scalp care

My Hair Diary January 2016

February 3, 2017 Swati Leave a Comment

Finally, I am doing the hair diary series. It has been exactly a year since I have done the last one! And, my hair has undergone a lot in this phase. It went from good to bad to worse to better to doing well now. Regular care and maintenance is so important for hair that a day’s slip up can mess its texture. So, lets see what hair lessons I learned.

Using Good Products

After I switched from deFab to Kerastase, my hair went for a toss. The shampoo-conditioner duo were so horrible for my hair. Price is not quality necessarily so next time you would like to try out a shampoo, get a trial sachet or sample first. I am afraid of switching to anything else now!

And, do using the same hair products really cause buildup if we use clarifying shampoos once in a while? Things to ponder upon.

Importance of Hair Oil

Okay, nothing can really help your hair as well as the shampoo-conditioner. But, if you are using the right shampoo and conditioner and handling your hair gently, a good hair oil will go a long way in keeping your hair in great condition.

Well, basically, if we see oiling really helps only the scalp and not the hair length. But, we are so used to the ritual of oiling the hair heavily that it is more of a spa session that anything else. Not sure how much it really helps hair but as long as it is relaxing, who cares? I would say go for it as much as possible.

Hair Cuts and Spas

I feel like getting my hair shaved off in quest of great hair growth sometimes! Well, hair cut is very important so make an appointment once every three months and commit to that routine. Save if you have to but going for hair cut and spa is not an indulgence but necessity in this lifestyle where we hardly eat properly neither save our hair from external pollutants and agents like sun and wind.

Scalp Treatment

I used to this earlier but in between I had simply stopped taking care of my hair and scalp. So, I decided this is the first thing I should incorporate in my routine. I simply roll on the headache rollon on my entire scalp. It is easy and takes very less time. The rollon has rosemary which is great for relieving stress and helping hair growth. Seems like it has been discontinued now as I can not find it on their website. Sad!! I also use Blue Nectar migraine oil sometimes which works equally well.

Also Read : How to take care of your scalp?

Vinegar for Product Buildup

This is probably the most important step in hair care. Once a month at least, everyone should do a clarifying hair cleanse whether you use hair products or not.It just helps to revitalize the hair and remove even the oil buildup if it has been caused. Just a table spoon of vinegar with shampoo and you are great to go. Avoid baking soda as it is drying and grainy in texture so tends to stick to the scalp. And, a final rinse with honey mixed water makes the day!

Also Read : DIY Ginger-Vinegar Hair Clarifier

Products Used

Shampoo – Conditioner : deFabulous Reviver Range (Buy Here)

Hair Oil – Blue Nectar Brigananatadi (Buy Here)

Scalp – Soulflower Headache RollOn (Buy Here)

So, this was my hair story for the last month. Hopefully, it would be better in the next few months. For this next hair cut, I am thinking of trying out the Warren Tricomi salon. Any recommendations? Have you been to the salon? Apparently it is one of the luxury salons so I am hoping it would be a good experience. Fingers crossed!

4 Ways to Stop Hair Fall

May 18, 2016 PSCfy Partner 4 Comments

How to Stop Hair Fall?

Inversion Method

Most of the time hair fall is just due to lack of proper nutrition to the hair follicles. This can occur due to lack of exercise or lack of proper blood circulation through out the body. The inversion method works only in such cases.

Everyday for one week you must bend your head down for 4-5 minutes and keep massaging the scalp simultaneously. Repeat the exercise again after a month. The break is so that the body does not get used to the exercise and stop showing its effect.

Hair Oiling and Scalp Massage

Scalp massage helps improve blood circulation which delivers nutrients to the hair follicle. It is one of the basic techniques in hair care. Hair oil helps lubricate the hair and scalp at the same time, making it easy to massage and conditioning the hair.

It is true that hair oil does nothing more than conditioning the hair but regular application of oil keeps hair fall at bay and helps hair to stay frizz-free and manageable.

Take Care of your Hair Accessories and Choose Hair Products Wisely

Hair accessories like combs and bands get dirty and oily as well (when you apply oil). They must be washed and cleaned regularly to make sure the dirt and grease does not keep on transferring to your hair and scalp over time.

