March 9th, 2010
Dry flyaway hair is usually caused by over shampooing, swimming, hair coloring, blow drying, straightening and perming, over exposure to the sun, wind, and so on. If you are used to shampooing every day, you may need to refrain from it and rather shampoo your hair every alternate day. This is because while shampoo washes off the dirt, it also strips your locks of its essential oils and you will also need to switch to a mild herbal shampoo in order to protect it from the harsh chemicals in cosmetic shampoos. It would be advisable to use a conditioner after shampooing as the cuticles have a tendency of peeling away from the central shaft as the hair dries.
Tips to Prevent Flyaway Hair
- Conditioners help in lubricating the hair and sticking the cuticles back to the shaft. Mash a ripe avocado and add a dollop of mayonnaise to it if you wish to go in for a natural conditioner. Massage this into your scalp and keep it on for about fifteen minutes before you wash your hair with a mild shampoo to give your hair a soft shiny look and to prevent fly-away hair.
- Snip off the ends of your hair periodically to avoid split ends and when out in the sun, wear a hat.
- You could also wrap a stole lightly around your hair to protect it from the wind and the harmful UV rays of the sun which can damage the hair as much as it can damage the skin.
- Brush your hair three or four times a day to prevent it from knotting up and do not tie it too tightly.
- Heat a little coconut, almond or olive oil and massage this into you scalp from the tips down to the roots. If possible, leave it on overnight or at least for an hour before washing it off with a gentle shampoo.
- Do not comb or brush your hair while it is still wet. This will only weaken the hair roots and cause excessive hair loss and contribute to flyaway hair. Wait for it to dry completely and you may untangle the knots with your fingers.
- Although conditioners help to provide your hair with essential oils and vitamins, it is important that your scalp receives these nutrients from your diet.You need to consume a well balanced diet that includes green leafy vegetables, fruits, pulses, sprouts, whole grains, fish, lean meat, and milk and milk products.
- Avoid artificially flavored beverages, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. In other words, you need to cut down on the amount of tea and coffee you have every day and instead drink plenty of water.
Tags: control fly away hair, dry flyaway hair, flyaway hair care tips, get rid of flyaway hair, prevent flyaway hair, stop flyaway hair
Posted in Hair Care Tips | No Comments »
March 9th, 2010
Hair loss is a common problem today and is mainly attributed to changing lifestyles and faulty diets. Stress, anxiety, anemia, dandruff, alcoholism, and smoking are some of the main causes of hair loss. An excessive intake of caffeinated drinks and consuming greasy, oily junk food all day long can also affect the hair growth and result in greasy oily and unhealthy hair. If you are recovering from a serious illness, you may suffer from this problem but it most cases, the hair loss is only temporary.
First and foremost, it is important to identify the root cause of the problem. Once you have identified the problem, make sure that you avoid it as far as possible. This will ensure that you do not continue to suffer from hair loss. You can also use several natural treatments to help nourish your scalp and promote hair growth.
Natural Treatments to Promote Hair Growth
- Heat a little coconut, almond, mustard, or olive oil and massage this into the scalp on a regular basis. Start with the scalp and apply the oil down the length of your hair. Rub a little oil onto the tips of your hair as well to control split ends and hair loss to some extent. Oil your hair thrice a week and if possible, keep the oil on overnight to allow it to soak into the hair shafts. If you do not wish to keep the oil on overnight, oil your hair and keep it on for at least an hour.
- Now grind a few fenugreek seeds and mix this powder with a little warm water. Apply the paste onto your scalp by dipping your fingers in the paste and massaging your scalp with it. Let the paste remain in your hair for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. Use a mild herbal shampoo on your hair and do not shampoo your hair every day; instead, every alternate day should do.
- Dry a few Indian gooseberries in the sun and then add it to a saucepan full of coconut oil. Heat the oil on a low flame and wait till the gooseberry turns completely black and becomes almost powdery. Turn off the heat, allow the oil to cool and then strain it. Store this oil in an air tight jar and apply this onto your scalp as and when required.
- Grind the seeds of a lemon and combine it with black pepper. Add a little water to make it a thick paste and apply this on your scalp, in particular, the areas where the hair loss is most.
- Take a100 grams of yoghurt and add 1 gram of powdered black pepper to it. Mix well until the mixture has no lumps in it and apply this paste onto your scalp. Leave it on half an hour and rinse off thoroughly.
- Make sure that your diet includes buttermilk, yoghurt, milk without fat, soybean, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, fruits, and whole grains.
- Drink about 5-6 liters of water a day to keep both your body and scalp hydrated and healthy.
