Men and women alike dread the thought of hairfall. For most of us, this is an age related problem, but for others it could also be a sign of an unhealthy lifestyle. Thankfully, there are many home remedies that are effective ways to treat hair fall.

Onion juice: The sulphur present in onion can help reduce hairfall and speed up the hair growth process by increasing the production of collagen in the body. Chop or grate an onion and squeeze out the juice. Apply this to your scalp and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing off with a mild shampoo. Ideally, this should be repeated twice a week.

Garlic: Garlic is also a rich source of sulphur, but it cannot be used in its pure form. Boil a little coconut oil with a few crushed cloves of garlic. Massage the cooled mixture into your scalp and leave for about half an hour before washing it off. You could combine this with onion juice as well.

Coconut: Coconut oil is very good for the hair as it can promote hair growth as well as reduce breakage and prevent hair fall. If you are using bottled coconut oil, warm it before massaging into the scalp. Alternatively, grate a coconut and mix with a little water before squeezing out the milk from it. Apply this on the scalp and leave overnight.

Amla: Amla or the Indian gooseberry is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. This helps keep the scalp healthy and promotes hair growth. To benefit from it, apply a mixture of lemon juice and amla juice or amla powder on the scalp. Once dry, rinse the mixture off with luke warm water. If used in the initial stages of hair fall, amla can help reverse the process.

Fenugreek: Fenugreek contains hormone antecedents that help stimulate hair growth and help strengthen hair follicles. Soak a cup of dried fenugreek seeds in water overnight and grind into a paste. Apply this paste to your scalp and leave for about half an hour before rinsing off. Using this hair mask every morning for a month should have noticeable results.

Aloe Vera: The enzymes in aloe vera promote healthy hair and help stabilise the scalp’s pH levels thereby promoting hair growth. It can also help reduce itchiness and dandruff. To benefit from it, you could consume a tablespoon of aloe vera juice or apply aloe vera juice directly onto the scalp as a hair mask.

All the above information is according to the modern research work, while ayurved science deals with the skin holding the hair follicles. There are few measures like Nasal instillation (Nasya), Head Massage (Abhyang), some nutrients containing medicines like Narsimh Rasayana, Amalaki Rasayana, etc. are helpul to keep hair healthy and for regeneration.

If you're a guy with thinning hair and dandruff, you've got a lot of company. Men often have both.

Thinning hair and dandruff don't share the same cause. Thinning hair is about your hair. Dandruff is about the skin on your scalp.

The way some guys treat hair loss can make their dandruff worse, says New York dermatologist Michele Green, MD.

Everyone sheds some hair, and men often notice it in the shower. Seeing their hair float toward the drain makes some men quit washing their hair, Green says. That's a mistake, especially if you're prone to dandruff.

"They feel like they lose more hair when they wash, so they stop, and that's not that healthy. In fact, it's just the opposite," she says. "If you have dandruff, you should be washing your hair every day or every other day."

Washing your hair makes little difference in the amount of hair you lose, says Jeffrey Benabio, MD, a dermatologist for Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. If you avoid washing your hair for a few days, you'll see more hair in the shower when you finally do reach for the shampoo.

It's as if your hair loss is making up for lost time. "It falls out a bit if you wash every day and a lot if you wash every 3-4 days, because it accumulates on the days you don't wash," Benabio says.

The bottom line: Skipping the shampoo doesn't help your dandruff, and it doesn't slow hair loss. So you might as well lather up.

Hair Loss Medications and Dandruff
Green says minoxidil, which is used to treat thinning hair, can cause dandruff-like flaking as a side effect. The alcohol in minoxidil can dry out your scalp, and after a few months of treatment, dandruff may set in.


In most cases, Green says, you can solve the problem by switching to another medication or by using a dandruff shampoo -- or if its really bad, a prescription steroid cream.

Finasteride, another medication for hair loss, does not cause flaking, Green says.

Dandruff is what Green calls a "cosmetic disease." It's not serious, it's not contagious, and it won't lead to other health problems. But if left untreated, it can become so itchy and inflamed that it causes temporary hair loss. That's another good reason to wash your hair with a dandruff shampoo. Once you've treated your scalp, the hair will probably grow back.

If you're a guy watching your hairline retreat, there's a small silver lining if you also have dandruff. Benabio says that as you lose your hair, you'll likely lose some of your dandruff along with it.

"Dandruff," he says, "tends to stay in areas where there is hair."

How to do a hair spa at home

The pollution and the weather change can take a toll on your hair. To protect your hair from such damage, you do need to take care of your locks every now and then. To keep your mane healthy, you must invest some time and indulge in a hair spa, that will surely pamper your locks. Here are easy steps to follow to get that salon-worthy hair spa experience at home.

Scalp massage

For this step, you can use coconut or almond oil. All you need to do is massage your hair for 15-20 minutes, this will increase blood circulation and stimulate hair growth.

Steam your hair

Give your hair a hot-towel treatment. Dip a towel in warm water and remove the excess water. Now, wrap the towel around your hair and keep it on for 10-15 minutes.

Hair mask

If you don't have a hair mask, you can easily make one at home. Make a mask of two eggs, coconut oil, you can also add honey and one ripe banana for extra nourishment. Apply this mask on your hair for at least 20 minutes.