Try to buy wooden combs and avoid hair brushes if you have curly hair. Wooden combs distribute oils all through hair and calms the frizz.

Whenever you are buying hair care products, make sure you buy the professional ranges of good hair care brands instead of the over the counter products. Though expensive, the professional range products are gentle on hair and provide better maintenance. They help control the excess hair fall which can happen due to drying ingredients in the regular shampoos.

Pamper your hair every week with a hair mask. And, never EVER skip conditioner after a shampoo.

Exotic Oils and Essential Oils

I have time and again stressed on how essential oils are one of the best hair fall treatments. My favourites are Rosemary, peppermint, tea tree for hair. They help promote hair growth and reduce hair fall as well. You can mix essential oils in everything right from your hair oil to your shampoo, conditioners, hair masks and even the leave-in treatments.

Another pampering treatment I love is indulging in exotic oils like argan oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia oil, brazil nut oil. They all feel very luxurious (I am not sure how different they are from regular oils in terms of hair conditioning) but it is more of a feel good factor which leaves you and your hair happy after the treatment. It is more psychological.

So, these are just few ways on how to stop hair fall. But, you must remember that excess of everything is bad so if you feel hair fall is excessive, visit a dermatologist or trichologist immediately. Hair fall can indicate an underlying health condition.

What are your tips to stop hair fall?

Inversion Method for Hair Growth {Hair Care}

March 25, 2015 Swati 14 Comments

This post is again by Nayantara. She has already shared the recipe of her dry shampoo and says that this inversion method has helped her hair grow by almost one inch and more every month. Well, you must already be aware that in general hair grows only 0.5 inches every month so let us see what exactly she did to accelerate her hair growth.

Also Read: Participate in the Omved giveaway!

How did you come across the Inversion Method?

I initially came across this method more than a year or 2 back while browsing various hair-care forums on how to grow hair long fast. Then I googled it and found various sites as well as youtube videos about it which show actual results of people who have been using the method. It looked fairly easy and did not take up much time, so thought it could be worth a try.

What is Inversion Method?

Strictly speaking, it would involve a handstand, or a headstand, but luckily for us there is an easier way to achieve the same results! Ancient yogis used inverted poses to rebalance the mind and body thousands of years ago, and it is claimed to increase circulation, stimulate the brain and enhance glandular functioning. The same improved circulation also benefits hair growth. Some genius decided to give this method a name and so “inversion method” was born! The simple version is as follows.

Massage scalp for some time, 5-10 minutes should be good. On a hair-oiling day, I used my regular oil, warmed up, for better absorption. On a non-hair-oiling day, I used just 4-5 drops of my grapeseed oil mix (around 50ml grapeseed oil mixed with 5-6 drops peppermint oil).
Invert head immediately after for 4 minutes, though some people recommend upto 7 minutes, but definitely no more. I would put a book on the floor and read as 4 minutes in this position felt pretty long!
Wash in about 2 hrs or the next morning, depending on when you choose to do this.
Repeat everyday for 7 consecutive days.

What did you do?

Invert head immediately after for 4 minutes, though some people recommend upto 7 minutes, but definitely no more. I would put a book on the floor and read as 4 minutes in this position felt pretty long!

The way I did this was to just sit in a chair and bend over at the waist as far down as I could go. Sometimes I would stand and bend over but do this only if you are reasonably fit and can stay in the position that long. Remember to straighten up slowly as you may feel slightly dizzy after.

Make sure to document your starting and end length.

Use this method only once a month, so 7 days inversion method, 3 weeks nothing, then repeat the 7-day process again. The idea is that if you do it constantly, your body gets used to it, so increase in hair growth will go back to normal. Also it may even lead to health risks.

My results

I have done this thrice so far, December to Feb, and this month is the 4th time. The 1st time I actually got 1” in 1 week, which was awesome. The 2nd and 3rd time I only had ¼ – 1/2” after the week was up, but over the remainder of the month my hair growth was substantially more. I got 1.5” growth each month, as compared to my normal growth rate of around 2/3 -3/4” per month.

