Besan For Hair: Benefits & How To Use

Besan, also known as gram flour, is a very common ingredient in the Indian kitchen and has been used extensively in skin care for a long time now. But its benefits don't end with skin; it is very beneficial for your hair as well.

Mainly used for its cleansing action, besan has high nutritional value and leaves you with healthy and luscious locks. It has strong antioxidant properties that fight free radical damage to enrich and nourish your scalp and give you the hair that you desire. Rich in essential vitamins, proteins and fibre, besan can be used to whip up some amazing home remedies to tackle different hair issues.^[1]

That being said, let's find out how you can use besan to achieve strong and healthy hair. But first, take a look at the various benefits that besan has to offer for your hair.

Benefits Of Besan/Gram Flour For Hair

• It cleanses the hair.
• It promotes hair growth.
• It prevents hair loss.
• It fights dandruff.
• It revitalises dull and damaged hair.
• It strengthens your hair.
• It treats oily hair.
• It adds shine to your hair.

How To Use Besan/Gram Flour For Hair

1. For hair growth

Yogurt contains lactic acid that effectively stimulates the dormant hair follicles to boost hair growth.^[2] The acidic nature of lime juice helps to maintain a healthy scalp to promote hair growth while almond oil keeps your scalp moisturised and nourished.^[3]

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp besan
• 1 tbsp almond oil
• 5 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tsp lime juice

Method of use

• Take besan in a bowl.
• Add yogurt to this and give it a good stir.
• Now add almond oil and lime juice to this and mix all the ingredients together well to get a smooth paste.
• You can add water to the paste if you feel that it's too thick.
• Dampen your hair and apply the paste on your hair. Ensure that you cover your hair from the roots to the ends.
• Cover your head using a shower cap.
• Leave it on for 15 minutes.
• Rinse it off thoroughly.
• Shampoo as usual and follow it up with a conditioner.

2. For dandruff

Both besan and curd possess strong antioxidant properties that remove dirt, impurities and excess oil from the scalp and ward off hair issues such as dandruff.^[4]

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp besan
• 1 tbsp curd

Method of use

• Take besan in a bowl.
• Add curd to this and mix it well until you get a smooth paste. You can add a little water in the mixture to achieve the desired consistency.
• Apply the paste on your scalp.
• Leave it on for 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off thoroughly later.

3. For deep cleansing the hair

A simple besan mix is quite effective to deep cleanse your scalp by removing the dirt and impurities to leave you with a nourished scalp and gorgeous hair.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp besan
• Water (as needed)

Method of use

• Take besan in a bowl.
• Add enough water to this so as to get a mixture with a runny consistency.
• Using a brush, apply this mixture to your hair.
• Leave it on for 5-10 minutes.
• Rinse it off thoroughly later.

4. For oily hair

Besan deep cleanses your scalp to get rid of excess oil while fenugreek acts an emollient to keep your scalp moisturised and prevents oily hair.^[5]

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp besan
• 2 tbsp fenugreek (methi) powder
• Coconut milk, as needed

Method of use

• Mix besan and fenugreek powder in a bowl.
• Add enough coconut oil in it so as to make a smooth paste.
• Apply the paste on your scalp and work it into the length of your hair.
• Leave it on for 15-20 minutes.
• Rinse it off thoroughly using lukewarm water.
• Shampoo as usual.

5. For strong and healthy hair

Curd and olive oil both have antioxidant properties that prevent free radical damage and help to maintain a clean scalp and promote healthy hair growth.^[6] The acidic nature of lemon adds to the cleansing effect and thus this makes up for an effective blend to achieve strong, healthy hair.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp gram flour
• 1 tbsp curd
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method of use

• Take besan in a bowl.
• Add curd to this and give it a good stir.
• Now add olive oil and lemon juice to this and mix all the ingredients together well.
• Apply the mixture to your hair and scalp.
• Leave it on for 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off later and shampoo your hair as usual.

6. For shiny hair

Besides promoting hair growth, the protein-enriched egg white, rejuvenates your hair to add a healthy shine to your hair. A great cleansing agent, almond adds into the mix by making your hair soft, smooth and shiny.^[7]

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp besan
• 2 tbsp almond powder
• 1 egg white

Method of use

• In a bowl, mix besan and almond powder.
• Add egg white to it and mix well to get a paste.
• Apply the paste to your hair.
• Leave it on for 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off thoroughly later and shampoo as usual.

Also Read: Besan For Skin: Benefits & How To Use