If you are looking for a natural alternative for chemical hair dyes, then indigo powder is a great choice. Indigo powder is got by powdering the leaves of indigo plant whose botanical name is Indigofera Tinctoria. The leaves produce dark blue dye and when applied as a hair dye after using henna, gives dark black colour. Indigo powder is called Indian Indigo in English, Avuri or Neeli in Tamil, Neeli Chettu in Telugu, Neela Amari | Neelayamari in Malayalam, Neelini | Neela in Hindi, Neeli in Kannada, Neel in Marathi, Wasma in Arabic and Neel in Urdu. Indigo is a small shrub that grows about 1 to 2 meters high and produces beautiful pink flowers. Indigo plant has wonderful medicinal uses and all parts of the plant is used medicinally. Though indigo is known mainly as a natural dye, it has other amazing hair benefits too. Indigo is mainly used in the form of hair oil for stimulating hair growth and in the form of a pack for dyeing the hair. For dyeing, it is applied after henna. Henna makes the hair reddish orange and indigo dyes the hair dark blue color and together they create a natural black color. Here are the amazing hair benefits of indigo powder: 1. Indigo Powder For Premature Greying Of The Hair: Indigo leaf is an amazing home remedy for treating premature greying of the hair. Regular use of hair oil made with indigo leaves will reverse and prevent greying of the hair. 2. Indigo Powder For Hair Growth: Indigo hair oil made with the leaves is amazing for hair growth. It prevents scalp infections and stimulates new hair growth when used regularly. 3. Indigo Powder For Dandruff: The hair oil made with indigo leaves is also a very good remedy for dandruff. It reduces dandruff greatly and if used from young age, it will greatly prevent dandruff. 4. Indigo Powder Hair Dye: One main hair benefit of indigo is that it acts as a natural hair dye. In my personal opinion, it is one of natures gift considering the side effects of chemical hair dyes which range from increased sensitivity to sun to skin allergies. 5. Indigo Powder For Dry Hair: Indigo hair oil is one of the best conditioners that softens your hair really really well. If you are suffering from dry brittle hair, I would suggest using indigo oil regularly. Within few days of regular use, you will find you hair smooth and soft. For making indigo oil, indigo leaves, amla and bhringraj are boiled together in a pan till the water evaporates and the sizzling sound stops. These 3 herbs also forms the base for the famous Neelibhrigraj Oil which is very popular for treating premature greying of the hair. Neelibhringraj oil also contains additional ingredients like buffalo milk, cow's milk and coconut milk. But in my personal experience hair oil made with just the three herbs also is equally effective for stimulating hair growth and preventing premature greying of the hair. For dyeing, if you want black color, make sure to use it after applying henna, this will ensure you get a dark color. If you want a dark reddish tinge color, you can mix both henna and indigo together and apply. Side Effects Of Indigo Powder: There are no side effects to using indigo powder for hair. But like with any ingredient some might experience indigo powder allergy but this is very rare. The only side effect is it might be messy and time consuming to use indigo as a hair dye but it will get easier once you start using it regularly. Also we get lot of fake indigo powder in the markets. To make sure it is original, mix it in water and wait for 15 minutes, the dark blue dye should bleed out else it is fake. Where To Buy Indigo Powder For Hair? We get natural organic indigo powder in most herbal shops in India. If you are living in Tamil Nadu, you get avuri leaf powder in nattu marundhu kadai. You can also buy good quality indigo powder online. Some common questions asked regarding dyeing hair with indigo powder: How Long Should I Leave Indigo In My Hair: I would suggest leaving Indigo paste for 2 hours for best results. Can I leave Indigo In My Hair Overnight? You don't need to leave it on overnight, the dye fixes on the hair within 2 hours. How To Rinse Indigo Out Of Hair? Rinse it off with plain water for best results. Is Indigo Bad For Your Hair? Indigo is natural product and will never harm your hair. It will only make it shiny and strong. How Long Indigo Hair Dye Lasts? The time it lasts varies from person to person. For some it might last well for 8 to 12 weeks, for some it might wash off sooner. It greatly depends on how porous our hair is. How to Make Indigo Stick To Hair? Some people's hair absorb the indigo dye poorly, if it is the case, mix 1 tsp of salt for every 100 gram of indigo powder, it will help fix the dye. Also apply indigo paste on clean dry hair only. Oiling Hair After Indigo: It is best to oil the hair after 48 hours after indigo hair dye application. Shampoo After Indigo: Shampoo only after 48 hours after applying indigo hair dye to prevent it washing off fast. How To Make Indigo Last Longer: If you wash your hair daily, the dye will not last longer. Also try to use only mild shampoos for best results...
Many of you must have heard of using onion juice for treating hair loss. It is an age old remedy that is backed by research now, I always feel very happy when I come across researches that prove our traditional remedies. Onion is rich in sulfur and it also the ingredient that gives onion it's strong pungent smell. The type of sulfur found in onions is easily absorbed in the scalp and sulfur helps in the formation of keratin which in turn helps in hair regrowth. Here are some of the hair benefits of onion juice: 1. Onion Juice For Spot Baldness | Alopecia Areata: Using onion juice on scalp is a remedy that is very very popular in our village for treating alopecia areata or bald spots, we call it "Pulu Vettu | Poochi Vettu" in Tamil. Usually we use only small red onion juice for treating alopecia areata, the remedy gives amazing results very quickly, you can read the research that proves this traditional use here. I would suggest using the onion juice continuously for at least 6 to 8 weeks to see results. 2. Onion Juice For Grey Hair: Onion juice can be used for reversing premature greying of the hair very effectively. Oxidative stress is said to be one of the main reasons for causing premature greying. Onion juice when applied on the hair topically helps in the formation of catalase which in turn prevents oxidative stress very effectively. 3. Onion Juice For Scalp Infections: Onion juice has anti bacterial properties which helps treat all the scalp infections very very effectively 4. Onion Juice For Hair Growth: Applying onion juice on the scalp also improves the circulation in the scalp which in turn will help in hair growth. Though onion juice has these wonderful benefits when applied on the scalp, onion juice really stinks and like with every remedy some tolerate it well and some might find it very hard to apply on the scalp. For them I have given different ways to apply onion juice on the scalp below in the order of effectiveness, choose the method that you prefer.....
Our neighbor in our village used to collect curry leaves from our farm regularly. One day when I was talking to her, she mentioned about this curry leaf hair oil. She said that, she has been using this oil regularly and it has helped her premature greying and hair growth significantly. She taught me the way, she makes the oil. It is very easy to make this curry leaf hair oil. Just two ingredients and you have a very nice hair oil in your hands. But the ingredients are very important. I always use home made coconut oil to make this oil (every year in summer we grind our own coconut oil from the coconuts in our farm for that years use in cooking). You can use virgin coconut oil which is readily available everywhere now. Use freshly plucked curry leaves which is not sprayed with pesticides. Curry leaves should be cleaned thoroughly and dried in the shade to remove moisture. If there is moisture in curry leaves, the oil will turn rancid very soon. This oil is light green in color and has a very nice smell. I really love the smell of this curry leaf hair oil. As this oil conditions and strengthens the hair, it helps in hair growth too. It really helps people, who has problems with premature greying, but the oil has to be applied regularly.
