Fungal infections do not only wreak havoc in the kitchen but also on any part of the body including the scalp, feet, skin etc. Fungal infection can ruin your skin, scalp and peace of mind.
A dirty scalp with oil and accumulated dead cells will easily attract fungus. There are various types of fungus that affect the scalp, but the most common one is the ringworm.
This fungi infection makes the scalp to become itchy and dry. Some of the commercial products we use on our hair can make hair to be frizzy and dry.
Causes of Hair Fungus Infection
Pets: One of the most common ways of contracting fungal infections infection is from pets because pets generally carry fungus on their body. Sharing items like hats, combs and scarves with them can infect and damage the outer layer of your skin and hair.
Dirty Scalp: Leaving your hair dirty with oil and pollutants will easily attract fungal infections.
Symptoms of Hair Fungus Infection
Here are the main symptoms of fungus infections
- Severe hair itching.
- Patches of scaly skin on the scalp.
- Scalp becomes tender.
How to Naturally Get Rid of Fungus infection?
It is very important to take proper care of our hair and scalp when infected and to prevent infections. Below are some natural remedies to treat hair fungus infections.
- Castor oil.
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Garlic and honey.
- Lemon juice.
- Olive oil.
- Neem oil plus coconut oil.
- Coconut oil.
- Tea tree oil plus aloe vera gel.
Castor Oil: Dip cotton into castor oil and apply it on the affected area. Let the oil sit for about 30mins – 1hr and rinse hair thoroughly with cold water.
Make sure you dry your hair as the fungus grows more rapidly in a wet surrounding. Castor oil contains anti-fungal properties that will help kill fungi and also act as a good conditioner and moisturiser for your scalp.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix a cup of apple cider vinegar with four cups of water and rinse your hair with the mixture before applying shampoo. Apple cider vinegar contains antioxidants which will aid the speedy recovery of the skin in the affected area.
It also contains anti-fungal compounds which will kill the fungus and treat the infection.
Garlic: Crush five cloves of garlic and add 3-4 tablespoons of honey. Mix properly and apply this mixture on your scalp and massage for one or two minutes. Allow the mixture to sit for ten minutes and rinse off with shampoo.
Honey aids garlic in its anti-fungal activity and smoothes the skin/scalp. But since garlic might sting a little, you can add milk to dilute.
Lemon Juice: add 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice to warm water and use it to rinse your hair after washing then use cool water to rinse off to close up the pores on your scalp.
Lemon acts as an anti-fungal agent to the hair fungus and also helps to kill other microorganisms which may be causing damage to your scalp.
Olive Oil: Apply olive oil on your hair and scalp then massage for a few minutes and leave it overnight before rinsing it off in the morning. Olive oil contains a lot of nourishing compounds including vitamins that will help to reduce dryness, flakiness of the scalp and itching.
Neem oil plus Coconut Oil: Add one tablespoon of neem oil to 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil and apply the mixture on your scalp at night before going to bed. Let it sit overnight and rinse hair in the morning. This is very effective in relieving itching and also kills hair fungus.
Papaya: Mash a few pieces of papaya and apply on the affected area then leave it to dry. Rinse off with cool water after 15mins. Papaya extract contains antifungal enzymes called chitinase which degrades the fungal cell wall causing the fungi’s death.
Coconut Oil: Apply coconut oil on scalp and hair and massage the hair for some minutes then leave to sit for a few hours or let it sit overnight then rinse in the morning. Coconut oil contains fatty acids such as lauric acid which have antimicrobial compounds.
Apply coconut oil of hair and scalp regularly to treat fungal infections and dryness of scalp. It also protects your hair from damage and keeps hair healthy.
Tea Tree Oil plus Aloe Vera Gel: Add ten drops of tea tree oil to a cup of aloe vera gel and mix properly. Apply this mixture on your scalp and massage for a few minutes then allow the mixture to sit for about 45mins-1hour and rinse off with warm water.
Tea tree oil contains terpenes which are a major group of hydrocarbons. Terpenes are responsible for antimicrobial activities against fungi and bacteria.
