Everything we do to our body (including what we put in and on it) matters. While nourishing oils are amazing, they aren’t a miracle and can’t single-handedly fix months of damage to hair. The same rule applies if you are taking a vitamin but also flat-ironing your hair on high heat every day…they’re just going to cancel each other out. Everything we do works together; if we’re good to ourselves inside and out, we reap the benefits (and vice versa).
Watch out for hard water.
Hard water—which contains calcium and magnesium—can leave hair with that straw like texture. Even if you’re using the best shampoos, conditioners, masks, and other natural treatments your tresses can still feel dry. If you start noticing a marked change in your hair, pick up a shower-head filter.
Try scalp massage.
The art of head massage with oils has been practiced in Ayurveda for thousands of years to promote healthy, shiny hair. “I often recommend that my clients do scalp massage with an oil of their choice at least once a week.” explains Dr Aman.
Dr Aman further adds that the best oil of choice which can almost be used universally for almost everyone is cold processed coconut oil. There are certain conditions and some specific kinds of infections where excess oil use and prolonged leaving in of the oil may cause harm, other that that it is almost always a great practice.
Added bonus: Head massage also helps with headaches, sleep, and relaxation.
Use natural shampoo.
Using an all-natural shampoo to wash the oil out from the scalp massage is extremely important. You don’t want to go and suffocate it with toxic chemicals. This can cause more imbalance! Instead, use an all-natural shampoo with healing plants that continue to cleanse and nourish the scalp.
It may be tough to find and all natural shampoo based on a thorough knowledge of ingredients and the base material in shampoos the dermatologist can wisely guide you to choose the right one.
Opt for a moisturizing conditioner.
Conditioner seals the moisture into the hair and helps protect the hair from the harsh elements that we face on the daily basis, including weather, environmental aggressors, and pollution.
Be diligent about brushing.
Brushing is an amazing way to stimulate the hair follicle. You can do it with or without oil. But with oil helps to break up scalp build-up and pulls nourishment through the ends.
If you have to heat style, do it carefully.
It’s essential to protect hair from heat styling and to use quality tools that have an overriding of heat settings. Dermatologist Dr. Samriddhi recommends using hair dryers with the nozzle attachment to target airflow or a diffuser to help distribute heat more evenly. She also advises using a heat protectant before blow drying—and using a flat iron as infrequently as possible (or never).
You are what you eat.
Hair is made of protein, so ensuring you have enough protein in your diet is crucial. Besides the usual meat suspects, try nuts, seeds, lentils, and beans. In addition to protein, lentils and beans contain iron, which can offset hair loss. Vitamin E helps to promote hair grow faster treatment. Natural sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, avocados, and green veggies, such as broccoli and spinach. Did you know our bodies can’t make omega-3 fatty acids? Therefore, they must be found in the diet. Omega-3s help provide the oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated, which helps promote growth. Zinc deficiencies can lead to hair loss and poor scalp health, both of which hinder hair growth. But here don’t be misguided to buy and have only expensive fish oil capsules as source of omega three as there are other sources, more beneficial for individual body types.
Take your supplements.
While eating a balanced diet helps, you may not be getting the proper amount of hair-building nutrients. That’s where supplements come in. There’s a lot of buzz lately about women taking prenatal vitamins to promote hair growth. Our best bet? Supplement with ingredients that promote hair growth: biotin, keratin, vitamin E, and omegas. Biotin is an essential vitamin for body tissue. Symptoms of a deficiency are thinning or loss of hair. Keratin is a protein that makes up the structure of hair, skin, and nails—and promotes thick and strong strands throughout the growth cycle. If the supplements contain other ingredients like resveratrol in good doses of 20-30 mg per tablet or capsule it is even better.
But here another thing to look for is the body’s absorption ability for the supplements. Ones body should be able to absorb nutrients well. This factor can be well managed by following some simple dietary or yogic practices.
