In recent years, flaxseed has worked its way up the ladder to becoming one of the most-loved superfoods.
While some people hoard it at home to use on their daily overnight oats, others pay a little extra at their regular smoothie stall to have it as an add-on to their healthy morning juice.
Flaxseed is well-known for its health benefits, from lowering cholesterol levels to giving your body a boost in fiber.
But that’s not all it’s good for.
Flaxseed oil is also excellent for improving the health of your hair, so it’s extremely deserving of being more popular in the beauty realm too.
While many hair types can benefit from flaxseed oil, it’s greying hair that can reap the most from it.
Whether you’ve had grey hair for a while or are only starting to see silver strands after a couple of stressful weeks, using flaxseed oil for grey hair will be your secret weapon in caring for your hair better. Here’s why.
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What Is Flaxseed Oil?
Flaxseed oil is made from the natural oils extracted from – you guessed it – flaxseeds, also commonly known as linseed.
This type of seed excretes a uniquely gel-like “oil” that is rich in nutrients and minerals that are wonderful for your health.
First, flaxseed is a terrific source of omega fatty acids and fiber.
These are great for heart and gut health, making flaxseed a superfood for anyone trying to improve their cardiovascular and digestive health.
It’s also rich in plenty of proteins, minerals, and antioxidants (namely vitamin E) that make it helpful for topical application, whether on your skin or hair.
It makes either one more hydrated and shinier (super important for hair!) while boosting elasticity and bounce.
This is why flaxseed is quite a popular ingredient in many skincare and hairstyling products.
But why is flaxseed oil considered a holy grail for those experiencing hair greying?
Isn’t it just like any other oil that can help moisturize the hair?
Well, today I’ll be taking you through why flaxseed oil should be a favorite among those with silver strands, and how to use it in your daily routine.
Flaxseed Oil For Grey Hair: Benefits
Grey hair is unique in structure compared to younger, more pigmented strands.
And for most of the grey hair’s pressing hair concerns, flaxseed oil can extend a hand to help. Here’s how.
Moisturization
First and foremost, grey hair is a lot more dehydrated.
We all know that greying hair is a symptom of aging, and it’s connected to how well the sebaceous glands in your scalp produce natural oils.
As you get older, your glands become less active, leaving your skin dry (that’s why we get wrinkles too!).
When it happens on your scalp, it’s your hair follicles that suffer.
They won’t be able to feed your strands the nourishment it needs to be healthy and shiny anymore, leaving parched and oftentimes grey hair.
That’s where flaxseed oil comes in.
Flaxseed is rich in omega fatty acids that help moisturize the hair intensely.
This is a great way to compensate for the loss of oil production in your scalp as you get older and develop more greys.
It can leave your hair looking radiant, glossy, and healthy even when it’s grey.
Plus, flaxseed’s moisturizing abilities can also help with dandruff issues.
When your scalp is extremely dry, you can have episodes of flaking and dandruff.
But when you keep it hydrated with flaxseed oil, you can keep those pesky, itchy flakes at bay.
Reduces Hair Breakage
Grey, aged hair also tends to be more porous and fragile.
This is because it’s, well, older.
It’s been exposed to so much pollution and stress over the years that it’s likely more brittle now than when it had a solid color.
And when hair is weak, it leads to breakage.
Flaxseed oil can help reduce breakage by strengthening your grey strands again.
It’s loaded with minerals (including magnesium, copper, and selenium) and omega fatty acids that help make it more resilient and elastic.
It seals your hair cuticles, giving them an extra layer of protection from breaking and snapping off.
Strengthen Hair Strands
Another symptom of aging that goes hand in hand with greying is balding and shedding.
This may be inevitable to some because of genetics, but flaxseed oil can help thicken up and grow your hair back to an extent.
Some people even swear by its ability to grow hair fast.
Flaxseeds are rich in vitamin B and minerals like manganese and magnesium, which are key in making your hair strong and long.
