It seems as long as there has been people with grey hair there has been ways to get rid of the grey. In modern times most people utilize hair dye and chemicals including bleach. Obviously these havn’t been around as long (and some choose to take the route of not using chemicals) instead herbs have been used and believe  it or not it is internal medicine instead of external application that has dominated this game.

The most famous, and dated, use of herbs has been the long use of longevity herbs for the Emperor of china. With long flowing black hair and status to maintain they used herbs internally to keep the hair black and herbs externally for keeping the skin light. As mentioned in a previous article herbs that are used to treat the Kidney in Chinese Medicine are used for hair as the Kidney ‘rules’ the hair on your head. Also keep in mind that these herbs will also be dark to darken the hair. Lets have a few examples:

He Shou Wu / Polygala: He Shou Wu is often referred to as Fo-Ti as well. He Shou Wu utilizes all the acts of ‘longevity’ by strengthening the Kidney. He Shou Wu is used for hair growth, hair darkening, and blood building. All of these attributes are linked to the long life you are able to have with taking Fo-Ti.

Shu Di Huang / Prepared Rhemania  / Foxglove Root: Di Huang comes in prepared (Shu) and non-prepared (Sheng) forms. I prefer the prepared version of this herb to use as more of a tonic for darkening the hair and eliminating grey.

You can also add these herbs along with herbs like Bu Gu Zhi and Tu Si Zi to a tincture and apply a small amount externally with shampoo daily. These herbs are never able to single out one function so they are also useful for hair loss as well. Side effects will also include moistened skin, better sleep, improved vision, and more energy. So, why not give it a try?