circulation. It's a win-win situation.

  Choose your carrier oil: olive, avocado, almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or any other mild oil. Next, choose one or more of the following hair-friendly essential oils: rosemary, lavender, sandalwood, cedarwood, or thyme. Add 4 to 5 drops of essential oil to a half cup of carrier oil. Massage this mixture into your scalp with gentle, circular motions, starting at the front of your scalp and moving toward your neck. Repeat this as often as possible; try doing it daily, before showering.

Onion & Garlic

• As unappealing as they may sound, onion and garlic have the potential to change your life. Their strong stimulating properties, vitamins, and antibacterial effects are wonderful for hair and scalp health. A study from the Journal of Dermatology showed regrowth in 86.9 percent of people who applied onion juice to their scalps twice daily for two months.

  If you can stand the smell, apply onion or garlic juice before going to bed, and sleep on it. Slice a clove of garlic in half, and rub it on any balding areas. Squeeze juice from an onion, and do the same. For sensitive scalps, you may want to leave the treatment on for a half hour before shampooing. Always apply the garlic or onion with deep massaging motions to increase scalp circulation.