BEAUTY AND HEALTH: Hair Care

Showing posts with label Hair Care. Show all posts

Monday, December 7, 2009

Helpful Tips

Some people are genetically prone to grey hair, thinning hair or balding. However, the health of your hair depends largely on your blood circulation and nutrition. Without adequate protein inputs in our body, hair stops growing. Its colour changes and it becomes brittle and lifeless. Thus, ensure that you have protein with foods.

Sometimes low haemoglobin results in hair loss. This is due to iron deficiency, which can be overcome by eating bananas, apples and other iron enriched foods.

Avoid eating refined foods like chocolates, burgers, pizzas and pastries. Yeast tablets help hair growth, so does Vitamin E. Other foods that promote hair growth are grains, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables particularly fenugreek, carrot juice, beetroot juice, fish and fruits like avocado, apple and banana. Here are a few tips for your crowning glory.

A regular hair care regime should be followed.
Tie a scarf if you are going out in the hot sun. A hundred strokes at night as granny advised should not be forgotten. Brush firmly, but not harshly, by putting your head forward and throwing your hair in front. Brush neck downwards and outwards.

A warm oil massage regularly is a must.
Be careful when using a conditioner, avoid using it on the scalp, only on the hair strands.
Do not apply the shampoo directly onto the hair. Take a little water in the palm of your hand and mix the shampoo first before applying on the hair.
After shampooing your hair, it is always better to rinse the hair too.
Occasionally rinse your hair with some of the rinses mentioned above.
Choose the right kind of brush for your hair. Flat brushes are best for normal use. Use round and vented brushes for blow drying, while a cushioned brush body is best because it moulds itself to your contours.
Always ensure that you follow a regular cleaning and nourishing routine.

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Greying Hair

The pigment Melanin controls the colouring of your hair. With advancing age, the quantity of pigment produced decreases, and your hair starts greying. Heredity too plays a major role in greying of hair. Pollution in the atmosphere and high chlorine content in water play havoc with your hair and cause premature greying. Natural treatment can arrest and delay this process. The watchword? Patience and continuity of treatment.

SAGE AND TEA APPLICATION :

Put 2 tablespoons tea leaves and a handful of sage in a pan. Add half litre of water. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Cool sufficiently, strain the concoction and apply it to the roots oi the hair. A very effective hair darkener.

HENNA :

The universal favourite since the beginning of time. Used for colouring and covering grey hair. Acts as a tonic too, but has a drying effect; therefore best used along with a mixture of amla powder, boiled tea leaves in water and a little mustard oil. Apply this paste on your hair and leave it on for 2 hours. Wash off with water.

ONION PASTE :

Few are aware of the magical properties of onion for your hair. Regular use of onion paste restores the original colour to your hair. Again, be patient and regular.

BLACK PEPPER AND CURD PACK :

Take half cup curd. Add to this one tablespoon of ground black pepper and the juice of one lemon. Apply this paste on your hair. Regular use helps in darkening your hair and the restoration of pigmentation.

WALNUT APPLICATION :

Crush the fruit of the walnut and power the outer shell. Boil in water. Strain and keep aside till it cools. Use generously and massage deep into your scalp. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then rinse with water. Helps in the retention of pigmentation of your hair.

FENUGREEK (METHI) APPLICATION :

Powder fenugreek seeds or chop fenugreek leaves very fine and boil in mustard oil. Cool, strain and then apply on your hair. Controls pigmentation loss.

AMLA. SHIKAKAI APPLICATION :

Take 5 tablespoons of amla powder; 5 tablespoons of shikakai power and 2 tablespoons of tea leaves. Put them on to boil. Pour the entire contents into an iron wok (karhai). Leave it overnight. The herbs absorb the iron from the wok and the mixture turns a deep black. Apply this thick paste all over your scalp, ensure that the strands and hair ends are also coated. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse and wash off with water.

