Caring for your Hair

The condition of your hair is an effective barometer of your general health. Healthy shiny hair is an indication of a healthy body. And like all other aspects of your health, your hair too needs looking after. Whether your hair is naturally oily, dry or normal, it requires regular upkeep to keep it healthy.

Drinking plenty of water and eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables is probably the best way to keep your hair healthy. But there are also some simple home remedies you can follow to keep your hair in good shape.

OILY HAIR is generally oily in appearance, where the strands separate and stick to your head. Caring for your oily hair means shampooing it as often as possible with a mild shampoo. However, you should avoid brushing and combing more than necessary. A very good home remedy for oily hair is to add some lemon juice to the water you rinse your hair with.

DRY HAIR is usually brittle and tangles easily. This kind of hair should be shampooed sparingly and conditioned every time. A good remedy for dry hair is to massage warm olive or almond oil into your hair. Wrap your head in a warm damp towel or a plastic turban and keep it on for at least 30 minutes before shampooing.

NORMAL HAIR shows none of the above characteristics and is usually easy to care for – but it does need care! A great conditioner for bringing shine to your hair is methi seeds. Soak these over night and grind into a paste (it’s quite sticky). Apply to your hair and shampoo after an hour. This is also an effective remedy for dandruff.

DANDRUFF is not only embarrassing but it can also cause further problems such as acne. Dandruff usually consists of the dead cells that are shed by the skin, to be replaced by new ones – a normal ongoing process. However sometimes the pH balance of the scalp may get disturbed leading to excessive sebaceous secretions and the dandruff (scales) may tend to stick on to the scalp. When they get shed off, they fall in white/yellow flakes. Dandruff can happen in both dry and oily scalp conditions. The collection of dead cells on the scalp can cause the pores of the scalp to get blocked leading to obstruction of the flow of natural oil to the hair, giving the hair a dull and lifeless appearance.

Mild dandruff can be controlled by some home remedies like these: -

Put a few drops of Eucalyptus oil in coconut oil and massage into the scalp. Leave overnight and then shampoo. This process repeated twice a week for a couple of weeks will show improvement in dandruff conditions.

Lemon juice also helps in restoring the pH balance of the scalp. Put a few drops of lemon juice in 15-20 ml of coconut oil and massage into the hair. Leave overnight and wash off the next day to find hair shining and clean. Over a few applications, this treatment will help in restoring the scalp pH balance and reduce dandruff formation.

These natural dandruff treatments also rely upon massage as a very important part of the treatment. A massage stimulates blood flow to the scalp, restoring the pH balance of the scalp and removes the dead cells. This stimulates growth of healthy skin cells and restores the natural oil flow to the hair follicles by opening up the pores