Also it’s been winter and hair is supposed to grow slower anyway during that time, and it was pretty cold the last few months in Bangalore.

Precautions to be taken

These are what I found off the net while searching for info.

If you have any of the following conditions, you should avoid inversion COMPLETELY: pregnancy, hernia, low or high blood pressure*, recent stroke, heart or circulatory problems, glaucoma, conjunctivitis (“pink eye”), detached retina, spinal injury, swollen joints, osteoporosis, unhealed fractures or injuries, ear infection, obesity, or are otherwise unhealthy.
Ladies, be sure to avoid attempting the inversion method during menstruation when your blood flow is already being manipulated physiologically.
For beginners and others not used to this, make sure to start at an angle that’s not too steep and be careful if you already are prone to dizziness.

Some Tips and Tricks

Another boost would be to use an oil that specifically helps in hair growth for the massage like castor oil. You can also mix in your favourite essential oils that promote growth like rosemary, peppermint or garlic oil.

What do you plan to do for this hair event?

Since the hair event this week has the scalp massage activity and it’s been over 3 weeks since the last time I did this, I thought of combining the two activities. Will let you know how much my length increases this week, and for those of you who decide to try this, enjoy your new length!

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Activity 10 – Weekend Hair Care Routine – III

March 21, 2015 Swati 6 Comments

So, we are in weekend 3. And, today, I really want you guys to spend time with your hair and see what exactly does it need?

Hair Concerns

Split Ends

If it has splits, please get a hair cut. Do not be afraid of losing the length or the fact that salon people cut more than necessary amount of hair. You can tell them before hand that they should show you how much of the hair they are snipping off.

And, then, follow with weekend hair mask treatments or deep conditioning treatments to keep away the splits and make your hair happy!

Dry, Rough, Colored and Chemically Treated Hair

If it is dry and rough and colored and chemically-treated, following these weekly hair care regimes will definitely help you!

Hair Growth

If you are looking for hair growth, use essential oils and be diligent with scalp care.

Dandruff, Itchy and Oily Scalp

If you are tackling dandruff, oily scalp or itchy scalp, try the vinegar treatment and if it does not work, seek a trichologist or a dermatologist’s help.

Pre Wash Hair Care

Now, last week and before last week, I asked you to apply egg and curd respectively, this week I give you the choice to do anything you would like to. We are strictly talking here about the deep conditioning treatments only. You can do the home remedy or go for the more sophisticated professional products.

Home Remedies

– egg
– curd
– henna or henna gloss
– powdered hair masks mixed with some thing

Henna Gloss

For those who have dry hair but love henna, I have this idea called Henna gloss. You apply henna on your hair but it has other conditioning agents so you have less of dryness and it just leaves the shine on your hair instead of coloring it. You can call it a light tint. You can see my henna gloss recipe here. I did try it once.

For Colored Hair

Well, for you gals, I specifically recommend using the products which your stylist recommended. You can ask them for intensive hair mask treatments. The professional products are gentle on your hair and they have color binding and lasting ingredients which nourish your hair color making your hair look shinier.

If you still want to try out the home remedies, only try out egg. Curd will react with your color. Henna is totally not acceptable and other homemade or commercial hair powders might have some dyes mixed with them so better be safe.

Also Read:
Products which helped my hair
Home Remedies which helped my hair grow

During the Wash

Ohk, so, this is something I have been saying since quite sometime.

Also Read: Everything about Shampooing and Conditioning your Hair

I am reiterating some tips which you might have missed again.

Shampooing

– add a table spoon of vinegar to your shampoo for clarifying your hair.
– dilute your shampoo in water. two dollops of shampoo in two handfuls of water will give rich lather to remove the oil as well.
– wash your hair twice.
– apply shampoo only to the scalp and spread the lather to wash off your hair length. if needed, only then use the shampoo on the hair length. the lather washes off the oil from the hair length also generally so do not overuse your shampoo.
– after lathering your hair, massage your scalp for 1 minute gently.
– rinse well with warm water. repeat the shampoo and rinse again properly to remove all the shampoo. use warm water only.

