When God created hair, It must have also thought about the herbs to look after hair. I mean, God being the perfect entity, cannot leave things half done. And so were born, some exclusive, and some not exclusive, herbs for hair care.
And if you don’t believe in God, that is fine too. You can look at it from another angle. As the human civilization got more advanced, and it took care of food, clothing and shelter, the next aspiration was the desire to look beautiful. And hence experimentation with various herbs and oils began.
There are so many incredible herbs for hair that nature has provided us, and as you know I keep sharing them on hair buddha. In this article, I am going to talk about a multifunctional herb, Fenugreek Seeds.
I call fenugreek seeds multifunction because it’s fantastic not just to reduce hair loss, it also helps increase hair density and thickness. And there’s so much more that fenugreek can do for your hair and scalp. But first let’s briefly see what are fenugreek seeds, followed by hair benefits of fenugreek, and then I share with your fenugreek hair growth spray recipe – which is super-duper.
What Are Fenugreek Seeds?
If you have never seen fenugreek seeds, they are yellow-amber in colour with a pungent-bitter flavour. You will find the use of fenugreek seeds in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and North Africa. I don’t use them as much in my cooking, maybe sometimes in making dal. I reserve them for – you guessed it – haircare.
And why not, these aromatic seeds have amazing beauty benefits. But they also have medicinal value. Fenugreek is often prescribed in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to reduce cholesterol, blood sugar, soothe stomach irritation and detox the body. For your skin, it can help reduce wrinkles, dryness as well as shrink a pimple.
What about hair? How does fenugreek benefit hair? Let’s find that out…
How Does Fenugreek Seeds Promote Thick, Shiny Hair
Fenugreek is packed with hair nourishing components such as amino acids, fatty acids, saponins, antioxidants and slimy mucilage. Moreover fenugreek seeds also have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal benefits. So what can these do for hair? Here’s how these components benefits hair:
1. Fenugreek Stimulate Blood Flow to the Scalp
And as you know, when there is more blood flow to the scalp, more nutrients are supplied to hair follicles. So they will grow stronger and healthier hair (1).
2. Fenugreek Interferes With DHT And Reduces Hair Loss
The saponins in fenugreek interfere with DHT metabolism. One of the major reasons for male or female pattern hair loss is the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone) attaching to hair follicles and causing them to shrink over time, eventually resulting in hair loss.
Fenugreek seeds can inhibit DHT from attaching to your hair follicles, thereby saving hair from its harmful effects. So the use of fenugreek will help reduce hair loss.
3. Fenugreek Gives Hair Volume and Texture
The little seeds of fenugreek are a rich source of protein which our hair loves. They add volume and strength to the hair and make them appear fuller. It is especially beneficial if you have fine hair and want to give texture to your hair.
4. Fenugreek Helps With Dandruff
Besides, fenugreek seeds are great for our scalp too. All thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. They can help get rid of unhealthy microorganisms that may be irritating the scalp and causing dandruff and flakes.
5. Fenugreek Makes Hair Soft, Smooth and Glossy
Yup, it has natural conditioning properties due to the slimy mucilaginous substance present in the seeds. When you soak fenugreek seeds in water, the slime is released. And it’s so so amazing for hair.
Fenugreek coats the hair and moisturises it from within. You will notice your hair getting softer and shinier with every use.
Now that you how useful fenugreek is for your hair, let’s get to making hair spray.
How To Make Fenugreek Hair Spray For Thicker Hair Growth
Making fenugreek seed spray is one of the easiest DIY you can do. It needs no cooking, just some soaking and stirring. That’s it and it will revive your hair with its beautiful benefits.
You will need:
Optional Add-ins
- 1 tablespoon Aloe vera gel/juice (Nourishes hair and balances pH)
- 5 drops Lavender essential oil (soothes scalp and adds shine)
Making:
- In a bowl, place fenugreek seeds, add water and stir.
- Leave them aside, covered for around 24 hours.
- After soaking, the seeds swell and become more than twice the size.
- But we don’t need the seeds. We need the golden colour liquid that has fenugreek properties.
- So you strain the water. For extra boosts, I like to add aloe vera juice and lavender essential oil. But you don’t have to.
- Take a spray bottle, fill in fenugreek water (and aloe vera and lavender oil if using), shake well and use.
How to Use Fenugreek Spray:
Before washing hair, spray on your scalp and hair and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Then wash as usual.
There’s also a second way you can use it. If you got dry, frizzy hair, use fenugreek water as a last rinse. After shampoo, apply the fenugreek water on your scalp and hair and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse out. This way, it will not only stimulate hair growth, but also make your hair soft and glossy.
Storing the leftover fenugreek water: You can store it in the fridge for up to a week.
What do you do with left over fenugreek seeds?
You can grind the seeds to a smooth paste, add some yogurt (or coconut milk) and use it as a hair mask.
Or you can sprinkle the seeds in your salad or stir-frys. They are quite nutritious. However, if you are new to eating fenugreek seeds, it’s better to avoid if you are pregnant. Also, those allergic to chickpeas or peanuts may react to them.
Where to Buy Fenugreek Seeds:
You can find them everywhere. In most grocery stores, Indian or Non-Indian. You can also buy fenugreek seeds online.
Happy Creating!
I would love to hear how fenugreek spray works for you…
