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Valentine’s Day is that time of the year when it’s all about love! And that includes falling in love with your hair. We don’t mean that you need to rely on expensive salon treatments to achieve a gorgeous mane. A simple trip around the house will get you the ingredients you need to let your hair down (pun-unintended) this season. As we expose our hair to multiple brush strokes, heat-based devices, chemical modifications and more which lead to hair damage, here’s everything we need to know to prevent its long-term effect on our hair.
Our sweat glands are natural oils needed for hair health and over time, the sweat production decreases. Thus, we need external oil application to do the job of coating the hair shaft and what better than coconut-based hair oil for this. It is rich in straight chain, small size triglyceride molecules which penetrate deeper inside the hair strands and fill the internal cavities, making hair stronger from within.
Everyone’s hair is different, and lots of factors can influence the quality and density of hair. Genetics is the major determining factor. With age, the hair growth pattern and the quality of hair change. This results from a cumulative effect of hormonal actions, stress, and nutritional habits of the individual, and external factors such as hair care practices, pollution and sun exposure.
In our quest for beautiful hair, we often do things that damage our hair. Damaged hair is fragile, so it tends to break. Hair breakage can leave us with frizzy, unhealthy-looking hair. If we continue to damage our hair, we may eventually see thinning hair.
From the high concentration of alcohol present in sprays that can dehydrate the hair-strands and irritate the scalp skin, to harsh chemicals present in bleach and hair smoothening treatments, that can injure and erode our hair cuticles, hair styling can be a risky game. Moreover, the continual reforming and rebuilding of the hair to achieve the desired look while perming and rebonding compromises the strength and moisture-retaining capacity of hair strands, precipitating dryness and luster loss.
The good news is that simple changes can prevent further hair damage.
* Apply shampoo on the scalp. When you rinse the shampoo from your scalp, let it flow through the length of your hair and resist the temptation to rub it into your hair.
* Pre–condition the hair with coconut-based hair oil. This seals the hair and prevents the damage caused by external assaults ranging from simple act of shampooing to use of heat-based devices.
* Use a conditioner after every shampoo wash.
* Dry the hair with a towel. Air dry as much as possible. Limit the number of times you blow dry the hair and use the blow dryer on minimum energy settings.
* Spritz some coconut-based hair oil before using heat tools. This will form a protective layer on your hair and prevent direct exposure to heat.
* Trimming your hair every six to eight weeks prevents split ends and damage, making ends stronger and leading to faster growth.
If you perm, colour or relax your hair, add more time between touch-ups.
* Avoid stroking the hair 100 times a day with hairbrush. More strokes lead to more hair splitting.
* Use a wide-tooth comb and use it gently to comb your hair.
Avoid pulling and tugging on your hair as you brush, comb, or style it.
* Limit hair brushing when the hair is wet. Always use wide-toothed comb while handling wet hair.
Adopting a healthy diet containing fruit, vegetables, grains, and an appropriate amount of fat will promote healthy hair.
Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B-12, and iron.
Dark green vegetables contain high levels of vitamin A.
Legumes are full of protein.
Whole grains, egg yolk and soy flour contain biotin.
Nuts are a good source of selenium.
Low fat dairy products are good sources of calcium.
* Coconut-based hair oil stops the hair from absorbing water as well as losing moisture. This moisture balance effect helps to prevent frizzy and dry hair.
* Aloe vera moisturizes the hair and the scalp. It soothes inflamed scalp that could be caused due to dandruff.
* Egg yolk is rich in vitamins that may make hair more resistant to damage.
* Bananas are rich in potassium, prevent hair breakage and help in hair growth.
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Dr. Jushya Bhatia Sarin specialises in dermatology, venereology and leprosy. She has an experience of 8 years in the field. She is the founder member of Sarin Skin Solutions, which is a skin specialist clinic in Delhi. It provides treatment for clinical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, hair transplant and more. She believes in making expert skincare more accessible and normalising visits to a dermatologist. She holds a Diploma in skin allergy from Ludwig University, Germany and has been trained in injectables in Tehran. Some of the services provided by her are hair loss treatment, scar treatment, wart removal, mole removal and more. ...Read More