Conditioning

– after rinsing your hair properly to remove all the shampoo with warm water, squeeze out the excess water gently.
– separate your hair into two partitions gently with fingers.
– take a large dollop of conditioner and spread on hair ends on one partition and then move up the hair length. do not apply conditioner above your ears. repeat with the second partition.
– if using intensive treatment, leave in for 15-20 minutes and if using regular conditioner, 3-5 minutes is fine. make sure you have something else to occupy yourself with. good time to give your nails a trim or a pedicure to your feet.
– wash off gently with warm water first and get rid of all the stickiness and slip of conditioner.
– after washing off properly, follow with a cold water rinse. make sure the water temperature is comfortable for you to bear.

De-tangling the Hair during Conditioning

Generally, it is suggested to de-tangle your hair using a wide-toothed comb after applying the conditioner. I have never done it and I do not advocate it because hair is wet and really weak so any sort of comb can result in hair breakage. You can try it for yourself and see if it works.

Otherwise, if your hair is prone to lot of tangles, the after wash hair care will take care of it 🙂

After Wash Hair Care

Scalp Treatment

For the scalp treatment, you can make your favourite DIY’s or use the ones available in the market. For the simplest treatment, mix freshly made green tea with few drops of rosemary essential oil and apply on the scalp using a cotton ball. This dries off in 5 minutes.

Leave-in Treatment

Just like I mentioned last time, using 2-5 drops of any non-sticky oil – like apricot, argan, jojoba, grapeseed oils – on your hair as a leave-in is a great idea to nourish the hair and keep it from getting dry.

So, this is in a nutshell what I used to do to make my hair absolutely gorgeous but since then I have discontinued it because of the lack of time and change in lifestyle. And, have consequently suffered with my hair again going dry and not growing and developing splits.

Hair growth is more or less a continuous dedication and take a lot of work with results not being immediate just like you are on a weight loss regime. So, have patience and the results will show in a month, at least 🙂

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Thinning Hair or Hair Fall Causes

March 20, 2015 Swati 3 Comments

Life is pretty unpredictable. It can change in an instant and the next instant you find yourself hurling down the hurricane, literally! Btw, something for all of you to ponder upon – you know there is a problem so is it better to face those problems headlong or to bide time till they settle down themselves.

And, that brings us to the major topic in everyone’s life! Hair Fall or Thinning Hair. Why do we get that? Here I am demystifying various reasons for it. So, read all of them patiently and see which one suits your bill and tackle the hair accordingly. Btw, a disclaimer here – this list is by no means exhaustive. There are numerous other reasons but at least I have tried to broadly categorise the causes of hair fall here.

Also Read: Are these factors causing hair fall for you and how you can work around them? {Hair Care}

Reasons for Hair Fall

#1. Shock, Tragedy or Physical or Mental Stress

Any life-changing event, good or bad, is somewhat stressful and has effect on the body, whether it is marriage, moving into a new house, getting pregnant or even travelling. Tragedies like a death in the family or an accident can also have their effects. And, the shock of these things can unravel after a few months.

For the time when these changes are happening in your life, generally the body stays inert and the shock of the event gradually sets in as the time passes. And, then, those changes affect your body. That is why you can notice hair fall certain time after the event.

#2. Diet and Lack of Exercise

I know you must have been tired by now reading this point over and over again! But, nothing can beat this. If you are regularly following a balanced diet and getting your regular dose of exercise, nothing can really harm you. This is most often the simplest cure for all your ailments.

– Lack of protein

Well, hair is made of protein and water. So, obviously, if your body has less protein intake, the structure of the hair is weakened. And, gradually, the hair falls off.

– Weight Loss or Crash Diets

Aah, this is something I would love to go on and on about. Weight loss is NOT the result of crash diets or skipping meals or eating whenever you feel like. All this results in bad health. So, whenever you really think of losing weight, sit back and formulate a plan with a doctor or a dietician. You do not want to compromise on health. And, on this point, I would say that making some very small changes in your everyday life can have HUGE benefits on your weight.

