Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been in use for hundreds of years, both as a medicine and in food. Hippocrates started the trend when he mixed vinegar with honey for a healing and energizing elixir. Today, many authors tout benefits such as helping acne, premature aging, weight loss, acid reflux, chronic fatigue, high cholesterol and more. ACV really can do it all – even cleaning your house!

It goes without saying that it would be impossible for me to research absolutely everything that apple cider vinegar can do (that’s a future project!), but this article is going to focus on using ACV for hair. It can make your hair look better and, even more impressively, it’s been claimed that it can stop your hair loss!

There are a number of theories when it comes to what causes unhealthy hair and hair loss. Some experts think that it’s down to hormones, others think it could be a poor metabolism. Another theory is that it’s caused by an unhealthy scalp and conditions such as dandruff, seborrhea and psoriasis. Although I don’t know how ACV can help with hormone, it could possibly help with the other causes.

Those who think poor metabolism is to blame can try a few teaspoonfuls of ACV taken a day for a few months. Many have reported that it stopped the hair loss and lead to new growth of healthy and thick hair.

If you don’t like to take ACV neat, then you could start the day with a concoction of 4 tablespoons each of honey, ACV and black strap molasses instead.

There are a number of things that can contribute to an unhealthy scalp, such as modern diet and shampoos containing chemical ingredients. Your scalp can end up harbouring bacteria, yeast and fungus – these all contribute to hair loss and irritation. If this could be your problem then you may benefit from a rinse with a mixture of ACV and sage tea.

Here are the step by step directions on how to perform the vinegar rinse:

First mix four ounces of ACV (try to get organic and not over-processed) with 4 ounces of water. Now add 10 drops of sage essential oil to the mix, and pour the solution on the hair making sure it comes into contact with the scalp. Once you’ve finished, wrap your hair in a towel and leave it on for at least 30 minutes. After this time, rinse and shampoo as usual. You can perform this treatment each day, but once a week is the minimum. Remember that vinegar is acidic and can dry out the hair – if this happens then you may want to use a conditioner to moisturize the hair. And you should avoid the rinse if your hair is colored or treated with chemicals.

As someone who takes more prescription medicines than she wants to, Natalie MacBride is looking into alternatives to using drugs as a remedy. If you’re interested in the possibilities of getting healthy more naturally, visit her at her blog Natural Healing with Food.