For us desi girls, childhood memories are made of tying mommies dupatta to mimic long, flowing tresses. Sure Rapunzel got a run for her money but boy did we make the run fair and square.
Our love for long, healthy hair runs deep with it being cornerstone of beauty and health. Although the health and length of our hair is predominantly pre-determined with the genes we inherit, a few beauty rituals help me making the hair stronger, longer and healthier.
Hair grows out of a follicle. A follicle or the roots, are fed with a rich supply of blood that nourishes it and keeps it healthy. Here are five routines that help in stimulating the hair follicle.
Massage: A warm oil massage, done regularly is a great regimen to keep the hair follicle in good health and flush with nutrients. The correct massage technique is to massage the scalp with the finger tips, using gentle pressure vertically on the hair, move the scalp against the skull bone clockwise and anticlockwise only. Three circle each, around are great to stimulate the follicle. Keep the oil for 20 mins or so and wash off with warm water.
Diet: Hair needs good quality protein to stay healthy and grow. Some great hair foods are:
Green tea: The brew’s catechins like EGCG (antioxidants) boost blood flow and oxygen to the skin and hair which delivers key nutrients. A healthy, flush with nutrients follicle will keep the hair growing steadily while keeping split ends in check.
Walnuts: This wonder nut contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, an ace food for hair and skin. A handful of walnuts spaced through the day are a perfect hair food for voluminous, lustrous hair.
Cottage cheese: For a high-protein, selenium-packed boost, consider introducing cottage cheese into your diet. Its best home made so it’s free of addiditives. Hair is all protein and with a good supply available in the body, the follicle is well nourished. This prevents hair fall and keeps hair growing in a steady pace.
Almond milk: Dairy is considered highly inflammatory, which means it aggravates our body to react in indifferent ways to our skin and affects blood circulation unfavorably. Replacing dairy with almond milk is a great way to keep maximum nutrition going to the hair.
Hemps milk: A magical replacement to dairy is Hemp. The tiny green Himalayan seed is a nutrition behemoth, rich in phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Additionally it contains six times more omega-3s than fish. This combination of nutrients accelerates hair growth, while hydrating us from the inside turning dull, dry hair to bouncy, soft, lustrous hair in a very short time.
Hair packs: Hair packs help improve the keratin shaft of the hair by making it smooth and pliable. This removes friction, minimizing hair breakage and split ends. A great pack to do weekly is an organic slush made from 2 over ripe bananas, 2 tbsp of coconut oil, 2 sour curd, 2 tbsp cocoa. Apply it along the shaft and keep for an hour before washing off with warm water. This pack is enough for shoulder length hair, for longer hair adjust the quantity accordingly
Hair wash care routine: Wash your hair as often as it gets dirty. It’s a myth that hair needs to be washed every few days only. Its like any other body part and has to be kept clean, free from bacteria which inhibit the healthy Ph that the scalp needs to be in. The pH of the scalp needs to be acidic to prevent fungus, bacteria from nesting and growing near the hair follicle. Bacteria and fungus result in disorders like dandruff, psoriasis which result in bald patches. Wash hair with warm water and finish off with a good conditioner. Switch over to naturally made shampoo bars and conditioner bars. These cleanse better and do not strip hair of essential oils. THE best part though there are not ghastly ingredients in there which are carcinogenic, skin irritants or bioaccumulative.
Ph pack: do a curd pack every fortnight to maintain the Ph balance of the scalp, keeping it healthy and nourished. Blend a cup of sour curd with 2 tbsp coconut oil, and 1 tbsp of methi seeds powdered. Apply on the scalp and keep for 20 mins, wash and shampoo.
Finally…
… our bodies start healing from the moment we start respecting it and pay attention to it. It takes six weeks for skin to refresh but takes approximately 8-10 months for hair. Visible benefits from dietary changes take time, the happy note here is that the changes are almost immediate within our bodies. For hair to change and get healthy is a factor of how disciplined we get with the hair care protocol and how we minimize the damaging elements of pollution, wrong foods and products. For persistent hair conditions like uncontrolled hair fall, itching scalp please talk to your GP or consider seeing a trichologist.
Pic: Image by Claudio_Scott from Pixabay
