Hair Care: Get Those Beautiful Locks

When we were young, our mother or grandmother would wash our hair with Shikekai and then massage the hair and head with large amounts of coconut oil. Then the hair would be combed into two nice tight plaits with ribbons woven in them. Older generations still boast of healthy thick locks of hair and scold us about how our changed lifestyle has made our hair suffer too. And they are right. The changes in diet and our environment have resulted in hair issues like dandruff, hair fall, frizzy and dry hair, and hair breakage at a very young age. Major affecting factors are a highly competitive and stressful lifestyle where stress has direct adverse effects on hair growth, extreme diets that result in deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals, and inclusion of junk food in daily diet which increases consumption of harmful factors.

                    

This means we must make major lifestyle changes to fight these hair issues and bring back healthy hair locks. The first step in this direction is to improve your diet. Before treating your hair externally, you need to provide them with better nutrition internally. There are some foods that are very beneficial for healthy hair growth,

1. Eggs

Eggs contain high amounts of protein and vitamin B7, both of which are essential for hair growth. As hair is mainly made up of keratin, which is a protein, protein-rich foods are always going to promote its growth.

 

2. Green Leafy vegetables

Indian diet has many green leafy vegetables in it like spinach, fenugreek, dill, spring onion, and even some local wild varieties. These contain iron in high amounts, which is important for providing hair adequate oxygen required for growth.

 

3. Foods rich in Vit B12

Vegetarians usually face a deficiency of Vit B12 as it is present mainly in animal food sources. Its sources include fish, salmon, and milk. Vit B12 promotes cell growth.

 

4. Foods rich in zinc

The deficiency of zinc can cause premature excessive hair loss. To avoid this, you should eat zinc-rich foods like legumes, peanuts, and shellfish.

 

5. Carrots and Lemons

Carrots are rich in Vit A, which helps to create the sebum necessary to keep hair moisturized and healthy. Whereas, lemons carry Vit C, which is a powerful antioxidant for protection against UV radiation and pollutants. (Link)

                       

Along with these superfoods, it is also necessary to drink lots of water and have plenty of sleep. Hair is made up of 25% water, giving it strength, moisture, and the medium required to absorb essential vitamins. That’s why it’s good to drink two-three liters of water every day (Link). On the other hand, if you are getting about 7-8 hours of sleep every night, it increases blood flow to the hair. This means hair gets more vitamins and growth hormones essential for hair growth (Link).

 

Regular care at home is the next step in maintaining good hair. Men and women need to follow different hair care routines as per their hair types.

           

Hair Care For Men

 

1.     On average, men need to wash their hair every other day.

Don’t use too cold water to wash your hair.

Use a moderate amount of shampoo and don’t rub your scalp too much.

 

2.     Conditioning is most important after washing hair.

Take a little bit of conditioner and rub it gently into the hair.

Keep for 5 min and wash off.

 

3.     At least once every week, use hair oil.

You can use coconut or rosemary oil.

Gently rub oil into the scalp and massage with your fingertips.

Don’t rub vigorously as this will lead to more hair fall.

 

4.     Choose styling products carefully and use them occasionally.

Hair gels work well to set curly hair.

Choose a product that is alcohol-free, as alcohol dries hair.

Use a very small amount necessary to style only the unruly hair and use a comb to set it perfectly. (Link)

           

            Hair Care For Women

 

1.     As women have long hair, it’s not necessary to wash it too frequently.

            Wash your hair twice a week.

            Use sulfate-free shampoo, as long hair tends to get more frizzy.

            Run shampoo gently from roots to tips, while cleaning the scalp.

            Wash it off and repeat once again. This helps to rid hair of dirt and greasy residue.

 

2.     Drying hair should be done gently.

            Don’t dry your hair vigorously with rough towels.

            Use microfiber towels or old soft T-shirts to wrap hair and let it dry naturally.

 

3.     To get softer and smoother hair, use protein hair creams.

            At least twice a week, gently rub protein hair cream into the scalp.

