Melanin is the compound in biological organisms that produces color. For the human body, it creates the color in your skin and hair. As you grow older, your body stops producing pigment in the hair follicles and hair shafts slowly turn either gray or white. White hair indicates no melanin production and gray has just a little. Graying hair is a natural process and nothing you do will stop it completely. Science has not found a proven method to restore melanin production in hair, but there might be some things you can do to slow the changes and improve color and melanin production.
Step 1
Add a snack to your diet once a day. Make a trail mix of sunflower seeds, cashews and almonds to increase the amount of copper you ingest. Increasing iodine and iron also might benefit you. Snack on carrots and bananas and include one or two seafood dishes in your meal plan each week.
Step 2
Take a B-complex multivitamin daily. According to the website Health and Goodness.com, B vitamins help with cell production, and a deficiency can lead to graying. If you take a prescription medicine, talk to your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet.
Step 3
Melt real butter in the microwave until it is soft. Slather the butter over your scalp. The website Daily Glow suggests this treatment to stop graying and restore hair color. Do not saturate hair with the butter, just cover the scalp area. Let the butter sit for a few minutes, then rinse it out. Repeat twice a week. There is no scientific proof that butter will restore melanin, but the oils will keep the scalp moisturized and healthy.
Step 4
Apply a hair mask once a week. Natural hair masks come with all types of ingredients. Try olive oil, coconut or jojoba oil to start. Mix a couple of drops of any essential oil with one of these carrier oils. Dip your fingers in the oil and massage the scalp. Run fingers down hair shafts to cover hair from root to tip. Let the oil sit for up to one hour. Shampoo and condition normally. You might need to shampoo hair twice to remove oil residue.
Tips and Warnings
- If applying butter to your scalp makes your hair too oily, discontinue and just use the hair mask.
- Some dietary supplements can interfere with medication. Talk to your doctor before taking a multivitamin. If you are on a restricted diet, do not change your meal plan without discussing it with a medical professional.
Things You'll Need
- Sunflower seed
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Carrot sticks
- Bananas
- Fish
- Multivitamin with B-complex
- Butter
- Carrier oil (olive, coconut or jojoba oil)
- Essential oil
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