Fact Check: Can an onion-mint mixture reverse hair greying?

Hyderabad: An Instagram video purportedly showing an AI-generated ‘doctor’ advising a home remedy to reverse hair greying is being widely circulated on social media.

In the viral video, it is claimed that applying an onion-mint mixture over the beard would turn grey hair to black within 3-4 applications.

Both onion and mint extracts are said to possess beneficial properties such as providing extra sulfur to support strong and thick hair, helping prevent hair loss and promoting hair growth. But, do they also contribute to reversing greying of hair? Let’s find out.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as there is no scientific evidence to back the claim.

It is quite normal for hair to turn grey as we age. But grey or white hair can appear at almost any age. There are certain factors such as genetics, stress and deficiencies that contribute to the loss of melanin in hair.

The human body has millions of hair follicles. These follicles generate pigment and hair that contains melanin. As we age, the hair follicles tend to lose pigment-containing cells resulting in the greying of hair.

We contacted Dr N Bhavana, a consultant dermatologist at Care Hospitals, to debunk the claim. She told NewsMeter that an effective treatment for greying hair is yet to be found.
“We can manage premature hair greying with diet and supplements but if the cause is ageing or genetics, then there is probably no natural way to reverse greying. It is good if you are not allergic to onion and if the remedy worked out for you. The side effects of onion juice are minimal yet the ‘remedy’ it provides is completely anecdotal. Similarly mint shows the same effects. No studies on these ingredients reversing greying have been recorded yet,” the doctor said.

“We can manage premature hair greying with diet and supplements but if the cause is ageing or genetics, then there is probably no natural way to reverse greying. It is good if you are not allergic to onion and if the remedy worked out for you. The side effects of onion juice are minimal yet the ‘remedy’ it provides is completely anecdotal. Similarly mint shows the same effects. No studies on these ingredients reversing greying have been recorded yet,” the doctor said.

She further added, “Curry leaves are widely accepted as a home remedy for hair growth. They are excellent sources of micronutrients required for pigmentation. However, ingestion of curry leaves would help not topical application.”

Moreover, there are several causes behind premature hair greying. Vitamin deficiency such as B6, B12, biotin, Vitamin D or Vitamin E leads to premature greying. Other factors such as genetics, oxidative stress, certain medications, smoking and excess use of hair dyes and hair products can lead to premature greys.

It should be noted that there are limited studies that suggest onion juice to be beneficial for hair in specific cases. Onion juice might help some people with hair growth and nourishment but the results are anecdotal.

According to Healthline, there is no peer-reviewed evidence that exists on the concept of onions reversing the process of greying hair. The idea behind using onion juice to reverse hair greying could be due to the antioxidant compound called catalase that helps reduce hydrogen peroxide at the hair roots.