            Separate hair into smaller locks and apply cream from roots to tips.

            Wash it off the next morning and condition it thoroughly.

 

4.     When using hair dryers or curlers, use protective sprays.

            It is necessary to protect hair from damage before heat treatment.

            Apply a generous amount of protective spray or serum on the full length of hair. (Link)

 

 

The most common issues that people face when it comes to hair are dandruff and thin hair. Dandruff is the result of a dry scalp. This can happen due to mild fungal infection in the scalp or dryness of the scalp due to dehydration and decreased secretion of sebum from sebaceous glands. This results in dead skin cells from the scalp falling off in the form of white flakes, which we call dandruff. Thin hair can result from excessive hair fall. Causes for it can be excessive stress, less sleep, an unhealthy diet, salty water used to wash hair, etc. You need to drink more water and eat healthy foods to avoid these conditions. There are also some home remedies that are very effective in curing dandruff and hair fall.

 

1.     Aloe vera and vitamin E

Take two teaspoons of aloe vera gel and mix it with one capsule of Vit E extract. The mixture helps to rehydrate and nourish the scalp and reduce dandruff (Link)

 

2.     Yogurt and lemon

Take a small cup of yogurt and add juice from half a lemon to it. Apply this pack to your scalp and wash it off with mild shampoo. Yogurt is a natural moisturizer and citric acid in lemon has antimicrobial properties that help reduce dandruff (Link).

 

3.     Grind two teaspoons of fenugreek seeds, which are rich in vitamins and proteins. and soak this powder in water overnight. The next morning, strain it and use the seed water to rinse your hair (Link)

 

4.     To reduce hair fall and get thicker hair, take one-two egg (as per hair length), and beat them thoroughly. Apply it to hair from root to tips, keep for half an hour, and then wash it off. The protein-rich eggs help hair to get stronger and thicker (Link).

 

 

5.     Avocado has Vit E that promotes new hair growth and olive oil moisturizes hair. Take one mashed avocado, one mashed banana, and two teaspoons of olive oil. Mix it thoroughly and apply this mask to the hair. Wash off after thirty minutes (Link).

 

 

There are also some strict Dos and Don’ts that should follow to avoid getting any hair issues in the first place. If these are followed with a good hair care routine, you can definitely avoid hair health problems.

 

 

Dos	Don’ts
Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to avoid dryness and frizzy hair, as sulfates in hair products wash out the essential natural oils from the scalp and make it dry.	Don’t use too cold or too hot water to wash your hair. This gives a shock to the scalp and results in hair loss. Always use lukewarm water to wash your hair.
Cut your hair at regular intervals to get rid of any new developing split ends.	Don’t apply conditioner to the scalp as it will block your hair follicles and make the scalp greasy. Apply it from the middle to the tips of the hair.
Dry your hair with soft towels and don’t rub them too harshly. This will help to avoid any extra frizziness.	Don’t blow dry your hair too frequently as the excess heat damages your hair and makes it dry.
Tie your hair into a simple loose braid before going to bed.	Never tie hair too tightly or keep it completely free while sleeping. This will cause hair fall.
Use all-natural products when treating your hair, whether it be hair color, hair oil, or shampoo, to avoid the side effects of harsh chemicals.	Don’t brush wet hair and after it is dried, brush it from the tips and then proceed to the scalp to avoid hair breakage.
Use different combs and brushes as per the requirement. Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle and a thick brush to style your hair.	Don’t use chemical hair colors or bleach as they cause long time damage.
Use hair rolls to naturally give a nice style to your hair.	Don’t use a hot iron or curling iron to style your hair, as it causes hair damage and breakage.
Use hair vitamins and vitamin supplements to provide the hair with all essential nutrients.	Don’t apply hair oil every day because this can irritate your scalp.

 

So in conclusion, a wholesome diet that is rich in proteins and essential vitamins, a good hair care routine, regular hair nourishing treatments, and following some basic hair care rules will give you back your thick, voluminous curls in no time.