Infomedia: Top Tips for Healthy Hair

Top Tips for Healthy Hair: "

Now that we’ve debunked all those hair loss myths, lets move on to our next important mane mission - hair care! Treating the tresses is necessary for guys and girls alike. It should be reckoned as a part of the health and grooming regime.

As simple as it sounds, how many of us actually do a little something for our hair? Er, no boys - mommy caressing your head does not qualify as hair care! There’s slightly more to it. We’ve already spoken about how heat and pollution and pretty much everything urban is ready to assault the hair. You can run, you can hide… and you can also escape! Say goodbye to fly-aways and frizzies. Here’s how…

Have a balanced, healthy diet. Yep, healthy hair needs healthy food intake. Almonds, for instance, are a boon to the hair. Pop 4-5 almonds a day, and watch your hair growing stronger, shinier…just like they promise in ads - but for real! Green leafy veggies, turnips, carrots and apricots are rich sources of Vitamin A, which strengthens the hair at the roots. Include calcium (milk), iron (red meat, fish, leafy veggies) and protein (milk, soy, fish) in your diet. For silica, eat raw oats.

If you’re running around all day, especially in hot and humid climate, your hair is bound to get sticky and dirty which in turn could lead to hair damage. Just as you clean your skin, its important to cleanse the scalp. Shampoo your hair using a mild, preferably sulfate-free shampoo. Using herbal shampoo? Make sure its strong enough to cleanse the hair. Work up a lather with the pads of your fingers, don’t scrape the poor scalp with your finger nails!

Beer is good for the hair! It helps remove residue and dirt. Use 1 cup of warm water with 6 tablespoons beer as the final rinse.

Conditioning the hair is an indispensable ritual especially if you have dry hair. After shampoo, wring out excess water. Apply conditioner to the mid-section and ends (not the roots)… then run a comb through the hair to spread out the conditioner evenly. Avoid - if you feel you’re losing too much hair at this step. In any case, let the conditioner seep in for 5-10 minutes. Then wash off.

Been using a lot of conditioner, styling serums and gels or hair spray? Rid your hair of product build-up. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with your regular shampoo once a week. Rinse and dry as usual.

Towel-drying the hair? Avoid rubbing too harshly…Just ’soak’ it dry with a towel.

Using a blow-dryer? Just blast-dry instead of heat-drying and styling. It will simply take off the extra moisture without ripping your hair off the essential bit.

Its important to comb and detangle; but gently so. Use a wide-tooth comb in the downward direction (or simply use your fingers!) to even out the hair before running a comb through it.

Avoid combing when the hair is wet. This is when your hair is at its weakest!

To cut down on static electricity, dampen your comb with some water. It works

Avoid using scrunchies or clips on wet or damp hair. Believe it or not, tying up the hair when its damp could cause dandruff!

Use comfortable bands and scrunchies. Tight ones will only cause hair breakage.

Regular trimming is necessary. Chop off those split-ends to ensure your hair is growing in a healthy manner. Girls need a trim every 2-4 months. Guys could go in for a trim 1-3 months, all depending on one’s hair growth rate.

Choose a hairstyle that’s in keeping with your lifestyle. If there’s a lot of leg work involved in your job, it would be best to keep the hair short and sweet and easy to maintain.

Get 7 to 8 hours of beauty-sleep everyday. It will show, on your crown!

Dry hair? Take edible oil and honey in a 1:1 ratio, mix and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water. Otherwise, get an olive-oil massage.

Oily hair? Wash your hair regularly but go easy on the conditioner. Add a tablespoon of malt vinegar and a pinch of salt in a glass of water. Pour out 2-3 tablespoons on your scalp and massage gently. Doing this twice a week will help reduce the oil on your scalp.