A good hair day unconsciously makes us merry and set us in a cheerful mood. Isn’t it, ladies and gentlemen? 🙂 We all desire to have hair that is healthy, lustrous, voluminous and full of life. There’s no doubt that your hair boosts your personality, so it is essential to take good care of it in the proper manner. In this article, Dr Kausthub Desikachar brings you 5 simple hair care secrets for healthier hair growth inspired by Ayurveda. Read on to also learn how good hair care and a healthy diet can help you achieve the perfect hair.
Hair loss and hair thinning is increasingly common with people of today’s generation. We’ve all have to do with it at some point in our lives, and with chunks of hair strands getting trapped on the hairbrush, it is hard not to stress out. But Dr Kausthub Desikachar says you’ll be happy to know that there is light at the end of every tunnel, and ayurvedic remedies can help you get to that light sooner. While you may not even apprehend, the tiny deeds you do to your hair can cause either damage to it or grow it. A proper hair care ritual might be just what you require to tackle the condition.
Understanding HairFall And Hair Growth | What is Normal?
Dr Kausthub Desikachar says it is essential to understand what normal hair fall is and the average pace of hair growth to avoid stress concerning the hair fall. Hair fall is a part of the hair’s natural growth cycle. Shedding 100 strands of hair every day is normal as an outcome of the natural hair growth cycle. Most people also observe that the density of scalp hair has dwindled as they grow from childhood to adulthood. This is natural as the scalp expands as we grow. For a healthy person, hair on the scalp usually grows about .3 to .4 mm/day, approximately half an inch per month on average. That’s a grand total of around six inches per year. The pace of hair growth depends upon your age.
Causes Of HairFall
A lot of factors can influence the growth of our hair. Below are some answers to the majorly asked question, “What are the causes of hair fall?”
- Hereditary
- Emotional Stress
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy, childbirth, menopause
- Medical conditions like hormonal imbalances, thyroid, infections in the scalp, alopecia areata
- Certain medications like chemotherapeutic medications, antidepressants, arthritis and high blood pressure pills and radiation therapy
- Harsh chemicals in hair care products
- Excessive hairstyling
- Nutritional deficiencies like Biotin, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin D, and Protein
- Dandruff and poor hair care routine
- Rough handling of hair
- Pollution and UV radiation
- Lifestyle habits
- Age
- Aggravation of Pitta
5 Simple Hair Care Secrets For Healthier Hair Growth Inspired By Ayurveda
1.Nasya
Ayurveda recommends implementing Nasya as it is one of the best natural remedies for hair loss along with other numerous health benefits. The tradition of lubricating your nasal passages with Ayurvedic herbal oils is called ‘Nasya’.
Nasya prevents hair fall, accelerates hair growth, and nourishes your hair follicles, strengthening the hair and reducing hair fall drastically.
How To Perform Nasya
Lie down horizontally and tilt your head backwards slightly. Few oil drops are let into the nostrils to flow and touch the back of your throat inwardly. Once the oil is instilled into your nostrils, inhale profoundly and continue in the lying position for a minute or so.
Dr Kausthub Desikachar suggests getting in touch with your Ayurvedic expert to get a recommendation on choosing the Nasya oil that best suits you.
2.Regular Scalp Massaging With Ayurvedic Oils
Adopt the practice of frequently massaging your scalp with warm herbal oils. This practice activates your blood vessels, enhances oxygen flow, intensifies blood circulation to your scalp, and ensures nutrient supply to the hair follicles, thereby supporting substantial nourishment to your hair and successfully prevents hair loss.
How To Massage Your Scalp
Gently massage your scalp with warm pure ayurvedic herbal oil for about 15 minutes. Use your fingertips to massage the oil on your scalp from front to back with gentle strokes. Ayurveda suggests doing a scalp massage a night before you plan your hair wash and always use the inversion method while massaging your scalp. This method increases blood flow to the scalp, thereby stimulates hair growth and gives your scalp and hair a conditioning effect.
Oils Used For Scalp Massaging
Coconut oil, Seasame oil, Almond Oil oil, Alma oil, Neem oil, Olive oil, Brahmi oil, and Bhringraj oil are the most commonly used and effective hair oils that promote hair regrowth. A concoction of the oils is also said to be effective.
3.Regular Hair Cleansing
It is recommended to at least cleanse your hair twice or thrice a week. If you don’t wash your hair frequently, chances are the oils secreted in the scalp and external pollutants seal your hair follicles and leads to scalp irritation, dandruff, and hair fall. Also, it is best to avoid chemical-free shampoos and go with natural ayurvedic herbs.
Ayurvedic Herbs Used As Hair Cleansers
Shikakai, Reetha, Triphala, Aloe vera, Amla, Hibiscus, Fenugreek, Neem, etc., are some of the commonly used Ayurvedic ingredients for Hair cleansing.
4.Let Your Hair Down
Do not put your hair up or try out any tight hairstyle. Constantly pulling up your hair can cause loss of hair in the front of your hairline. Ayurveda experts recommend trying hairstyles that allow you to let your hair down, or if you definitely need to tie up your hair, put it into a loose-low bun.
5.Diet And Excercise
Nutritional insufficiencies are also one of the significant cause of hair loss, so you must eat a well-balanced diet and make sure you include food rich in Vitamins A, C, D and E, Zinc, B Vitamins, Iron, Biotin, Protein, and Essential Fatty Acids.
Nutrient-Rich Foods For Hair Growth
Below mentioned foods can be beneficial when it comes to hair fall due to nutrition insufficiencies, and that is why Dr Kausthub Desikachar presents to you, some of the best foods for promoting hair growth :
- Cucumber
- Pumpkin
- Eggs
- Carrot
- Beans
- Nuts and seeds
- Green leafy vegetables like spinach, coriander, mint, kale, cabbage, etc
Additional Tips For Hair Growth And Maintenance
- Keep yourself well-hydrated
- Indulge in any kind of physical activity 30 mins a day
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Avoid indulgence in alcohol and cigarettes
- Keep your head sweat-free
- Avoid brushing wet hair
- Dry your hair naturally with microfibre towels and avoid dryers where possible
- Use a wide-toothed neem comb
- Avoid hair styling products and tools where possible
- Avoid hot showers
- Avoid salt/hard water for showers
- Protect your hair from external pollutants and UV rays
- Trim your hair ends regularly
- Apply natural homemade hair masks at least once a week
- Practice Yoga
Dr Kausthub Desikachar
Dr. Kausthub Desikachar is the successor and current lineage holder of the classical Viniyoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser. He is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet.
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