Health Tips
Stay healthy by reading wellness advice from our top specialists.

Hair fall is a very common phenomenon that plagues millions of people around the globe. Most of you take supplements of vitamin on a regular basis as it aids the buildup of new hair and skin cells. Read on to find out how exactly do the various vitamins help your hair:

1. Vitamin A: This vitamin controls the production of retinoic acid in your hair follicle. It is not only helpful for skin care but stimulates hair growth. It is immensely fruitful in moisturizing your hair and keeping it healthy. Vitamin A is usually found in sweet potatoes, carrots, tuna, lettuce, mango, sweet red peppers, green leafy vegetables and spinach.

2. Vitamin B: Variants of this, such as B12, aid in hair growth by managing stress. Vitamin B is found in fruits such as oranges and papayas, and beans.

3. Vitamin C: This vitamin helps you absorb iron from the food you eat which is an absolute essential for hair growth. It also boosts the synthesis of collagen that is required to repair the damage and sustain the structure of your hair. Fruits such as papayas, guavas, lemons, sweet lime, orange, kiwi, vegetables such as broccoli, yellow bell peppers and leafy vegetables are replete with Vitamin C.

4. Vitamin D: This vitamin rejuvenates the hair cells in order to form new shafts of hair. Vitamin D is found in dairy products, mushrooms, soy milk, tofu, and cheese. Vitamin D is also naturally made by your body when you expose your skin to the sun, and is called the sun-shine vitamin.

5. Vitamin E: This aids in stimulating capillaries and enhancing blood circulation on the scalp. This additionally contributes to hair growth due to its high anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant content. Certain foods loaded with Vitamin E are pumpkin, broccoli, olive oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, avocado, tofu and spinach.

6. Vitamin B5: It is also known as Panthenol, is a vital ingredient that is used in medicines to regulate hair fall. Foods enriched with Vitamin B5 are sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, avocados, cheese and mushrooms.

Other Ways to Help Hair-
We have gone over the vitamins that may be important for the health of your hair. But lifestyle changes can help just as much. Try:

1. cutting back on gels, blow-drying, and brushing hair when wet
2. lowering your stress by exercising at least 30 minutes a day
3. drinking enough water, 6-8 glasses a day

Being mindful of the foods and drinks you consume, the products you use, and the way you manage stress, can all help improve the well-being of your hair.

Natural Homemade Recipe for reducing Grey Hair

Greying hair can be a concern, especially if it’s premature. Causes of grey hair are many however the most common ones are stress, age, heredity, smoking, pollution, not enough hair care, hypothyroidism, albinism and deficiency of vitamin B12. Grey hair can be reduced with home remedies as well. Some of them are:

1. Take pure ghee on your finger tips and massage on your scalp. Do this twice a week.
2. Rubbing the juice of onions is a good way to reduce grey hair. It is also a good way to reduce hair loss.
3. Shikakai is known to be a good herb for our hair. You can soak about four pods of shikakai along with soap nut seeds in a jug of water. Soak overnight and boil in the morning. Strain and store the water in a bottle to be used as a natural shampoo. With this, you can use water in while amla has been boiled, as a conditioner.

4. We know that oiling the scalp is the best way to have healthy hair. Mustard oil is very good for our hair. In about 250 gms of the oil, add 60 grams of henna leaves and boil will the leaves are completely burnt. This infused oil can be applied on hair regularly to reduce grey hair.
5. Bhringraj oil is also good for hair. Bhringraj can be taken orally for the same desired effect.
6. A glass of fresh carrot juice is said to overcome the problem of grey hair.
7. Henna powder, along fenugreek paste, paste of basil leaves, mint juice, coffee and yogurt when mixed into a paste after being soaked overnight and applied on the hair and scalp, is a good way to treat unwanted grey hair.

Aging is a natural process and hair greying is one of the most common signs of it. The reason that your hair greys is because the pigment in your skin called melanin does not get produced in large enough quantities as you get older. In many cases however, it is noticed that hair greying happens in your 20s or 30s. This is most commonly due to a diet which is not well-balanced or a lack of nourishment. However, you can stop hair greying at a young age by using one or more of the following remedies:

1. Curry leaves: Curry leaves are one of the best cures for premature hair greying. Vitamin B presents in the curry leaves, which is responsible for restoring the function of melanin in the hair follicles. This is not the only property it has which is good for the hair as curry leaves also repair damaged hair roots and supply crucial nutrients to the hair. They also stimulate hair growth and prevent hair fall due to the fact that it has beta-carotene. Curry leaves can be massaged into your hair by boiling them in coconut water and then rubbing them on your scalp.

2. Almond oil: Almond oil treats fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. This is due to the fact that it has a lot of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant. Vitamin E also stops split ends and helps the hair retain its elasticity. It is also used as a treatment for dandruff.

3. Black tea: Not only black tea gives a natural darker hue to the hair but it also helps the hair retain its strength and elasticity which prevents it from breaking or becoming brittle.