BITTER GOURD (KARELA) APPLICATION :

Chop the bitter gourd along with the skin into thick round pieces. Soak in a bowl containing 1 cup coconut oil. Leave it for 4 days. Boil, cool and strain after squeezing the bitter gourd juice into the oil. Use this oil regularly. Helps in darkening the hair and restoration of pigmentation.

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Split Ends

To treat split ends, first trim off the ends of your hair to an even length. Use all the nourishing applications described in the earlier chapter for your hair. Avoid back-combing or use of spiky rollers. You could also use these other nourishing tonic applications for your hair.

PAPAYA PACK :

A unique, simple and easy remedy to bring your hair back to life. Take half of a ripe medium sized papaya. Slice after skinning and deseeding it. Put it in a blender and blend it to a pulp. Add half cup of yogurt and apply lavishly to your scalp. Part your hair at regular intervals and apply to hair strands and hair ends. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Rinse hair thoroughly with warm water.

CREAM TONIC :

After you shampoo your hair, use the following tonic: take half cup milk; add to this a tablespoon of cream. Beat it up. Apply on scalp, hair strands and hair ends. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse and wash well with water.

HONEY :

Take half a cup of curd. Add to this a table spoon full of honey. Mix well. Apply on scalp and hair strands and hair ends. After 20 minutes wash with water. See a remarkable change in the sheen and smoothness of your hair.

BLACK LENTIL PACK :

Take half a cup of black dal (lentil). Add one table spoon of fenugreek (methi) seeds. Dry grind to a coarse powder. Add half a cup of curd. Mix well. Apply generously all over the scalp. Leave it on for 2 hours. Wash your hair with water using a mild shampoo. Any of these treatments should be a regular part of the attention that your hair deserves from you. The results? Seeing believes.

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Hair Conditioners

Fruits, vegetables and even nourishing food are miraculous hair conditioners if used in the right way.

AVOCADO :

Chop and put fruit in blender. Mix 2 egg yolks in this pulp. Massage well into hair. Rinse with a mixture of lime juice and vinegar.

MAYONNAISE :

Food for hair! Heat half cup of mayonnaise. Apply to dry unwashed hair. Leave it on for half an hour. Rinse, then shampoo. Gives super results.

SAFFRON :

Boil saffron strands in water. Cool it. Add to it the juice of one lime and one tablespoon of honey. Rub into scalp and hair strands. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water. Your hair acquires a golden sheen.

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Dandruff

This is the most common complaint, and all of us suffer from this at some time or the other. There are a lot of misconceptions associated with dandruff. People who have this problem rush out and buy up the latest shampoos and conditioners.

There is also a misconception that dandruff is caused by dry scalp. In fact, it is due to an oily scalp. Wrong dietary habits like excessive consumption of cheese and chocolates also cause oil to accumulate on the scalp and cause dandruff. Worry and tension increase the flow of oil in the scalp, make you prone to dandruff. These white flakes can be a nightmare. Dandruff further tends to weaken the scalp, and the flakes falling on your face, neck and shoulders can affect your skin too.

WARM OIL TREATMENT :

Warm 4-5 tablespoons full of wheat germ oil, olive oil or coconut oil. Massage well into the scalp. Wrap a warm towel around your head. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Rinse your hair thoroughly with water, to which lemon juice has been added. Massage well as you rinse. This is the most commonly known cure for dandruff.

CHICKPEA FLOUR (BESAN) AND CURD :

Take half a cup of chickpea flour. Add to this a little curd and enough water to make a thick paste. Apply on the scalp and individual strands of hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse your hair with warm water.

ROSEMARY AND OIL TREATMENT :

Take half a cup of coconut or olive oil. Add a few drops of rosemary oil. (alternatively, crush some fresh, or even dry rosemary leaves, boil them in the oil. Let it cool, then strain the oil by squeezing the leaves.) Apply all over the scalp. Leave it on all night after wrapping up your head with a towel. In the morning, rinse your hair with a mixture of warm water and lemon juice.

