Hair Problems - 2

HAIR LOSS

      Hair loss, alopecia, thinning of hair and balding is some of the common hair problems. Many of us suffer from these ailments due to our modern lifestyle and diet. Ayurveda can be very beneficial in treating these conditions as it investigates the root cause of the problem. First understand the ayurveda body types and then the causes for these hair conditions:

• Excess of Pitta dosha in the body is the chief cause of hair problems. Pitta is increased by excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol, meats and excessive smoking. Pitta is also aggravated by eating too much fried, oily, greasy, spicy, sour, and acidic foods.

• Intake of too many chemical medicines, low blood circulation, anemia, general weakness after disease, stress, and mental tension are also prime causes of hair loss

·         • Chronic diseases like typhoid fever, presence of dandruff or lice and hormonal imbalance also cause hair  loss       

So  • So watch out carefully for these reasons! You may be overdoing one of them, and thus losing your beautiful hair.   

      Hair Loss Causes

       • There are many things that aggravate the problem of hair loss. The major ones are:  There are many things that aggravate   the problem of hair loss. The major ones are:

      • Stress is the root cause of any problem and the hair loss problem is also associated with stress

      • Severe or prolonged illness of about 2 to 3 months. Any major surgery also leads to hair loss

·        • Hair loss also occurs because of disbalance in harmones. Like overactive or underactive thyroid    glands leads to hair     fall. If any male or female harmones such as androgens or estrogens are out of balance the the hair fall occurs.

·        • Baby's delivery in mother also leads to hair loss.

·        • Intake of strong medicines causes hair loss.
       •Major hair loss occurs because of some fungal infection and diabetes.

      Ayurvedic Treatment for Hair Loss:

        As per ayurvedic hair loss treatment, hair are considered as a byproduct for bone formation. So the tissues from which the bones are formed causes the growth of your hair. People who have straight and blonde hair will face the hair loss problem more than others. Also graying of hair in these people will be sooner than the people having thick and coarse hair. 
In ayurvedic hair loss treatment different things like herbs, yoga, meditation, yoga, balanced diet, and oil massage are combined to give the positive result.

        • The first step is to locate the root cause in your diet or lifestyle that may be increasing the Pitta dosha. Once you locate it, try to give up or at least reduce the diet, habit, or activity responsible for increasing Pitta.

        • The person should maintain a regular bowel movement everyday. In case of constipation, a mild natural laxative can be taken.Triphala, an Ayurvedic herbal powder, is also useful.

        • Regular physical exercise is very beneficial as it helps in balancing the aggravated doshas.

        Massage for Ayurveda Hair Loss Treatment

      • Always use a natural shampoo or soap to clean the hair. As most soaps and shampoos have chemicals, they might be the cause of your problem. Usually the chemicals have a heating effect, and increase Pitta locally. Amala (embilica officinalis), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) are very commonly used in India for washing the hair.

        • Oiling and massaging of scalp is very beneficial for stopping the hair loss. Use coconut oil or mustard oil at least three times in a week. Certain medicated oils like 'Mahabhringraj oil' 'Amala oil', and 'Arnica oil' are very useful. Put oil on the scalp, and massage gently in the roots of the hair.

        • Rub your scalp vigorously after washing the hair. It increases the blood circulation, and activates the sebaceous glands. Take the oil that contains vitamin E. Vitamin E prevents the hair fall and reduces the brittleness of hair and also cure the dry and flaky skin.

        • Daily application of coconut oil mixed with lime juice on the hair is also beneficial. Applying juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also good.

        • Washing the hair with a paste of cooked Urad dal (black beans) and fenugreek (methi) 2-3 times a week, is also good.

        • A paste of licorice made by grinding it in milk can be applied in the bald patches. It induces hair growth. A paste of seeds of lemon and black pepper may also be applied on the bald patches.

       Food and Home Remedies for Ayurveda Hair Loss Treatment

        •The diet should contain more green leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and §  sprouts. Take more proteins, milk, buttermilk, yeast, wheat germ, soybean and vitamin A.

• Every morning eat white sesame seeds as these have plenty of magnesium,and calcium that are essential for the growth of hair.

• Daily eat curd.

• A special Ayurvedic preparation made from Bhringraj (Eclipta elba), Amala, 

§ corals, iron and black sesame seeds is very useful, and even stops the graying of hair.

• A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is good to drink to induce hair growth.

 The juice of alfalfa mixed with that of carrot, and lettuce juice is also good to take.

• Drink 1/3rd cup of aloe vera juice daily. You can also take 1 tbsp of aloe vera gel with a pinch of cumin. Take it thrice a day for 2-3 months to control hair loss.

Herbs for Ayurveda Hair Loss Treatment:

§         • Take apple cider vinegar and sage tea to rinse your hair. This induces the growth of hair.

§         • If your hair are dry then consume burdock and marshmallow tea.

• Massage your scalp regularly with horsetail.

Hair Problems

The structure of hair is like the scales on the skin of a fish that has overlapping scales around a central core called the cortical. Smoother overlapping more shiny and smooth the hair looks. This also leads to easy combing while a tangled or roughed-up structure makes the hair look rough and dull.

Diet and lifestyle are two major factors that influence the health of the hair. Poor diet, illness and deficiencies of any particular vitamin and mineral affects the quality of hair and problems like dandruff, thinning, hair, balding, premature graying etc. spoil the hair.