Its omega fatty acid content can also help thicken and strengthen your hair, slowing down the process of shedding even as you age.
Delays Greying
Now, people above 40 aren’t the only ones troubled by grey hair.
Sometimes, people in their thirties and even their twenties can experience premature greying, particularly when they’re feeling more stressed than usual.
Grey hair caused by aging will stay permanently grey.
But if you’re going through premature greying because of external factors like pollution, nutritional deficiency, or high levels of exhaustion and stress, you can still reverse the greying and save your hair color.
Flaxseed oil is terrific at delaying greying, which is great for younger people who go through many stressful situations.
See, the early greying of hair is caused by free radical damage attacking your hair follicles.
To neutralize this, you need to counteract it with antioxidants.
Luckily, flaxseed oil is rich in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant that can stop the greying process in its tracks.
It’s also known to promote healthy hair growth.
So as you can see, flaxseed oil has a plethora of benefits for grey hair – whether you grew into that shade or are experiencing it because of other factors.
Regardless of the cause of your silver strands, flaxseed always has amazing benefits to improve your hair’s appearance, texture, and health.
How To Use Flaxseed Oil As A Deep Conditioning Treatment
The easiest way to use flaxseed oil in your hair is to apply it directly as a deep conditioning treatment.
You can do this as a pre-poo (pre-shampoo) right before you shampoo your hair, or as an overnight treatment that you wash out the next day.
While you can always buy a deep conditioner with flaxseed as its key ingredient, or a whole tub of flaxseed oil from your local grocery, it’s a lot more cost-efficient to make it yourself at home.
Here’s a quick and easy how-to:
Step 1: Heat The Mixture
Put two cups of distilled water and half a cup of flaxseed into a pot over the stove.
Place it on low to medium heat and wait until it gets to a boil.
Be sure to stir so that your flaxseed doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 2: Let The Mixture Cool
Allow it to boil for about 10 minutes, or until you see a gel-like liquid frothing on top of the water.
The consistency of this liquid should be similar to that of egg whites, but it should still be runny and not too thick and creamy.
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
After about an hour, it should have thickened up more.
Step 3: Strain The Gel Out
Place a stocking or thin cheesecloth over a glass jar and pour your mixture in.
Then, start straining the gel out by squeezing the stocking or cheesecloth.
Add extra ingredients to your oil, like essential oils.
Tea tree oil would be excellent for soothing an irritated scalp, while rosemary is great if your goal is longer hair growth.
You can also add a teaspoon of aloe vera or a few drops of your other favorite hair oils, like argan oil or sweet almond oil.
Close your glass jar shut and keep it in your fridge for up to two weeks.
Step 4: Massage Scalp With Gel
Once or twice a week, apply this gel directly to your scalp.
Pour some gel into your hands, rub your palms together to warm it up, and then give yourself a scalp massage with it.
Work your way down the lengths of your hair to cover all your strands as well.
Leave it in for at least 30 minutes before washing.
Flaxseed Oil In Your Diet
You can also ingest flaxseed oil as a supplement or culinary ingredient.
It can help you reap all the hair benefits while improving gut and heart health too.
Mix it with honey and lemon to use as a salad dressing or stir-fry your veggies with it.
Many companies also have flaxseed tablets if you want a quick, fuss-free way to take it.
Conclusion
Many people don’t realize that their grey hair needs extra love and attention than it did when it was pigmented.
But as soon as you notice that your hair is duller, weaker, and less hydrated than before, you’ll be reaching for your glass jar of flaxseed oil every single day.
Using flaxseed oil for grey hair has tremendous benefits, even for younger people.
It helps strengthen and moisturize aging hair, but can also reverse greying for those who are experiencing it way earlier in life.
The best part is that it’s super easy to make and use!
Slather flaxseed oil all over your hair or gulp down a tablespoon of it every day, and you’ll notice results in your grey hair’s overall health (or color) in no time.
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