curly hair

Protein for Hair : Why You Need It and When You Do Not?

December 7, 2016 Nayantara Karnik 11 Comments

Most of us know the importance of deep conditioning and moisture for our hair. We oil our hair on a regular basis and try to take good care of it, yet sometimes no matter what we do, it continues to be problematic. Assuming that you have no medical or health problems, your diet is reasonably good, you exercise regularly and try to stay healthy, it can be puzzling as to why these problems persist. In that case I’m here to tell you it could be because of a not-very-well-understood hair ingredient – protein for hair. Is your hair getting too much of it or not enough?

Who Needs Protein for Hair?

Our hair is made up of about 91% protein, including keratin which we often see in the hair product ingredients. It is also one of the major hair straightening treatments.

Now, what are proteins? Going back to school chemistry, proteins are larger molecules composed of chains of smaller amino acids.

In the modern world, our hair is exposed to styling, treatment and environmental damage or other stress which cause the hair structure to degrade beyond what our ancestors ever faced. Even though getting protein for hair from inside-out is the key and it should be sufficiently present in your diet, that may not be enough for your hair to remain in a healthy state.

DIY Leave-In Conditioner

June 24, 2015 Nayantara Karnik 7 Comments

As anyone with naturally wavy or curly hair knows, once you stop trying to straighten and flat-iron it into submission, and decide to find a way to make it look like the beautiful bouncy curls you see in magazines and the internet, suddenly, horror of horrors, you discover that there are hardly any ‘curl-friendly’ products out there in our Indian market.

Now, before you straight hairs turn away, this is something that could be great for your hair as well, in fact, for anyone with dry or otherwise damaged hair.

The key to having beautiful shiny hair is hydration. For years, I religiously shampooed and conditioned my hair, yet conditioner alone never seemed to be enough; my hair still looked frizzy and dry. After much research, and several youtube videos later, I realized one simple product that could really work for me was leave-in conditioner. Till date I haven’t really found one off the shelves that worked for me. Though many people suggest using just regular conditioner as a leave-in on wet hair, that alone wasn’t enough either.

Without getting into the nitty gritties of humidity factor and climate where you live or the composition of the hair shaft, suffice it to say that ‘water alone’ does not hydrate hair. Ideally, you also require humectants and emollients in varying proportions. Simply put, humectants will attract the moisture to your hair and emollients will seal that moisture in.

On that note, let’s get straight to the tutorial. [Read more…] about DIY Leave-In Conditioner

Why Hair Tangles – Reasons and How to Avoid? {Hair Care}

January 3, 2015 Swati Leave a Comment

Tags : Home >> Hair Care >> Dry Hair

photo credit: josstyk via photopin cc

Once upon a time I used to face this problem. That was the good time of my hair but then my hair was dry and rough and extremely curly so they used to get tangled!! Climate had a lot to do with, though. But, the hair care regime could have solved the issue, had I known it then. Though I do not have the hair I used to, any more, hopefully these tips will help you. So, lets us see what all could be the reason for hair tangles.

Climate and Clothes!

As I mentioned it above, this is the first reason why your hair might be tangled. The weather, especially when it is winters, can be extremely drying for hair. Also, the woollen clothes create a lot of static in the hair which ultimately leads to tangled hair and rough ends.

#Solution – Cover your hair in silk or satin scarf so that it does not get exposed to the cold and does not get tangled or dry!

Dry Rough Hair

So, as I said dry and rough hair are most prone to tangles, no matter the length of the hair. Dry Hair suffers from lack of protein and nourishment. And, because of that it appears lifeless and has no shine!! Dry Hair can be genetic or even happen due to lack of care.

#Solution – Find out a good shampoo for Dry Hair, apply loads of Conditioner every time you shampoo and weekly Deep Conditioning treatments go a long way towards restoring healthy hair.

Curly Hair

Well, curly hair and dry hair go hand in hand but even then this had to be a separate point. The follicle decides whether and how much your hair would be curly. Compared to straight hair, curly hair ranges from fine to thick and coarse textures and is more prone to dryness. Also, because of the curls, the hair gets tangled easily.

#Solution – Using the conditioning products and leave-in products to create well-defined curls which do not rub against each other causing friction and entangle with each other.

Using Harsh Products

Now, why does your hair dry up? First is diet but the second most often reason is using the wrong products!! We all make those mistakes. So, it is good to start with finding out which products might suit you.

While I say this often that SLS/SLES products should be ditched, I would like to mention that this might not necessarily be the correct approach. Sometimes over the counter products suit us very well in which case it is always good to stick with the same product. Unnecessary experimentation of different products can also harm the hair.

#Solution – Next time you are getting a hair product, try to use a trial version to make sure it is suiting you. Also, get the products according to your hair type as curly hair or damaged hair need more conditioning where as colored hair shampoos are gentler on hair.

And, not following Good Hair Care Rules

Simplest answer to tangled hair can be not handling your hair properly. Too much flipping the hair, too much of combing or brushing or not combing at all, leaving the hair open all time, leaving hair open during bike rides or travelling, not covering hair in pollution, trying out intricate or unfriendly hair styles, using cheap and unfriendly hair accessories, all of them can lead to tangled hair.

#Solution – So, next time you fiddle with your hair, do remember that it can be bad for your hair and avoid it. Also, using a silk or sating pillow cover can do a lot in avoiding your hair to get rough or tangled or frizzy in the morning so follow healthy hair tips and get beautiful hair! Also, condition a lot.

So, now it is your turn. Do you have a hair prone to tangles? If so, what is your reason for it? Is your hair dry or curly or you use the wrong hair products? Or, may be you just fiddle around a lot with your hair? Do you think there are other reasons why your hair is getting tangled? If so, do share in the comment below. And, yes, do not forget to join me on fb for the Weekly chat on 6th Jan at 12:00 noon to discuss on “Fitness Resolutions and Health Routines”.

Do you warm up the oil before applying?