Tags: herbal hair loss remedies, herbal hair loss treatment, herbal remedies for hair loss, herbal treatment for hair loss, natural treatments for hair growth
Posted in Hair Care Treatment | No Comments »
March 9th, 2010
Recipes to Make Avocado Hair Treatment Mask
- Avocado is rich in proteins and moisture and is known for its hydrating properties. Mash an avocado and place the resulting paste in a clean bowl. Now add one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, one teaspoon of pure aloe vera juice, and a teaspoon of sea salt. Mix all the ingredients together till it forms a fine paste. Dip your fingers into this paste and slowly massage your scalp with it. Repeat this procedure until you have used all the paste. Run your finger through your hair so that you get rid of any tangles. This also helps to spread the paste along the hair shafts. Cover your hair up in a shower cap or plastic bag and wrap a towel around it in order to seal in the treatment. Leave this on for about half an hour and in the meantime you may watch television, read a book or simply rest. Carefully unwrap your newly conditioned hair and rinse out the paste. Shampoo and rinse your hair thoroughly once again for smooth, soft, and luxuriant hair.You may also add other fruits to this paste as this will help to increase its effectiveness. Fruits like grapes, oranges, and bananas are high in vitamins and proteins that are essential for healthy and smooth hair.
- There are other avocado based hair treatments that you may use. Take a ripe avocado and cut it in half. Take one half and remove the seeds; mash and mix it with a spoon of mayonnaise. Apply this onto your hair, both onto the scalp and down to the tips of your hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes by sealing your hair in a shower cap and wrapping a warm towel over it. Rinse your hair well with slightly warm water.
- If you are wary of using mayonnaise you may use coconut milk instead. Mash one ripe avocado and add enough coconut milk to make it a smooth paste. Add the coconut milk slowly to ensure that the mixture is not too runny. Follow the same method of application and rinse it off in half an hour.
- Although egg yolk can be smelly, it is an excellent conditioner and can be mixed with mashed avocado and applied to your hair. Wrap your hair in a shower cap and use the same warm towel treatment. You may have to shampoo your hair twice though to get rid of the offensive smell.
- If your hair is dull and dry, you will require intense moisturization for which you can mix half a cup of mashed avocado, quarter cup of plain unflavored yoghurt, quarter teaspoon each of lemongrass and chamomile essential oils, a few drops of jasmine essential oil, two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of jojAoba oil. Mash the ingredients in a blender till you get a smooth paste and apply this on your hair, leaving it on for about twenty minutes. Rinse it off with a mild herbal shampoo.
Tags: avocado for hair, avocado hair conditioner, avocado hair mask recipe, avocado hair treatment, avocado mask for hair, avocado oil for hair
Posted in Hair Care Treatment | No Comments »
March 9th, 2010
Difference between Head Lice and Nits
The eggs laid by head lice are known as nits. Nits are sometimes confused with dandruff as they are very tiny and hard to detect properly. These eggs become attached firmly to the hair shaft and hence are quite difficult to get rid of. Nits will hatch in about a week’s time and new lice are born. Head lice spread very quickly from contact with other individuals who have lice. The can also spread through clothing and other personal belongings. Girls are more prone to developing head lice than boys.
In case there are only nits visible and no head lice, simply washing the hair with shampoo and then removing the nits using a nit comb may prove beneficial. It is important to keep in mind, however, that it is usually difficult to detect lice and if new nits keep appearing, it is possible that lice may also be present. One can also pick out the nits and lice using a fine tooth comb and tweezers. This is a time consuming method and it may take up to several days to get rid of all the nits and lice. Combing out the nits must also be done when an anti-lice shampoo is used. This is because such shampoos do not destroy the eggs.
Home remedies to get rid of nits and head lice
Home remedies to get rid of nits and head lice involve smothering the head lice by applying certain substances to the hair. Some popular natural remedies include application of mayonnaise, petroleum jelly and olive oil. Any one of these may be applied to the hair and kept on overnight after wearing a shower cap. The hair can then be washed the next morning and combed thoroughly to remove the lice. The process may then be repeated after ten days. This tends to be a very messy process and its effectiveness is not guaranteed. Some people believe that the smothering as such is not effective and it is the combing out of the nits and lice that really does the trick.
There are also some herbal remedies that are known to help in removing nits and head lice. Essential oils such as tea tree oil are believed to be effective in treating lice, although its use it not recommended in young children. Another natural remedy involves the use of almonds. Ten to twelve almonds may be soaked in water and then a paste may be prepared. After adding a few drops of lemon juice to the paste, it may be applied to the scalp and allowed to dry for a couple of hours. This is known to work well in removing nits and lice.
Tags: hair nits, home remedies for nits, how to get rid of nits, nits in hair, removing nits
Posted in Hair Care | No Comments »