Let me guess. You are on your way to work and chance upon the smooth, lush thick locks of this woman sitting next to you on the subway and wonder how she got it done. Here you are, tired of having tried every trick in the book, every chemical-laden hair treatment to deal with frizzy and dry hair, but to no use. Let us share some finer secrets and tips from the book of Ayurveda to get you the perfect smooth, well-textured, thick and lustrous hair. You don’t know. You may be about to turn the table of envy on your side with these remedies!  

1. Load up on these minerals

In Ayurveda, one of the most ancient systems of wellness, hair and nails come from the same tissue systems as the bones. So nutrients and minerals like zinc, magnesium and calcium that build up and strengthen our bones are also needed for healthier hair.

Some rich sources of calcium include almonds, oatmeal, greens (we cannot emphasize enough how important they are as calcium boosters), and sesame seeds. Experts suggest, your daily diet should have about 1200mg calcium, 60mg zinc and 600mg magnesium to fill up on the mineral meter in your body and for your voluminous hair!

2. More food tips

Go for

·       Sweet juicy fruits

·       Green vegetables but cooked or sautéed

·       Make general use of fenugreek, cumin, turmeric and coriander

·       Use small amounts of healthy fat like clarified butter to detoxify body’s fat tissues

·       Add coconut to your diet. You can never go wrong with that one

3. Save your hair from damage first

To have the dreamy luscious hair, you must first cover your basic. Reduce hair damage, if you find you are losing too many strands of hair every day. In other words, protect your scalp at any cost.

According to Ayurveda, problems of the scalp arise from an imbalance in Kapha and Vata, two of the three Ayurvedic humors or Doshas in Sanskrit. While Kapha brings the quality of softness, nourishment, fluidity and stickiness, Vata is more about qualities like roughness, dryness, air and movement. When these doshas are aggravated over time, coupled with poor management of the scalp’s level of moisture and overall health, they manifest as impurities on the scalp like patches on the skin, sores, or dandruff, which can be both, wet or dry. The imbalance and can also lead to hair loss, numbness of scalp, itching and flakiness.  So here are a few simple Ayurveda inspired tips to clean up your scalp!

4. Why oiling matters

When you massage the scalp and hair, the oil nourishes the cells in the scalp, stimulates blood circulation in the head region, detoxifies the scalp and additionally causes the secretion of happy hormones like serotonin in the body giving you a relaxing and calming sensation. Oiling is a great way to have the rich nutrients and antioxidants present in the oil seep into the tissues for complete nourishment. But you must know your hair oil well and if it is suited for your hair and scalp type which could be weighing on the drier side or it could be sticky.

5. Nourish Your Hair With These Herbs

Certain herbs in Ayurveda are particularly valuable to address various aspects of hair health. For example,

Bhringraj or false daisies

·       helps to rejuvenate hair,

·       cool down Pitta and increases immunity against stress caused by the environment.

·       Improves blood circulation to the scalp

·       Improves hair growth

·       Prevents premature greying

·       Improves and maintains thickness of your hair and natural color

·       It also aids liver and kidney health which has a direct say on the health of your hair

Brahmi or Gotu Kola

·       Most commonly used to support hair growth since ancient ages

·       Protects the hair follicles and reduces hair damage

·       Nourishment for the hair roots

·       Fights itchy and dry scalp

·       Antifungal and anti-inflammatory

·       Rich in antioxidants

·       Has regenerative qualities that support hair growth

Amla or gooseberries

·       Strengthens and protects the scalp

·       Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal-so helpful in keeping fungal infections at bay

·       Rich in vitamins A and C, polyphenols, carbohydrates and minerals, carotin

    
Now if you are wondering about how to make so many different types of herbal oils, how to use them or blend them in a way that it does not lose its unique gifts and properties, you would be happy to know there are herbal oils formulated based on the knowledge of Ayurveda and application of modern science of actives and antioxidants in the nature.

For example, Shankara’s Hair & Scalp Oil, made from the richness of sesame oil, avocado oil, Jojoba oil, Vitamin E Tocopherol, gooseberries extract, sandalwood essential oil, bringraj extract, lavender essence, clary sage and rosemary, is specifically designed to moisturize dry and damaged hair for shinier, healthier, and luxurious locks. The oil is safe to use on colored hair. It deeply penetrates the hair shaft and conditions hair from the roots. It can be used for colored hair too!
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