​Shampoo and condition

Rinse your hair with lukewarm water, as hot water can damage your locks. Use a mild shampoo to wash your hair. Once you've used a shampoo, apply a conditioner for 10-15 minutes and rinse it off.

natural tips to prevent hair loss:

Worried about your excessive hair loss and cannot afford expensive hair fall treatment? Well, shedding hair can be one of the major reasons for shedding self-confidence! Our current lifestyle makes us even more prone to problem like hair fall, which ultimately leads to greater concern such as hair loss. Here are some natural hair growth tips.

Hot oil massage

Heat some oil (preferably coconut oil or almond oil) and slowly massage your scalp using your fingertips. It increases flow of the blood to the hair follicles, enhances the strength of the roots of your hair and conditions your scalp.

Onion juice

Due to its high sulfur content, onion juice helps treat hair loss and enhance the circulation of blood to the hair follicles, revive hair follicles and reduce inflammation. The presence of anti-bacterial properties in onion juice helps kill the germs that cause scalp infection which may lead to hair loss.

Beetroot juice

This is one example of the saying 'Solution to almost all body related problems can be found in the kitchen'. Beetroot helps you to complete your nutritional deficiency that causes the hair fall. So include it in your diet and fight this evil problem.

Green tea

Green tea revitalizes hair follicles and stimulates hair production. It also enhances your metabolism which ultimately leads to increased rate of hair growth. Just condition your hair with green tea solution and notice the change!

Neem leaves

Neem, known for its medicinal properties is an effective herb to treat hair loss. Due to its antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, neem is an excellent way to curb dandruff. It helps the hair follicles to become stronger and also encourages hair growth.

You can also try this neem pack. Grind and boil neem leaves to a paste and apply it to your scalp after shampooing your hair. Wash it off after 30 minutes. Repeat the process twice in a week and notice the change!

Could your skin be more clear and smoother than it is? Could your hair be any silkier, stronger and voluminous? All of this without having to spend thousands of rupees are your next-door salon? Yes, absolutely! I come across hundreds of young women looking for desperate solutions to their skin and hair problems and expecting me to wave my magic wand and tackle their issues overnight and transform them. I would love to oblige but the truth is that nature doesn't bloom overnight. The smallest seed of a plant also needs to be planted, nurtured and cared for before it can blossom and show its magnificence. Though we live in a world of "insta" or instant options, some things cannot be played around with.

With the festive season around the corner - Durga Puja, Karvachauth, Diwali and endless parties and festivities that go with it, the skin and hair need to look healthy and stunning. In this article I have conjured up some INSTA recipes (both magical and natural) that are guaranteed to work and give some fabulous results to dead looking skin and hair. So wake up and imbibe these spells into your festive look.

1. For dull, oily and combination skin

Massage the skin with iced yoghurt and sprinkle some sugar along with it. Now take orange halves and scrub gently until the granules melt. Wash the face with iced water and see the difference.

2. For dull, tired and dry skin

Massage the skin with papaya. Then make a scrub by mixing oats and honey along with a little cold milk and scrub the skin. Wash off with ice cold milk and water and pat dry.

3. Suffering from frizzy hair?

Try this simple, quick and easy-to-make spray. Take slices of two lemon and simmer in two cups of water until it reduces to half the amount. Pour the liquid into a spritz bottle and spray on your hair. Not only will there be a wonderful natural sheen but static and fly away hair will be gone!

4. For natural hair colour

If you have a brownish tinge in your hair and don't have the time to henna or colour it, then take a few sprigs of rosemary from the kitchen shelf and simmer them in 2 cups of water along with 2 tsp black tea until it reduces to half the quantity. Mix with 1/4cup of shampoo and every time you shampoo, use this mixture. Leave the shampoo in your hair for about 15 minutes and see the difference it makes.

5. For a smooth back

Planning to wear a low back blouse, backless dress or choli, but have no time to go in for a body scrub to show off a smooth back? Here's a quick home remedy. Take 1 cup of sea salt and mix it with half a cup of olive oil. Add 5 drops of sandalwood oil and mix well. Store in a jar and scrub the areas of your body you want to flaunt. Wipe off with a wet towel.

6. Dealing with under eye bags and dark circles

Take used chamomile tea bags and store them in the freezer. Grate half a cucumber and massage around eye area and then lie down with the tea bags on your eyes for 10 minutes.You will find an instant difference in the way your eyes look and feel.

7. Instant face lift

Wash your face with ice water or simply rub and ice cube with a tsp of honey on the face. Beat an egg white until it peaks and brush onto your skin and let dry. You will feel the stretch in the skin. wash face with icy cold water.

8. Tired eyes?

Long hours at work, then shopping and getting things organized for the festive season can be tiring. I would suggest you make this wonderful eye wash which will make you feel refreshed instantly. Take iced spring water in a bowl and add a few drops of rose water, 2-3 drops of honey and immerse one eye into it. You can also open your eye a little and then close it. Throw away the liquid and make the same water for the other eye and repeat the process. After this, splash the eyes with cold mineral water. There maybe slight redness for some time but it will go away soon and your eyes will feel refreshed in minutes.

9. Quick Hair Care

Don't have the time to shampoo and blow dry your hair even though it is oily? Well, sweat not. Sprinkle talcum and amla powder onto your hair brush and overturn the hair over your head and brush from the nape of the neck to the tips .Now throw your hair back and voila you have bouncy oil free hair in minutes!

So these are just a few of my secret 'insta' beauty recipes. Use them and enjoy but never substitute them for a regular skin and hair care regime.