Apple Cider Vinegar For Hair: Benefits And How To Use It
From fighting blackheads to detoxing your diet, apple cider vinegar has been a formidable player in both the skincare and wellness space for some time. And if that wasn’t enough, ACV is now making a name for itself in hair care, whichgiven its versatility, accessibility, and the fact that it makes a killer DIY hair rinseshould come as no surprise. To find out more about this buzzy ingredient, we checked in with hair pros Gretchen Friese, Denis de Souza, and Jo Blackwell-Preston.
Meet the Expert
- Denis de Souza is a Joico celebrity colorist.
- Jo Blackwell-Preston is the founder and master stylist at Dop Dop Salon.
Not only did they weigh in on ACV’s beauty claims but they also dished on who could most benefit from adding it to their hair care routineand how. So keep scrolling as we’re bringing you everything you ever wanted to know about apple cider vinegar for hair.
Apple Cider Vinegar For Hair Loss
Apple cider vinegar doesnt seem to fall far from the headlines these days. From helping with weight loss to improving digestive health to maintaining blood sugar levels, the benefits of apple cider vinegar are being touted as the remedy for a wide range of issues. Now, more bottles of this seemingly all-purpose tonic may be flying off store shelves for another reason: the prevention of hair loss.
But before you start pouring vinegar over your head to stop your hair from falling out, understand that it is far from proven that apple cider vinegar can prevent hair loss. That said, the powerful cleansing and pH balancing qualities of apple cider vinegar can do several positive things for your hair and scalp, all of which may, in the long run, increase the strength and resiliency of your hair.
Heres why you should consider integrating apple cider vinegar or products containing apple cider vinegar into your hair care regimen:
Balancing Your pH Levels
Youve probably heard the term pH level before. You also probably have no idea what that means or how it impacts your hair and scalp.
pH stands for potential hydrogen. It describes the acid-alkaline ratio of a substance. Your pH level refers to the level of acid in your body. On one side of the pH spectrum is acidity, measured at 0, while the other end is alkalinity, measured at 14. The ideal pH level for hair the sweet spot between acidic and alkaline is between four and five
Keeping Your Scalp Healthy
Clarifies And Adds Volume
The biggest symptom of second-day hair is straggly, limp, and lifeless strands. Thats because excess grease can weigh down hair on your scalp, destroying any appearance of volume. In addition to clearing out grease, grime, and product buildup that has clumped up in your hair over time, ACV removes the weight of those excess oils, helping to boost volume as a result.
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Using Apple Cider Vinegar As Hair Rinse
Regular use of shampoos, conditioners and other hair products leads to product build up. ACV hair rinse helps in cleaning your scalp completely and adds shine to your hair.
- Mix ACV and water in equal proportions and pour over your hair after you have shampoo and conditioner. Leave your hair as is for a couple of minutes and then wash it off with water them. If you have a sensitive scalp, add more water than vinegar. You can also add essential oils to this mix if you dont want your hair to smell vinegary.
Restore Your Scalps Ph
Why does your scalps pH matter, anyway? According to a past study in the International Journal of Trichology the higher alkaline pH a shampoo has, the higher your scalp pH will be, which means your hair is more likely to suffer from cuticle damage, frizz, and a dry, irritated scalp. The acidity in apple cider vinegar counteracts alkaline pH, helping to improve your scalps health.
To rebalance your scalps pH, check out the dp HUE Apple Cider Vinegar Salt Scrub, recommends Debra Jaliman, MD, board-certified NYC dermatologist, assistant professor of Dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.
This scrub will help gently exfoliate the scalp, which in turn will promote hair growth and healthier hair, says Dr. Jaliman, noting that the scrubs other ingredientsHimalayan sea salt, olive oil, and antioxidants such as vitamin E and polyphenolsare all nourishing and beneficial for your hair.
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Apple Cider Vinegar For Hair Loss: Benefits And How To Use
Hair is an integral part of the overall physical appearance. Perfect and healthy hair adds to the style quotient. Hair loss, thinning and baldness is a growing concern these days. There are several causes that adds up to this conditions, namely poor diet, excessive stress, smoking, hormone imbalances, Thyroid, Pollution etc. Rather than shelling out huge amounts on various treatments and medications, one must give a thought of using the most effective and natural component in treating hair loss i.e Apple Cider Vinegar .
