Struggling with Dandruff & Hair Loss? Try These Ayurvedic Remedies

Ayurveda recommends nutrient-dense food, regular exercise and good sleep as the key factors for glowing hair.

Ayurveda Remedies For Hair Loss and Dandruff: Our quest for pretty hair often leads to frustration and unhappiness.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Silky elegant tresses always attract attention. But with today’s fast and stressful lifestyle, having and maintaining lustrous hair remains an unfulfilled dream. In fact, our quest for pretty hair often leads to frustration and unhappiness. Bad hair days are a common occurrence. It’s not only the looks, but also the health of hair that is getting affected — resulting in dandruff, hair loss and many other problems.

Understanding Dandruff and Hair Loss

Irregular washing of hair may aggravate the situation.(Photo: iStockphoto)

Dandruff is a skin condition that affects the scalp, producing flaky skin. These flakes are harmless and caused by a fungus that lives on the scalp of most people. The condition is not directly related to hygiene, but irregular washing may aggravate the situation. Dandruff causes itchiness, and if scratched a lot it can lead to an infection.

Losing a few hair every day is normal. Each hair strand has a life. It grows to a certain length and then falls away.

However, if you start losing a bunch of hair every time you brush it, it becomes a cause of concern.

What Are the Causes?

Many factors conspire against attaining stunning hair. Hair health predominantly depends on general health. Presence of any disease can cause hair problems.

Hectic lifestyle contributes towards hair problems greatly.

Extensive blow drying, styling, perming, applying chemical laden colours, using styling gels, sprays or conditioners, using harsh shampoos, exposure to scorching sun and swimming in chlorinated pools are a few reasons for dandruff and hair fall.

Physical, mental and emotional stress, lack of exercise, and spending lots of time indoors in airconditioned rooms also adversely affects hair health.

According to the Mayo Clinic, seborrheic dermatitis is one of the most prevalent reason for dandruff. Oily, itchy scalp is a symptom of this type of dandruff.

Hair problems are not taken seriously or are often ignored. Use of medicated shampoos is the conventional treatment for dandruff and for hair fall, doctors prescribe a course of vitamins. More often that not, it is only a temporary solution and doesn’t solve the problem.

Ayurveda to the Rescue

Take one spoon of amla powder with warm water every day.(Photo: iStockphoto)

Ayurveda attributes hair health to a healthy metabolism. Poor or weak digestion slows the metabolism, resulting in a build-up of toxins that leads to chronic health problems. This makes hair dry, dull and could cause split ends — one major cause of hair fall.

It recommends nutrient-dense food, regular exercise and good sleep as the key factors for glowing hair. Hair health is affected by hormones. Optimal hormone health depends on a regular lifestyle.

1. Avoid processed, stale and deep-fried food.
2. Avoid refined sugar, bad fats and cold drinks
3. Stay away from chemical laden artificial drinks
4. Drink hot water throughout the day to remove toxins
5. Consume warm healthy drinks to nourish the body
6. Include fresh vegetables, especially green leafy veggies that are rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C
7. Snack on fresh seasonal fruits
8. Soak 2 almonds and 1 walnut overnight in water. Have it the next morning
9. Roast ½ cup sesame seeds and ½ cup poppy seeds. Grind finely. Add to your salads everyday
10. Take one spoon of amla powder with warm water every day.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Beautiful Hair

Massage the scalp with warm coconut oil.(Photo: iStockphoto)

Here is a list of remedies you can try on weekly basis. The results won’t be instantaneous but will be noticeable with time.

• Massage the scalp with warm coconut oil. Pile the hair and cover it with a hot towel for 30 minutes. This helps in the absorption of oil. Wash hair with a good herbal shampoo.
• Make a paste of 2 table spoons of fenugreek seeds soaked in water overnight. Apply to the scalp and keep for one hour. Wash hair with a mild shampoo. Fenugreek arrests hair fall and controls dandruff
• Make herb oil. To one litre of coconut oil add 20-25 basil and 10-15 neem leaves and keep it in the sun for 15 days. Strain and store. Apply this oil for an hour before washing.
• Application of paste of neem leaves and lemon juice to the scalp helps to control dandruff.
• Apply a paste of sour curd, powdered fenugreek seeds and amla powder to the scalp. Wash after 30 minutes.

Beauty is the reflection of optimum health. Glowing skin and hair indicate the balance of physical, mental and emotional factors. Health, according to Ayurveda is an inside job.

Topical applications for skin and hair are beneficial only if there is balance and harmony in all body systems.

Ayurveda addresses the cause to heal it. A beauty practice based on Ayurveda can work wonders if attempted patiently. Try it to experience a great hair day every day.