DANDRUFF

Everyone experiences the dandruff problem some time in their life. Summer is the season which makes you sweat a lot thus giving you an oily and sticky scalp. On the other hand too much of dryness in the scalp can also lead to dandruff. The skin of the scalp is sensitive. Dandruff is nothing but the excessive shedding of dead cells of the scalp. Human body gets rid of dead cells occasionally. Loosing some amount of dead cells is normal but large amount of flaking could lead to irritation and redness. Dandruff is the accumulation of the dead skin in a large amount.

Causes of Dandruff

There are many causes of dandruff. To begin with an imbalanced diet and constipation can be reasons for a scalp full of white dandruff flakes. Using a shampoo which is not suitable for your hair or excessive use of hair products like gels, mousses and styling sprays can make hair unhealthy. Stress, fatigue, pollution and exposure to cold weather add to the problem even further.

Proper diet to cure dandruff

Follow a diet that keeps your hair healthy. For example, Omega 3 Fatty acids found in fishes is beneficial for hair. It is also necessary to have adequate amount of fibers in your diet.

One should add raw vegetables and fruits to the diet. Drinking plenty of water is also essential to keep skin hydrated. Intake of fibers and water helps dispel toxins from the body. Carrots, broccoli, spinach and tomatoes are rich sources of Vitamin A, including them in your diet helps fight infections. Dark green vegetables, sprouts, nuts, dry fruits and beans are also very beneficial for a healthy scalp.

Maintaining a healthy scalp is the only way to keep dandruff away.
• Wear scarves or caps before stepping out of the house. Sunrays are harsh on scalp skin and can harm hair structure.
• Avoid exposing hair to cold weather. It can cause hair problems including dandruff. Make use of head gears in extreme weather conditions.
• Wash your hair at least twice a week. In humid weather washing your hair thrice a week is advisable. Select a shampoo which is suitable for your hair texture.
• Condition your hair after every wash. Some may need mild conditioning and some may need deep conditioning, according to their hair texture.
• Apply a leave-in conditioners for shiny, radiant hair
• Avoid combing you hair when they are wet. Use a wide toothed comb.
• Avoid chemical treatments such as colouring, highlighting, straightening or perming if your scalp is prone to dandruff.
• Practice stress reducing methods such as meditation and yoga. These healing treatments can have positive effects on physical health and your hair condition too.

HAIR FALL

Does your hair fall a lot? Don't worry, you're not alone. Millions of people from all around the world suffer from dry, brittle and weak hair. Some of the possible reasons for falling hair are:
• Tension
• Too much work
• Illness
• Poor diet
• Over-exposure to the sun
• Perming
• Amateur bleaching
• Too frequent and inexpert use of tints, rinses or other colorants

Here is what you can do to prevent hair fall
• Shampoo regularly at-least 2-3 times a week. Remember, a CLEAN scalp is a HEALTHY SCALP.
• Good hair oil also promotes hair growth.
• A high protein diet with plenty of fruits, green vegetables and dairy products is a must.
• Drink 10-12 glass of water everyday.
• Use a very mild shampoo and condition your hair at least twice a week. When you do, make sure you rinse out the conditioner thoroughly, otherwise residue build-up will cause your hair to look limp and dull.
• Know your vitamins! IRON is important for healthy hair and brittle, limp hair indicates an iron deficiency. Spinach has a good iron content, so gulp it down!
• ZINC helps prevent hair loss and graying. Eat adequate zinc rich foods. Overweight people tend to have zinc deficiency, which is inversely related to the body mass index. Thus if you are overweight and if your hair falls too much, you may want to increase your intake of zinc containing foods. Recipes containing stone ground, wholegrain flour are rich in zinc.
• A shortfall in VITAMIN B may cause dandruff, falling hair, loss of color and could encourage grey hair. So B group Vitamins are essential for gloss, color and thickness.
• VITAMIN C ensures the health of capillaries supplying blood to hair follicles. Make sure your diet includes plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.
• VITAMIN E encourages hair growth. Switch from refined flours to whole-meal and wheat-germ, eggs, vegetable oil.
• COPPER stops hair from falling. Studies show that the copper content in the blood serum of people with falling hair is less than normal. Include small quantities of nuts, especially cashews and peanuts, seeds, whole milk and beans in your diet as these contain minute but important amounts of copper.