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Apple Cider Vinegar Pills Vs Liquid
Admittedly, this is a new area for me. Until recently, Id only ever heard of ACV in liquid form. I didnt know capsules were an option! But from what Im reading, taking apple cider vinegar as a supplement has plenty of benefits you get all that antioxidant, digestion-boosting action without the strong taste or fear of damaging your teeth.
And while I use liquid ACV in the shower to rinse my hair, Im not as consistent with drinking it for my gut issues. Ill remember to take my tablespoon of ACV liquid faithfully for, oh about 3 days. Then I forget.
Plus, if Im out for a meal with friends, its unlikely that Ill carry a bottle of ACV with me! A small bottle of pills is far more portable.
Disclaimer: Be aware, these pills arent for everyone. Like if youre pregnant, breastfeeding or have an underlying health condition , it might be a good idea to check with your doctor.
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How Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help In Combating Dandruff
Apple cider vinegar has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also removes residue or product build-up from hair roots. The slightly astringent nature of ACV helps kill the infection-causing microbes, hence controlling itchy scalp and dandruff while balancing the pH of the hair. It has two ingredients that are known for their efficacy in killing dandruff. One is Vitamin C and the other is acetic acid. Vitamin C is known for fighting harmful free radicals and dandruff. Acetic acid can help in ridding your hair of harmful chemicals, germs and bacteria. Just massage your scalp and hair roots with ACV. Then shampoo your hair off after 20 minutes or so. But this basic ACV anti-dandruff treatment may not be all you need to fight such severe forms of dandruff as Seborrheic dermatitis. Basically, its an itchy, red rash with concomitant white or yellow flakes – this condition can affect not only our scalp, but also our face and other parts of our torso. Seborrheic dermatitis is also linked to a fungus called Malassezia, which can be found on the scalp and they normally feast on oils secreted by hair follicles. If the fungi become too active, dandruff can be a painful outcome. In that case, you need to consult a doctor. But do keep ACV as part of your hair care routine if you have a persistent dandruff problem. Here are some hair masks that can also help:
Apple Cider Vinegar And Cayenne Pepper Scalp Tonic
Capsaicin present in cayenne pepper triggers the hair follicles in the scalp by increasing blood flow to the hair roots and creates a favourable environment for hair growth.
- Take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a bowl and add 2 to 3 drops of cayenne pepper extract to it.
- Mix it well and apply it to your scalp and problem areas.
- Leave it on for an hour and then rinse your scalp and hair with water.
- Repeat this remedy once every day for a few months.
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It Might Help Ward Off Certain Scalp Infections
As with any medical concern, you should check in with your doctor, but our experts say that apple cider vinegar might be useful for certain scalp infections.
“ACV absolutely has antimicrobial properties so it can be an effective method to ward off scalp infections of some kinds,” said Dr. Ilyas. “There have been medical studies attempting to validate the common usage of ACV. At full concentrations, ACV is effective topically against bacteria, yeast, and fungus. However, once diluted it appears to maintain its effectiveness against bacteria down to a 25% concentration but loses effectiveness for yeast and fungi.”
“So, depending on what the cause of the scalp infection is, it may show some effectiveness,” she said, adding that “for bacteria on the scalp, the infection will appear as a folliculitis, inflamed hair follicles. Yeast will trigger seborrhea which results in itching and flaking. Fungus can attack the hair follicles and cause hair breakage and itching.”
Apple Cider Vinegar And Essential Oils For Hair Loss
Essential oils, herbal essences like basil, Lemongrass, Sage Thyme, pepper mint, Eucalyptus, Chamomile etc.., works magic for your hair. These ingredients provide rich nutrients for your hair not only to have a good texture but also stops hair fall and promotes hair growth.
