First things first. Avocados are amazing. There, I said it! When it comes to fruits, avocados and powerfully unique. Like most fruits, avocados are rich in minerals and vitamins, but unlike most fruits, avocados principally consist of healthy fats rather and not carbohydrates. Though they are mostly fats, more than 75% of the calories from avocados come from the monounsaturated heart healthy fatty acid, oleic acid. This acid, also found in olive oil, is believed to fight inflammation, which makes it very beneficial to scalp health and therefore, hair growth. Avocados are also loaded with antioxidants, that fight free radical damage and contribute to hair and scalp health, they can help reduce cholesterol and being rich in fiber, avocados are a delicious treat you can enjoy guilt free.
Avocados and Your Hair
As with most other beauty related foods, ancient Egyptians figured out a long time ago that avocados can improve the overall health of your hair and skin. Being rich in fatty acids, avocados are excellent for combating dryness, which is a common hair concern for women of all hair types. Dryness can lead to breakage, split ends, dullness and frizz so it is important that dryness is corrected as soon as possible in order to preserve your hair. Correcting dryness of the hair and or scalp can prevent hair loss and damage and will improve the look, feel and manageability of your hair.
Dietary deficiencies such as protein or vitamin deficiencies can also contribute to hair loss or retard the rate of growth. An unhealthy scalp is also an impediment to hair growth. Avocados contain vitamins E and B, both of which promotes a healthy scalp and help strengthen and protect hair. The fatty acids in avocado help hair stay moisturized by creating a layer of oil over the hair shaft. This coating helps the hair maintain its moisture levels over longer periods of time. The vitamin and mineral content of the avocados provide nourishment to the hair and scalp, creating an environment in which hair can grow and thrive.
Repairing Damage
Hair can become damaged if exposed to extremes in temperatures. Over exposure to the sun or frequent use of direct heat from styling tools like blow dryers and flat irons can also result in heat damaged hair that both looks and feels dry. Homemade avocado masks are effective ways to repair damaged hair or to keep healthy hair in tip top condition.
As a colleague of mine once said, avocados are hard, hard, hard and then suddenly they are ripe and ready for eating. One ripe, you only have a small window before your avocado becomes too soft or too brown. Whenever, this happens, remove the flesh of the avocado from the skin and pop it into a container or plastic bag to freeze for future use on your hair. Homemade avocado conditioners and masks are very easy to make and can be made from just avocados or you may add other common household ingredients such as yogurt, mayonnaise, honey or eggs. This means that making an avocado hair mask is as simple as shopping in your pantry or raiding your fridge. This is a pretty simple way to improve the health and elasticity of your hair and elasticity is a key factor in preventing breakage.
Homemade Avocado Hair Mask Recipes
The recipe below is as simple as recipe as you can find for an avocado hair mask. All you need is an avocado and you’re off to the races. When making hair masks, the riper the avocado the better it is, as it will require less effort to create a smooth paste from an avocado that is overly ripe. It’s also a great way to use something that you would most likely otherwise throw out.
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
water
plastic cap
Create a paste by crushing your avocado and adding just enough water to achieve a spreadable consistency.
Apply your lump free avocado paste to freshly washed hair, cover with a plastic cap and leave on for at least fifteen minutes before rinsing.
Your hair’s density and length as well as the size of the avocado will determine how many avocados you’ll need. Whenever multiple ingredients are involved, increase all of them by the same factor, However, this isn’t science class. Precise measurements are not required to pass and inaccuracy will not lead to disaster. You are working with safe, food grade substances so don’t worry too much about exact measurements.
Avocado and Egg Mask
This mask is particularly beneficial when your hair is not just dry, but is also weak from heat damage or damage caused by chemical treatments like hair coloring, perming or relaxing.
Ingredients
1 egg
1 avocado
water as necessary
plastic cap
Combine your egg and avocado together in a smooth, lump free and spreadable paste
Add water if necessary.
Apply the mask to damp hair that has been freshly washed. Cover hair with a plastic cap and let the mask do its magic for at least 15 minutes.
Rinse, condition and style as usual.
Avocado Olive Oil and Honey Hair Mask
Regardless of the condition of your hair, this mask will moisturize and nourish your hair while increase shine and taming frizz.
Ingredients
1 avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil or oil of your choice
2 tablespoons raw honey
plastic cap
Mix all the ingredients together to create a smooth, lump free paste.
Spread evenly from the ends of your hair to tip paying particular attention to any areas of damage of dryness.
Cover hair and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Rinse, condition and style as usual.
Avocado and Mayonnaise Hair Mask
Ingredients
1 small avocado
½ mayonnaise
plastic cap
Crush avocado until it is smooth and free of chunks.
Add mayonnaise and mix until uniform in color and consistency.
Apply to freshly washed hair working upwards from your ends to your roots.
Cover hair with a plastic cap and let sit for 30 minutes.
Rinse, condition and style as usual.
It is not uncommon for people to apply their hair mask before washing and conditioning. It is up to you and totally a matter of personal choice. However, you may find that your hair responds better to the mask when it is freshly clean as there are no product residues or dirt covering the strand and restricting access of the mask and its nutrients to the hair shaft.
Avocados are great for your health from the inside and outside. Even if you don’t care for the taste of it, you can still experience its benefits for hair by laying on its fatty goodness and watch your hair thrive and become more healthy, shiny and vibrant.