Best Ayurvedic hair care tips

Hair fall, dandruff, split and frizzy hair, and balding are some of the most common problems that people face everyday – unaware that Ayurveda has solutions for all these problems. Unlike modern remedies, Ayurvedic remedies do not leave behind any side effects. Instead, they make the hair more resilient to damage. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best Ayurveda hair care practices, as suggested by Puneet Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Nirogam.

Basics of Ayurvedic hair care

Ayurveda does not generalize treatment. It recognizes that different people have different doshas and as a result, everyone needs personalized treatment. There are, however, some basic principles that one ought to follow. They include-

Keeping the mind healthy and thinking positively
Eating healthy

Washing the hair and oiling it regularly

Scalp massage

Herbal treatments

Keeping the mind healthy and thinking positively

Ayurveda postulates that all diseases originate inside the mind. It means that doshic imbalances are caused because of the imbalances in our mental state and emotions. Many studies have proven this hypothesis to be true. A 2019 study indicated that hair disorders may have psychiatric and psychosocial aspects. Taking care of your mental health is the first step in being healthy, even when it comes to hair growth.

Eating healthy

Eating healthy is necessary if you want to make your hair strong and long-lasting. Healthy foods nourish the hair follicles from within and make them more resilient.

Best practices include:

Eating dosha-specific fruits and vegetables

Including healthy fat in the diet – like ghee or nuts

Including foods that help in digestion – e.g. cumin, turmeric, ginger, and honey

Including herbal supplements like Triphala to balance the doshas

Also, make sure to eat dosha-specific, seasonally available fruits and vegetables. They can make the body healthy and strong and help maintain the fine balance between the different doshas.

Hair oiling and washing

Hair oils nourish the follicles and the scalp and help retain moisture, which is essential in preventing hair fall. You should always oil your hair thoroughly after washing them and make this activity a part of your hair care routine.

You can either use coconut or sesame oil or purchase a herbal hair oil that contains a mix of several Ayurvedic herbs, including amla, rose petals, reetha, etc. It is recommended that you wash your hair twice a week and oil them afterward. Washing the hair more than that may strip the scalp of its natural oils and discourage proper hair growth.


Scalp massage

Ayurveda recommends that you should always massage your scalp with warm hair oil before washing them. Gently massaging the scalp with herbal oil can encourage hair growth and strengthen the hair from the roots to the tip.

Herbal hair care

Reetha (Sapindus mukorossi) and shikakai (Senegalia rugata) are two of the most popular herbs in Ayurveda to encourage hair growth and prevent hair fall. When the fruits from these plants are added to warm water, they turn into a frothy, soapy, shampoo-like product. This is the DIY way of doing it, but if you do not want to go through the hassle, you can easily find an Ayurvedic shampoo that contains these ingredients.

Conclusion

Just follow these simple tips and your hair care regimen will start making a difference to your hair health. However, while putting all these solutions into practice, make sure that you exercise and maintain a healthy diet. Without it, these tips may not work as well as you would like them to.