Citric Acid for Hair Growth | Citric Acid for Hair Quality

Learn how you can use citric acid for hair growth and how citric acid helps with improving the quality of your hair! Keep reading the article to know more.

Looking at our lives nowadays, we rely on all kinds of chemicals to fix skin and hair issues. Even though temporarily you might end up with the best-looking hair, the other side effects of chemicals can drastically degrade the hair quality. This has led to excessive breakage, damage, split ends, and as a result, poor hair growth. Instead of going for chemical treatments, numerous home remedies can help improve hair quality. Here we will discuss in detail how you can use citric acid for hair growth. Find a few more hair remedies that you can try at home in the end. 

What is Citric Acid?

Citric acid is an organic compound that is a primary component in citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, kiwis, and grapefruits, giving them a sour taste. With a pH value between 3 to 6, it is slightly acidic, which makes it a popular ingredient used in food, cosmetics, and the pharmaceutical industry. This acid is odorless, colorless, or somewhat white and dissolves easily in water. Even though it is found in many fruits, lemons have the highest concentration of citric acid and are widely used as part of various home remedies for skin and hair-related issues. 

Citric Acid for Hair Growth

Using citric acid on the hair can considerably improve hair quality by fixing a lot of hair problems. In doing so, good hair and scalp health is promoted, which can also help hair growth. 

Benefits of Citric Acid for Hair

1. Get Rid of Dandruff

Using citric acid on the hair can help eliminate dandruff as it has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can reduce the itchiness in the scalp that might be hindering hair growth. Itchiness is mainly a result of alkaline products, and citric acid can help neutralize this effect.

2. Healthier Hair

By improving the blood circulation on the scalp, lemon juice, or citric acid makes the hair follicles healthy which is necessary for good hair growth. It warms the hair scalp to improve the blood flow and nourish the hair follicles. 

3. Shinier Hair

Citric acid and water together act as excellent cleansers for hair, efficiently removing all the extra dirt and debris from the hair and giving a nice glossy look. 

4. Removing Excess Oil

Washing with citric acid can reduce the buildup on the scalp and hair. It helps remove the excessive oil and get rid of the dead skin cells from the scalp. 

All these benefits from the use of citric acid can promote a healthier scalp. It contains high levels of Vitamin C, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, which makes the follicle health suitable for hair growth. 

How to Use?

Take about 30 ml of citric acid in 1 liter of water and use it as a last rinse on your hair. Avoid contact with eyes when you do so. You can also apply fresh lemon juice to your scalp and hair 15 minutes before you shampoo. 

Precautions

1. If you have extremely dry hair, citric acid is not the recommended solution for improving hair growth. 
2. When you apply citric acid to your hair, it might come in contact with your scalp and skin. Do a patch test to rule out the possibilities of any skin irritation.
3. Do not use citric acid excessively. It is essential to maintain a balance between different kinds of products. 

Issues with Hair Growth

Many reasons can lead to reduced or poor hair growth. Here are a few of them.

1. Age

As you grow older, apart from other skin-related issues, your hair growth can also decrease. With age, hair loss also becomes quite frequent, which can reduce the overall length and volume of the hair. 

2. Stress

In the hustle of our lives, stress is a significant factor that is affecting our health, including the quality of skin and hair. It is often noted that stress causes hairfall and hinders the process of hair growth simultaneously.

3. Lack of Balanced Diet

Our hair, too, needs the essential nutrients for good health and having a balanced diet can provide these nutrients giving stronger and longer hair. In today’s life, people often rely on junk and unhealthy food because they’re easier to get a hold on rather than cooking healthy meals at home. The lack of nutrients in junk food leads to many health related issues let alone poor hair growth.

4. Split Ends

Breakage and split ends can split up to the scalp and lead to hair loss. Split hair does not grow efficiently and can hence hinder growth. Split ends can happen due to lack of moisture in the hair or poor hair care.

5. Health Issues

Some health issues like thyroid are also responsible for slow hair growth. Likewise, many diseases and health issues can give rise to not just hairfall but poor hair growth as well.

6. Hairstyling

Excessive use of heat styling products or making too tight hairstyles can cause breakage, damage and make hair weak and brittle. This will strip of healthy moisture from the hair and make it dry and frizzy, that will ultimately lead to poor hair health.

How to Improve Hair Quality?

1. Improved Diet

Hair needs many vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and zinc and iron for good health. Adding foods rich in these vitamins can significantly improve your hair quality, giving longer and shinier hair. Also, a protein-rich diet is essential for thicker, stronger hair.

2. Scalp massage

Massaging the scalp regularly can improve blood circulation, which promotes good scalp health. This can strengthen the hair follicles and enhance the quality of hair.

3. Haircare routine

It is essential to take care of the little details that can significantly impact hair quality. These include:

1. Less use of heat styling products.
2. Using an organic shampoo.
3. Avoid tight hairstyles.
4. Using silk pillows instead of cotton ones to reduce friction while sleeping.
5. Air drying hair whenever possible.
6. Using lukewarm water for washing instead of cold or hot. 
7. Regular hair cuts.

Other Home Remedies for Hair Growth

1. Aloe Vera Gel

Applying aloe vera gel on the scalp can soothe the scalp, reducing itchiness and dandruff. This helps to promote hair growth. Take a spoonful of aloevera gel in a bowl and use a brush to apply it on the hair. If you have oily hair, avoid applying aloe vera on the scalp. Keep it on for 5-10 minutes or till it dries and then wash your hair with organic shampoo.

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil provides intensive hydration to your hair and scalp as it is rich in lauric acid. It helps in locking in the hydration and hence, healthier follicles. Apply lukewarm coconut oil on your hair at night and let it sit overnight. Wash your hair as usual the next morning and let it air dry.

3. Onions

Applying onion juice on the scalp can reduce hair loss and help it grow much faster. The only issue is that it has a pungent smell which not many people would like. Apply onion juice on the hair and let it sit for a few minutes before washing off with water and shampoo.

4. Green Tea

Green tea contains a polyphenol known as epigallocatechin gallate, which makes it an excellent antioxidant protecting your hair and scalp from free radicals. It also reduces inflammation in the hair follicles to keep them functioning correctly. Infuse green tea in water and use the water to rinse your hair with it.

5. Rosemary Oil

Rosemary is one of the best essential oils people choose to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss. It stimulates new hair growth and can be used to treat androgenetic alopecia. Mix a few drops of rosemary essential oil with any carrier oil of your choice and apply it on the scalp and hair. Leave it overnight and wash off the next morning.