FENUGREEK (METHI) SEEDS AND OIL :

Crush a tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in about 5 tablespoons of warm coconut or olive oil. ft would be better to boil them in the oil. Cool the mixture and apply generously all over the scalp. Leave it on for two hours. Rinse and wash off.

SOAP NUT (REETHA) :

This is ideal for removing dandruff. Soak half cup soap nut overnight in one cup of warm water. Extract the juice from the soap nut by rubbing them vigorously. Strain. Apply directly on the scalp. Leave this on for 15 minutes. Rinse and wash your hair with tepid water. Shut your eyes tightly while rinsing as it hurts the eyes. Ensure that no residue is left behind.

ONION :

Grind raw onions to a fine paste. Rub this paste into your scalp. Leave it on for an hour. Wash thoroughly. Rub in some lemon juice into your scalp and hair to rid your self of the onion smell.

BLACK PEPPER :

Take 10 grams of black pepper powder. Add to it the juice of a fresh lime, along with a quarter cup of milk. Rub this mixture thoroughly into your scalp. Leave it on for an hour and wash it out thoroughly with water.

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Dry Lifeless Hair

This hair looks like unwashed straw. It grows thicker nearer the scalp and thins out towards the ends, thus causing split ends. Atmospheric pollution too tends to have a drying effect on the hair. Such hair needs extra care.

WARM OIL MASSAGE :

The is nothing as nourishing as a warm oil massage. Take half a cup of coconut oil. Crush 4 almonds and add to oil. Steam this mixture by placing it inside a pan. Apply while still warm, deep into the scalp and into the roots of your hair. Cover your head with a towel and leave it on for half an hour. Shampoo your hair.

BANANA NOURISHING PACK :

Mash two ripe bananas. Add half cup beaten curd.
Apply this paste all over your scalp and coat the ends of the hair with it. Pile up your hair high over your head. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then shampoo as usual. You will immediately notice a dramatic change in the texture of your hair.

EGG TONIC :

Beat up an egg in a cup of milk. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Add to this a teaspoon of coconut oil or olie oil Massage well into your hair. Cover with moist, warm towel. Leave it on for an hour. Rinse it thoroughly. The final rinse should be with lime juice and warm water. A good alternative would be to add yogurt instead of the milk.

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Oily Hair Care

This type of hair is very fine in texture. It is easily affected by atmospheric pollution and needs to be shampooed and washed more often. If you have oily hair, then try and keep it covered when going out in the sun. Diet too is important. Avoid fried foods and dairy products. Increase your intake of fresh fruits, green and leafy vegetables and salads. Drink plenty of water.

LIME AND VINEGAR RINSE :

Take a cup of warm water and add three tablespoons of vinegar along with the juice of one lemon. Gently massage this mixture into your hair and scalp. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Wash and rinse with water.

ALMOND OIL AND WATER APPLICATION :

Take half cup water, add to this a teaspoonful of almond oil. Massage this into your hair half an hour prior to your bath. Shampoo and rinse off. Note, the massage is with oil and water emulsion. Do not use only the oil.

BAKING SODA RINSE :

The hair accumulates dirt very quickly. In addition, there is a build up of shampoo and conditioner . It alters the alkaline (pH) levels, making the hair oily and limp. Here is a quick rejuvenation application. Take a tablespoon of baking soda, add to it 4 tablespoons of cider vinegar. Rub this into your scalp, leave it on for 5-7 minutes and shampoo your hair. It comes out squeaky clean, vivacious and buoyant.

COLOGNE RUB :

Mix equal parts of any cologne and water. Use cotton wool to rub this mixture into fine partings of the hair. This lifts grease of the roots. Wash hair as usual.

APPLE AND VINEGAR RINSE :

Grate one apple. Add to it half cup vinegar. Apply generously all over scalp and length of hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes, wash off, rinse thoroughly.

TEA RINSE:

Make a tea rinse by boiling tea leaves in water. Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Strain and keep aside. After a shampoo use this rinse. Leave it on for 20 minutes, wash off, rinse thoroughly.

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