4. Onion juice mixed with lemon juice: A shortage of the antioxidant catalase or an excess accumulation of hydrogen peroxide are the two main causes of hair greying prematurely. Onion juice will increase your levels of the antioxidant catalase while lemon juice gives a nice shine to your hair and also prevents your hair from becoming extremely oily.

As one of the oldest tree foods to be cultivated by humans, walnuts have long since been known as a wonder fruit that can treat and manage many diseases, even as it ensures that one gets to enjoy many other health and cosmetic benefits. This is a nutrient-laden dry fruit that can be eaten in any season and can also be used as a healthy snack.

Read on to know how walnuts can help you in the health department!s

Weight Management: One can obtain weight loss by switching deep fried and other snacks with this fruit as the snack of choice. This will help in weight loss because it is known to be loaded with many ounces of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which can make your metabolism work overtime so that you end up burning all that useless fat. Regular consumption of walnuts will ensure that you get the right amount of calories in just a fistful of this dry fruit. You can also combine this with almonds and raisins for a healthy breakfast, if sprinkled in your oats or any other cereals.

Glowing Hair: If you have been facing problems like thinning hair, and hair loss as well as dandruff, then walnuts can easily come to your rescue. Eating lots of walnuts will help in restoring the oil and moisture balance of the scalp which will make your hair rich and bouncy again. You can also apply walnut oil to your scalp in order to boost the health of your hair to a great extent. This is due to the fact that walnuts contain Vitamin B7 which is known to prevent hair loss.

Heart Disease: You can prevent a majority of cardiovascular issues and heart disease with the help of walnuts. This is due to the fact that walnuts also contain a lot of antioxidants, which can help in regulating the cholesterol levels as well. One can actually remove the bad cholesterol and keep the good cholesterol so that lifestyle issues and conditions like diabetes and heart disease can be avoided. One should have at least 28 grams of walnuts in a single day so that these kinds of diseases can be successfully prevented.

Fertility: Walnuts are very important for male fertility. One of the main things in male fertility is the sperm, especially the quality of the same. So, if you have had a sperm test and it does not have very encouraging results, then eating walnuts can easily solve this problem along with whatever other medication you may be having for the condition. One should have at least 75 grams of walnuts every day in order to increase the vitality of the sperm for those men who fall in the age group of 21 years to 35 years of age.

Common Combing Mistakes That Lead To Excessive Hairloss

You will be surprised to know that about 35 million men and 21 million women suffer from excessive hairfall in India. Excessive hair fall can be the result of certain illnesses, hormonal changes, over-use of hair products that contain chemicals or a poor diet. What you may not have considered is that you can also lose a lot of hair by combing it the wrong way.

Check if you’re making these common combing mistakes.

1. Are you combing your hair from the roots down?
If you’re combing your hair you should always start from the middle while working it downwards. Move the comb upwards (near the roots) only when there are no more tangles remaining in the bottom half.
If you start combing from your roots, you may have to fight more tangles on the way to the bottom. This induces strain on your scalp, and increases hair breakage. The end result is weak hair and roots, and more hair fall.

2. Are you combing post the application of a hair product?
A comb should never be used just after the application of a hair paste, serum or cream for treatment or styling. You must use only your fingers to comb through your hair once you've applied a styling product.
If you use a comb post-application of a styling product, it not only loses its effect, but may also harm your hair and its texture.Consequently, it may lead to increased breakage and hair loss over time.

3. Are you detangling your hair after shampooing or washing?
Hair is known to be at its weakest when wet, which can also make it prone to tangling. Combing and excessive pulling of tangled, wet hair increases your chances of hair breakage and eventual hair loss.
To avert water-induced frowns, you can try giving a comb-through before wetting your hair in the shower. Alternatively, you can also try combing your hair during a shower. Apply the conditioner first; next, untangle the strands by using only your fingers, and then use a wide-toothed comb just before washing.

4. Are you regularly back-combing your hair?
Sometimes people back-comb their hair from the roots working towards the ends. This hair teasing technique adds volume and texture to your hair. Although it’s a great trick, its regular use may damage your hair cuticles, which as a result, may also ruin your hair’s quality, lead to frizzy hair and increase breakage and hair loss.
To get the element of volume without the damage, you can try light hair sprays, which help you in getting a similar look.

Dr. BHARAT SARODE
Dr. BHARAT SARODE
MBBS, Addiction Psychiatrist Educational Psychologist, 25 yrs, Pune
Dr. Kamlesh Manikhedkar
Dr. Kamlesh Manikhedkar
BDS, Dental Surgeon, 9 yrs, Pune
Dr. Akshay Biyani
Dr. Akshay Biyani
BDS, Dentist Root canal Specialist, 10 yrs, Pune
Dr. Dr Anirudha Vaidya
Dr. Dr Anirudha Vaidya
MPTh, Neuro Physiotherapist Obesity Specialist, 7 yrs, Pune
Dr. Vrushali Sarode
Dr. Vrushali Sarode
BHMS, Homeopath Psychotherapist, 5 yrs, Pune
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