Are you seriously worried about your deteriorating hair quality and continued hair-fall despite spending heavily on hair treatment and salons? Your solution could be hidden inside the simple, economical, readily available bananas. Yes, you read it right. The humble banana fruit is turning out to be the magic ingredient for millions around the world to arrest hair-fall and restore shiny and well-nourished hair.
Believe it or not, we are to be blamed for the poor state of our hair today. Our bizarre lifestyle, including poor dietary choices, high stress, reduced sleeping hours, and unabated sun exposure, smoke, and pollution, results in rampant hair-fall and severely nutrient-compromised hair. Alarmingly, it is not just the old who face this; even younger adults in their late 20s and 30s are battling poor hair quality and high hair loss. This is fuelling the cosmetic hair care industry, which is on a massive growth path. With state-of-the-art treatment procedures and products, the solutions provided by the haircare clinics burn a real hole in the pocket with no guaranteed results. Yet, millions of people turn to this industry to fix their hair problems. In fact, for all the time and money invested in the chemical haircare industry, the results reported are small, short-term reliefs but at the risk of compromising our hair quality in the long run.
Using natural ingredients for haircare has always been very popular in India. The likes of shikakai (soap pod), eggs, and curd have been used as effective ingredients for healthy hair for several decades, especially in the Indian subcontinent. While home ingredients also do not guarantee favorable results for all users, you can at least be sure that there are no short- or long-term harmful side effects for your hair and scalp.
Benefits of banana for hair
Banana for hair is an exciting and practical addition to this list of home ingredients for homemade haircare. The banana fruit is rich in magnesium, potassium, proteins, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and dietary fibre – all considered power nutrients for our hair. In addition, they contain silica, which helps our body produce collagens – an essential protein that makes stronger and thicker hair. Anti-oxidants in bananas are found to help decrease oxidative stress – a key reason for unhealthy hair today. A homemade banana hair mask for dry hair ensures that our scalp is amply moisturised while preventing split ends and breakage. Banana pack for hair is considered a natural super-conditioner that adds bounce to our hair, increases endurance, and improves its manageability. The banana hair mask is also highly effective in treating and preventing dandruff due to its anti-microbial properties.
How to use a banana for hair?
The most preferred way to use bananas is by making a banana hair mask or a banana hair pack using its pulp. While many people use the banana pulp directly onto their hair, mixing it with some other key home ingredients enhances the benefits of bananas for our hair and delivers better results.
How to prepare banana hair mask?
Using bananas effectively for your hair is an easy way to have healthy and shiny hair. Here is a compilation of 5 simple homemade banana masks that you can prepare yourself and use for nourished, healthy hair:
1. Banana and avocado hair pack
Best suited for: Thin/brittle hair types
Avocados are loaded with biotin and vitamin E, which, when combined with the nutrients of bananas, help create a natural hair supplement that could help arrest continued hair loss, heal hair damage, and result in a healthy scalp.
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana, 1 ripe avocado, 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Preparation:
- Mash the ingredients well into a paste. Ensure there are no lumps.
- Stir well and leave it for 10 minutes.
Application:
- Apply this hair pack onto your scalp. Ensure that the pack coats your hair from the roots to the tip.
- Leave it for 30 minutes. Place a shower cap on to avoid any spillage.
- Rinse off with lukewarm water and shampoo your hair.
- Repeat every week for 6-8 weeks for best results.
2. Banana and aloe vera hair mask
Best suited for: Dry hair & itchy scalp types
The goodness of banana, combined with aloe vera comprising beta-carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E, creates an effective moisturiser that steadily improves scalp health, leaving your hair shiny and healthy. It arrests hair loss by preserving and nurturing hair follicles. The banana-and aloe vera hair mask is also effective in preventing dandruff.
Ingredients: 2 medium-sized ripe bananas, 1 stem of aloe vera.
Preparation:
- Pulp the bananas using your hand.
- Scoop the pulp from the aloe vera stem.
- Mix both these to create a paste using a blender.
- Ensure there are no lumps.
Application:
- Apply this hair mask to your hair. Ensure it covers your scalp right to the tip of your hair.
- Cover your head with a shower cap. Leave it for 30 minutes
- Wash your hair thoroughly with cold water, and then shampoo your hair as usual.
- Repeat every week for two months for the best results.
3. Honey and banana Hair pack
Best suited for: Dry hair
Honey is a natural humectant for our hair, and when combined with the rich nutrients of banana, it creates a perfect hair mask that leaves your lifeless hair shining and well-hydrated.
Ingredients: 2 ripe bananas, 2 tablespoons of honey.
Preparation:
- Create a pulp using the ripe bananas. Use hands or a blender.
- Add honey into the pulp and leave it for 10 minutes.
Application:
- Dampen your hair using water.
- Apply this hair pack to your scalp and hair using a colour brush.
- Concentrate more on the tip of your hair.
- Cover with a shower cap to avoid spillage and leave it for 30 minutes.
- Rinse off with lukewarm water and shampoo your hair.
- Repeat every week for eight weeks for best results.
4. Coconut and banana Hair pack
Best suited for: All hair types
Coconut is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. When combined with bananas, it helps in a range of benefits that include nourishing the scalp, replenishing lost hair, and improving the overall health of your hair.
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of coconut milk
Preparation:
- Pulp the ripe bananas using your hand.
- Add coconut oil and coconut milk into the pulp.
- Mix well using a blender to have a creamy paste.
Application:
- Wash your hair thoroughly and dry it before using this mask
- Apply this hair pack onto your head, starting with the roots and working all the way up. Ensure it covers your scalp and all of your hair well.
- Leave for 30 minutes. Cover with a shower cap on to avoid any spillage.
- Rinse off with water and shampoo your hair.
- Repeat every week for three months for best results.
5. Curd and banana Hair pack
Best suited for: Damaged and dry hair types
The simple yogurt or curd in our home is one of the most effective ingredients that prevent split ends in our hair. Moreover, it helps restore damaged hair, prevents baldness, and has been proven to be good in restoring our natural hair colour.
Ingredients: 1 ripe banana, 3 tablespoons of curd
Preparation:
- Pulp the ripe bananas and mix them with curd thoroughly.
- Use a blender to ensure there are no lumps.
- Leave it for 15 minutes.
Application:
- Apply the paste onto your head, from the scalp to the tip of your hair.
- Ensure all of your hair is well covered with the pack.
- Leave for 30 minutes. Cover with a shower cap on to avoid any spillage.
- Rinse off with water and shampoo your hair.
- Repeat every week for six weeks for best results.