COMMON TIPS FOR HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL HAIR

COMMON TIPS FOR HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL HAIR

By Dr. Pran Rangan

Beautiful hair adds to one's personality, whereas un-cared for and un-kempt hair can visibly mar it. Besides, healthy hairs reflect one's general health too. Below are mentioned some tips for maintaining healthy and beautiful hair:

Eat nutritious diet - Experts suggest that correct nutrition is instrumental to healthy hair growth and, conversely, many deficiencies correlate with hair loss. A nutritious diet must include enough of fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, beans, whole grains, carrots, low fat dairy products and nuts besides fatty fish like salmon, eggs and poultry. Consumption of red meat should be kept to minimum. A diet that includes all these things will provide adequate quantities of vitamins, anti-oxidants, trace elements and amino-acids essential to hair health.

Have adequate sleep daily - Besides nutritious diet, having enough sleep of 7 to 8 hours daily is essential to hair health.

Avoid stress - Stress can have adverse effects on our body. Stress can lead to hair loss as well as reduce their growth rate and make them unhealthy, so use stress management techniques to reduce it.

Minimize hair styling products - Use of harsh chemicals in some hair styling products and treatments will only spoil their growth in the long run. So, try your best to minimize their use and instead use herbal products.

Use natural products more - Aloe vera is an effective natural remedy to treat dry or damaged hair and adds shine and volume to them. It can be used in the form of gel, which is readily available in the market but be aware that most will contain additives. So, try to use a brand that contains pure aloe vera.

Use of a 2:1 mixture of curd and lemon juice is quite effective as hair conditioner. Moreover, it is natural and easily available in every home.

To add bounce to hair, use of a 1:1 mixture of warm water and apple cider vinegar on them is very effective. Rinse it thoroughly after 5 minutes to get rid of the apple cider smell.

Olive oil is great for conditioning and shine. Honey can also be combined with olive oil to make the results much better. Use them once a week or a fortnight depending on natural oiliness of hair.

Keep hair clean and free from oil - Hair wash should be quite frequent, depending on the oiliness of skin and exposure to dirt and dust. It's not good to wash them daily, because it can strip them off natural oils, which are essential for healthy hair growth. So, try to find your own balance.

Use correct shampoo and conditioner - Try to use different high quality products for a certain period of time and decide by the process of elimination the product that suits you most. Try to find a good combination of products especially designed for specific hair types.

Do not comb wet hair - Combing wet hair can break them. Use of dryer should be kept to minimum as it is likely to weaken them. It is best to let hair dry naturally, especially in the summer time.

Treat hair gently - Avoid being harsh when combing, drying or styling hair, because harsh movements can significantly damage the locks. Similarly, using very hot water for washing hair can damage their tips. Therefore, use cold or lukewarm water instead.

Give regular massage to hair - Massaging improves blood circulation and stimulates blood flow to hairs. One can use coconut oil or almond oil to massage scalp. Applying lavender oil also promotes their growth. Massage the scalp gently moving it with finger tips in circular movements.

Trim hair regularly - Snipping hair more often helps in faster hair growth and removes split ends. Trimming the lower portion of hair every six to eight weeks is always advisable as it ensures that the damage is minimal. And this promotes growth of healthy hair.

Avoid using styling tools - The biggest culprits behind damaged hair are hot tools and styling products as they reduce their thickness and sheen making them look dull and dry.

Avoid tight hairstyles - Ponytails and similar hairdos look awesome but tight hairstyles cause pressure on the roots and can lead to breakage of hair. So, try different and loose hairstyles.

The bottom line - Good and lustrous hair is the crowning glory of one's looks. Our hectic, modern lifestyle, which includes everyday stress and pollution, adversely affects our hair health. Maintaining long and lustrous hair is not a one day task. But, conversely, it requires a proper and dedicated hair care regimen. The above tips for hair care are easy to follow and are bound to give us healthy and beautiful hair.

Good and lustrous hair are an asset for one's personality. Our modern, hectic lifestyle does a lot of damage to their health. Therefore, it entails that one should take proper care to keep them healthy and beautiful.