In an individual the condition of the hair is a reflection of the complete  constitution of him. If the person is not healthy then the health of the hair will be deplorable.
Example: If a person has vata constitution, the hairs are dark, dry, coarse, wiry or frizzy and tend to tangle easily, are prone to dullness, split ends and dandruff. The constitution comprising of Pitta has hair that is light brown, blonde or red and tend to grow gray or thin prematurely and are fine and silky with a tendency to become oily. Hairs are thick, wavy and shiny if the composition is of kapha. 

Hair Tips

Regularly cleaning and brushing the hair is very important. When the hairs are brushed, oil-producing glands in the scalp get stimulated. This natural oil makes the hair glossy and healthy. To give extra shine to the hair, after washing rinse the hair with some lemon juice mixed in a cup of warm water. 

Some common Hair Problems:

Dandruff

Dry skin flaking off the scalp and itchiness is referred to as dandruff. The aggravation of Vata generally causes this dryness.
Home Remedies for Dandruff

·         • Add 1 teaspoon of camphor to half a cup of coconut or neem oil. Store it in glass container. Dosage: Massage this oil into the scalp before bed.

·         • Mix 1 teaspoon of castor, mustard and coconut oil each and massage into the scalp.

·         • Mix one part of lemon juice with two parts of coconut oil. Massage into the roots of the hair regularly.

Dosage: Wash with warm water after three to four hours or leave overnight.

Hair Loss / Balding

when the amount of hair lost grows higher than the normal hair fall that takes place due to the change in environment, increasing age or growth of new hairs, it is referred to as hair loss problem that needs special care. Improper or poor diet, exposure to a lot of chemicals or cosmetics, hormonal imbalance, stress, anxiety and mental tension are some causes of hair loss.
Home Remedies For Hair Loss

·         • Massage the scalp gently with coconut or almond oil daily for 10 to 15 minutes.

·         • Boil neem leaves in water. Cool, strain and rinse hair with it.

·         • Increase green leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and sprouts in the diet. Take more proteins, milk, buttermilk, yeast, wheat germ, soya beans, whole grains and nuts.

Premature Graying of Hair

Graying of hair is a natural process that happens with increasing age, but if the hair starts graying before the age of 35, it is termed as premature graying that occurs due to the aggravation of Pitta dosha. Excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol, meat, fried, oily, greasy, spicy, sour, and acidic foods increases pitta and leads to graying prematurely.
Home Remedies for Premature Graying of Hairs

·         • Apply a paste made from 2-Tsp. henna powder, 1-tsp. curd, 1-tsp. fenugreek seed powder, 1 tbsp. coffee, 2-tbsp. mint juice and 2-tbsp. basil juice. Apply this paste to the hair for two hours. For a darker color, leave this paste in for 3 to 4 hours. Wash hair with any natural shampoo.

·         • Grate some fresh ginger. Mix with honey and place it in a jar. Eat 1 tea spoon everyday.

Itchy Scalp

Aggravation of Pitta dosha, stress, allergic reaction to shampoo, air conditioning, pollution and central heating lead to an itchy and red scalp, with tiny pimples or sores, dull and dry hair.
Home Remedies for Itchy Scalp

·         • Add 1 teaspoon of camphor to half a cup of coconut oil and store it in glass container.

Dosage: Massage this oil into the scalp before bed.

Grind some jasmine roots with lime juice. Wash the hair and scalp with it. The causes for these hair conditions are as follows:

·         • Excess of Pitta dosha in the body is the chief cause of hair problems.

·         • Excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol, meats and excessive smoking.

·         • Eating too much fried, oily, greasy, spicy, sour and acidic foods.

·         • Intake of too many chemical medicines, low blood circulation, anemia, general weakness after disease, stress, anxiety and mental tension.

·         • Chronic diseases like typhoid fever, presence of dandruff or lice and hormonal imbalance.

Hair Treatment

·         • Use natural shampoo or soap to clean the hair.

·         • Use amla (embilica officinalis), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) for washing the hair.

·         • Enhance oiling and massaging of scalp.

·         • Use coconut oil or mustard oil at least three times in a week.

·         • Use medicated oils like 'Mahabhringraj oil', 'Amala oil' and 'Arnica oil'. Put oil on the scalp and massage gently in the roots of the hair.

·         • Maintain a regular bowel movement everyday.

·         • The diet should contain more green leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and sprouts. Take more proteins, milk, buttermilk, yeast, wheat germ, soybean and vitamin A.

·         • Do regular physical exercise.

·         • A special Ayurvedic preparation made from Bhringraj (Eclipta elba), Amala, corals, iron and black sesame seeds is very useful and even stops the graying of hair.

·         • Rub the scalp vigorously after washing the hair. It increases the blood circulation, and activates the sebaceous glands.

·         • A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is good to drink to induce hair growth. The juice of alfalfa mixed with that of carrot, and lettuce juice is also good to take.

·         • Daily application of coconut oil mixed with lime- juice on the hair is also beneficial. Applying juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also good.

·         • Washing the hair with a paste of cooked Urad dal (black beans) and fenugreek (methi) 2-3 times a week.

·         • A paste of licorice made by grinding it in milk can be applied in the bald patches. It induces hair growth. A paste of seeds of lemon and black pepper may also be applied on the bald patches.