Hair Essentials!

Lovely, shinning, thick healthy hair is one of the greatest beauty assets. Hair is most definitely the body’s barometer indicating good health or lack of it. The health of one’s hair is indicated by a healthy scalp. There are many reasons for a scalp not being healthy, some of them being inadequate blood supply or even due to hormonal problems. Hair is a precious beauty asset which requires good care. Our column today will tell you the basics when it comes to hair care and hair type. The beauty of one’s hair depends on good health. A high protein enriched diet will always keep your hair healthy and strong.  Vitamin B Complex is important for hair health. The best sources of  B Vitamins are whole grains, greens, milk, nuts, meat, fish, poultry, liver etc.  Iron is also very important for healthy luscious hair.

Let’s begin with the first essential in hair which is Identify your hair type. There are four types – normal, greasy, dry and greasy dry.

1. Normal hair is usually shinny but not oily and fairly easy to manage.
2. Greasy hair looks great for a day or two but needs regular washing as it becomes lank very easily. If you have greasy hair avoid fried and fatty foods concentrate on eating green vegetables, salads, meat, fresh fish, liver, eggs and cheese.
3. Dry hair is the most difficult to manage. It has dry- split ends and usually looks dull. For dry hair add a little vegetable oil to your diet. Dandruff is usually a problem with such kind of hair. A well-balanced diet and less stress can eliminate dandruff permanently.
4. Greasy dry hair is usually long hair where the scalp is oily but the hair tips are dry.

When it comes to hair care an aspect that most people talk about and have to deal with is Dandruff. Today, we give you a few great tips to get rid of this enemy of healthy hair…

• Mix two tablespoons of vinegar and six tablespoons of hot water. Dab with cotton into the scalp, parting the hair with a comb. Try and do this before you sleep so that the ointment can work all night. Do this twice a week and see results within a month.
• Hot oil therapy is known to be the best method to cure dandruff, but there is a way to do this. Massage hot oil into the scalp at bedtime. Next morning an hour before your have your hair wash, rub lemon juice mixed with vinegar 1: 2 ratio into the scalp and then wash your hair with an egg shampoo. You can buy one from the market or make your own. Beat two eggs of water and thoroughly massage this into your wet hair for five to ten minutes. This will give your scalp the needed protein and get rid of your dandruff quicker. Make sure you rinse of the egg shampoo thoroughly but using cold water. People with dandruff should never wash their hair with warm water.
• Rinsing your hair every now and then using the juice of one lemon in a cup of hot water is extremely good for hair that has dandruff. One can do this every wash.  .
• Stroke your hair every night before sleeping if you have dandruff as every hair root had a sebaceous gland that supplies oil to keep hair soft and gleaming. Press the bristles of the brush against the scalp to exercise those glands. This will help reduce your dandruff naturally.
• Give your hair a hot steam bath. Massage hot oil with a damp towel and leave it on the head like a turban so that the steam can fight dandruff.
• Apply a mixture of almond oil and gooseberry juice with finger tips on the scalp.
• Apply  warm mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and coconut oil. Do a steam -towel- wrap for 15 minutes and wash the hair with a shampoo.
• Apply a paste of fenugreek and mustard to the scalp.
• Crush the leaves of five petal hibiscus flower and take the juice. Wash the hair with this juice.
• Add 1 teaspoon of camphor to half a cup of coconut or neem oil. Store it in glass container. Dosage: Massage this oil into the scalp before bed.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of castor, mustard and coconut oil each and massage into the scalp.

After learning about the basics hair essentials, next week we bring to you Natural Hair Shampoo’s and Conditioners.

Tip of the day: After giving your hair a good wash, boil five teaspoons of dried used tea leaves in lime water and use it as a last rinse after shampoo. This will give your hair a shine and nourishment too.