Does Onion juice helps in Scalp Psoriasis?

Well, I know it sounds weird, but, it is true that massaging onion juice deep in the scalp is a folk remedy to treat many of the routine hair problems including hair fall, partial baldness, premature hair graying, dry scalp and dandruff. To control this stubborn skin condition (psoriasis), we have tried many weird things in the past, so, there is no harm in giving it a try as well. Right?

Frankly speaking, I’ve never tried onion juice massage on my scalp and no such plans in the near future as well. Actually, I am managing psoriasis symptoms quite well with the help of a clean diet, healthy lifestyle, some yoga, dietary supplements (omega 3 fats, vitamin D, glutamine) and herbs (turmeric, milk thistle). But, you know, this inside-out holistic healing approach takes time. It is a slow, gradual process and results would come over a period of time. So, we do need some external treatments which are safe, effective and bring out some quick results to manage the scalp psoriasis symptoms so that we can face the outer world with confidence and carry on with our normal, daily life.

Onions are a great addition to our diet

Onions contain decent amounts of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Among minerals, it is a good source of sulfur, selenium and zinc. Sulfur, responsible for the distinctive flavor of onions, plays a vital role in liver detoxification and reducing inflammation. Similarly, zinc and selenium are among the core nutrients of our gut. Selenium exhibits potent anti-oxidant properties as well. Among antioxidants, onions contain flavonoids and polyphenols.

Onions are among the best natural antibiotic foods- kills yeast and unhealthy microbes in our gut to regulate the immune system and calm down psoriasis. Hence, do include onions in your daily diet in different forms- raw (in salads), steamed and cooked.

According to a research review published by the Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, England- regular consumption of onions can help reduce the risk of developing many lifestyle diseases including diabetes, arthritis, heart problems and Cancer.

Onion is one of the most common vegetables mentioned in the Holy Bible for their health properties. Other healthy vegetables that find a frequent mention in the Holy Bible includes cucumbers, gourds, leeks and garlic.

Benefits of Onion juice for Scalp psoriasis

When it comes to external application of onion juice for scalp psoriasis, there are not enough scientific evidences to confirm the benefits. However, a case study published in the Journal of Dermatology, June 2002 observed the benefits of onion juice in Alopecia areata (a type of autoimmune hair problem where the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles to cause hair loss). In this study, the patients were directed to apply crude onion juice on their scalp twice a day for eight weeks. The hair re-growth started within two weeks of daily application and after a period of six weeks, the improvement was quite significant.

If we go into the history, John Gerard, a 16th century botanist and herbalist claimed that applying onion juice to the scalp can help re-grow hair quickly.

How Onion juices help to reduce scalp psoriasis symptoms?

• Keratin is a sulfur-rich protein that provides elasticity, strength and tenacity to hair. Any deficiency in sulfur can lead to reduced keratin production and hence, weakening of hair. The sulfur in onion juice can make up for sulfur deficiency to boost keratin production for stronger and durable hair.
• Collagen, the most abundant protein in human body, makes a big part of your hair. Psoriasis, due to poor gut health, can decrease collagen level in your hair to cause hair fall and thinning. The sulfur in onions may help increase the collagen levels in your hair to check hair fall.
• Due to the potent antibiotic properties, onion juice would eliminate any harmful bacteria or fungi on the scalp to reduce inflammation and itching.
• Onion juice stimulates hair growth by increasing blood circulation to the hair follicles (hair roots).
• Onion juice nourishes the hair follicles- the antioxidants in onion juice aid in micro capillary action to provide optimum amounts of blood, oxygen and micro-nutrients to the hair follicles to strengthen them.

How to use Onion juice for Scalp psoriasis

Take 2 to 3 normal sized onions- peel off the outer papery layers and chop and dice them as small as possible. Then use a blender (or juicer) to extract onion juice. Make sure it is not too viscous.

Use this onion juice deeply and thoroughly into your scalp and hair using finger tips. Leave it for 30 minutes, then wash your hair with an herbal shampoo. Keep your fingernails short otherwise long fingernails can scratch the scalp and stimulate itching.

In case of severe scalp psoriasis, you may add olive oil or virgin coconut oil in your onion juice to tackle the problem of scalp dryness. Add 1 part of olive oil (or virgin coconut oil) in 3 parts of onion juice and apply it to the scalp. The moisturizing effect of oil would reduce scalp dryness by a large extent. Also, it would help reduce the strong after-smell of onion juice.

Being a natural remedy, it would take some time to show the results. Don’t expect miraculous results after the first application itself. Apply it once or twice a week for around 6 to 8 weeks to get some significant improvement in your scalp psoriasis symptoms.

The strong smell of onion juice is a turn off?

Try below tips to reduce (or remove) the smell of onions from your scalp:

• Always apply this onion juice mask to your scalp at night so that the smell gets reduced greatly by the next morning by itself.
• You may add juice of half a lemon in onion juice and then apply it to the scalp. It would help to mask the strong smell of onions. You may add a few drops of any essential oil as well such as lavender oil, rosemary oil or orange oil.
• Wash off your scalp with an herbal shampoo. You may add a few drops of lemon juice in your shampoo to further neutralize the strong onion smell. Use normal cool or warm water for washing; hot water can increase the smell somewhat. During washing off the scalp, keep your eyes closed otherwise onion juice can enter your eyes to cause irritation.
• If the smell is still there the next morning, simply rinse your scalp with lemon water- squeeze juice of one lemon in 1 cup of water. After rinsing, leave it for 2 to 3 minutes and then wash off with plain water.

Note:- Dyed/colored hairs would retain smell for a longer time than non-colored.

Precautionary measures

• In general, onion juice is quite safe to apply on the scalp. However, if you have an onion (or garlic) allergy, don’t try this.
• If you have cracks (open sores) in your scalp skin, then don’t use it otherwise onion juice can cause a burning sensation and worsen the scalp psoriasis symptoms.
• To be on the safer side, do a skin test before applying onion juice on your scalp- put a small amount of onion juice on your inner forearm, let it work for a few minutes to see if it causes any itching, irritation or allergic reaction. If nothing happens, then you can proceed with onion juice massage for your scalp psoriasis.
• Pregnant ladies and people with respiratory diseases should consult their doctors before trying this home remedy.

Final words

Onion juice massage may reduce itching, inflammation and dry scalp problem to manage scalp psoriasis symptoms. However, being an external home remedy, it should not be taken as a cure for scalp psoriasis. The real, long term healing would come by addressing the internal body matters with the help of a healthy diet, positive lifestyle, dietary supplements and herbs. You know, the healthy skin starts with a healthy gut.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12410539

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8979497

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264014899_A_Study_on_the_Vegetables_Mentioned_in_the_Bible

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2198910/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27064134

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2698273/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12126069