#3. Medical or Hormonal Issues

– Pregnancy

Generally, in pregnancy, you observe hair fall after the delivery rather than during the pregnancy. It is because all the hairs go into the resting stage during the pregnancy and they fall out once body returns to normal state. This is usually temporary and resolves itself.

– Anemia

Iron deficiency, especially when it progresses into full-blown iron deficiency anemia, can cause hair loss. “It sends your body into survival mode, so your body channels oxygen to support vital functions as opposed to ones like keeping your hair intact,” (Source)

– Hypothyroid

Iron deficiency slows your body’s thyroid function and blocks its metabolism-boosting effects, according to the National Academy of Hypothyroidism. (Source)

– Vitamin B family

Vitamin B1 – B12 are all very important for hair growth and healthy hair. And, sometimes, some bodies are resistant to absorption of B vitamins easily from the diet sources which is why they need supplements. For that, you need to get consultation with the doctor. And, eating a balanced diet also helps in this area!

– Immune system

Now, at this point, I would like to mention that there are some autoimmune disorders in which the immune system is hyperactive and considers the hair as a foreign body and starts attacking the hair follicles. There are various types of such disorders with differing intensities. Some of them lead to permanent hair loss and some are treatable.

– Medications

Now, if you have been taking any antibiotics or contraceptive pills or anti-depressant or stimulants or any other strong medications for terminal illnesses, they all can cause some side-effects. And, then, there are medications which your body rejects or does not suit you. So, may be you are one of those categories!

#4. Heredity or Age

– Heredity

Aah. This thing with genes, I wish I could avoid. I have genetically fine and thin and flat hair and prone to LOADS of splits! I so wish I had the hair of my friend. She did NOT know what a split end was?

Yeah, so, you really can not do anything about those genes. They determine most of the things about your hair – color, texture, volume, length, hair fall issues like male pattern baldness.

But, the good news here is that hair changes its texture every 7 years. So, take good care of your hair and you can actually control the genetic characteristics to an extent.

– Age

But, what you can not control is your age and your body’s aging process. If you have not been on the active side, your body’s metabolism and other functioning have already slowed down by the time you have reached the late twenties and the time you cross the 30, your hormones are wreaking all their havoc. The first to witness it is the hair because it is such an unnecessary organ of the body, if it is called an organ!

So, keep yourself physically active and change your hair and skin routine to suit their needs and everything should be fine. Getting a doctor’s consultation should do you good to make out for the deficient vitamins in your body or anything else your body might need.

#5. Scalp Health and Hair Routine

– Scalp problems

Do you have psoriasis or eczema or alopecia areta? Or, may be your scalp is not well fed (poor blood circulation on the inside and nothing on the outside) which leads to weak hair roots. Or, may be you have the common dandruff or just unclean scalp.

– Clean Scalp

Remember never to let sweat accumulate on your scalp. The salt in the sweat causes lot of hair fall. And, then, we have hairs which get broken in between. All this happens because of poor scalp health.

– Hair Care Routine

And, then, your hair care routine also has a lot to do with how your hair is doing. There is a compulsive disorder in which the person afflicted with it keeps on playing with the hair and pulling it all the time. That leads to hair breakage and thinning. The disorder is called tricholomania.

– Chemical Treatments / Overstyling

Similarly, if you treat your hair too harshly, comb or brush it quickly and with force or tie your hair or braids too tightly or overstyling it or using too many harsh products, all this can affect your hair in the long run.

– Changing Products

Another thing is when you change your products or hair care routine, it is generally normal to see a bit of hair fall, because hair takes time to get adjusted with the new routine. So, again this hair fall is temporary and resolves itself.

– Gradual Hair Fall

What you need to keep a lookout on is the gradual hair fall (may happen for years) which you would not be able to notice till it is too late, not the sudden hair fall which makes your hair fall in clumps. It is easy to spot it and handle the situation.

#6. Overdoing your Vitamins

So, yes, this one is internally tied to the hair supplements post I did last week. Sometimes, we overdo the vitamins and that has a negative effect on the body!! So, keep that in mind.

These are a few reasons of hair fall. I have tried to categorize them as broadly as I can but then there are quite a lot of things that must have been left out. So, let me know which hair fall do you think you suffer from?