Mix 5 to 10 drops of essential oil to 2 cups of ACV and store it in a glass container. After shampooing your hair take 1-2 tablespoon of this Concoction and dilute it with 1 cup of water and use it to rinse your hair and then wash off.
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Proven Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar For Skin Hair And Weight Loss
- Sparshita Saxena, NDTV
Wouldn’t it be just amazing to have a secret potion that would set everything perfect? For years I have been thinking of some wonder product or food item that can be multipurpose. Something that can treat my hair and skin right, that can keep me fit and healthy at the same time helps my mum with some of the most basic household chores. Believe it or not, that wonder product is lurking somewhere in your kitchen shelf, voila! it is vinegar. Vinegar is something that can be put to a lot use altogether. Unfortunately, we in India are not great fans of vinegar. Unlike the western foods enthusiast, we generally use less of vinegar in our everyday cooking. A regular hit as a salad dressing and among much of the oriental, Asian and western cooking affair, the surprisingly miraculous properties and benefits of vinegar are lesser known to us.
The most popular vinegar in the natural health community is the Apple Cider Vinegar. Its consumption has seen an escalating trend in the west while in India it still remains a fairly lesser used food item. Basically, apple cider vinegar is derived after an elaborate processing and fermenting of apple pulp. There are a plethora of benefits that this nature’s elixir encompasses in it – from promising you with lustrous hair, radiant skin to warding off health risks and being the ultimate aid in resolving some of your toughest household tasks.
Let us take a look at what makes this potion so wonderful.
Apple Cider Vinegar For Hair Loss: Is It Effective
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Coconut oil and apple cider vinegar if you believe natural health blogs and social media, these two kitchen staples could ultimately be responsible for saving humanity.
From cancer to weight loss, were led to believe theyre effective at all things health. But as you might suspect, the scientific evidence supporting these claims is much less confident.
Many people rinse their hair with apple cider vinegar commonly called ACV by its friends. But what is the rinse actually capable of doing?
Youre good to question the Internets wisdom, because like so many home health remedies, this one isnt quite as magic as were led to believe.
As youll see below, there are some potential health benefits of using ACV real ones, backed by science.
And positive effects on your hair are included.
But before you hail apple cider vinegar as your hair savior, read on to know for sure what you can expect when you add this common salad dressing ingredient to your hair care routine.
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Acv Treats Dandruff And Itchy Dry Scalps
It has been suggested also that vinegar can help in the fight against dandruff and scalp conditions.
Some dermatologists have said ACVs anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties may combat the yeast and irritation that lead to the build-up of dead skin cells, flakes, and itching.
While is it well documented that ACV is antimicrobial, there are no studies to back up the claim that it can fight scalp conditions. ACV has not been tested as a treatment for dandruff.
How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar For Hair Loss
Although apple cider vinegar is mildly acidic, it can damage your hair if used improperly in an undiluted form. Here is how to use apple cider vinegar for hair loss and other hair problems:
- Step 1: Firstly, you have to choose an organic brand that retails pure, an unfiltered form of apple cider vinegar. Natural ACV is not clear, but partly cloudy and even contains some amount of sediments in it. This deposit, called mother, is especially very nutritious. You want to shake the bottle very well before use.
- Step 2: Next, you must dilute raw apple cider vinegar with water. The ideal ratio is 1:3. Take 1 cup ACV and put it in 3 cups of water. You can increase or decrease the amount according to your hair length. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle for easy application.
- Step 3: Now you must dampen your hair to prepare them for the rinse. You can also do this right after you shampoo your hair. Spray diluted ACV throughout damp hair, on the scalp, and from roots to the ends. Massage gently on your scalp for better absorption and to stimulate blood circulation.
- Step 4: Let the mixture sit in for about 5 minutes. After that, rinse it out thoroughly. And youre done!
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Try Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of those old home remedies that people have been using for many, many years.
So what makes it such a great thing to apply to your dogs skin & hair?
Well, apple cider vinegars acidic nature makes it a natural antifungal & antibacterial. That means you can apply it to any irritated skin to help clean out any of the bad stuff.
You can either dab it on your dogs skin, or try adding some to their bath and use it to refresh their skin all over their body.