Health Tips
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Are you one of those who constantly rummage through the kitchen for ingredients that may magically transform your hair? If yes, then this article is for you. We often spend too much time and money on expensive hair products, treatments and masks, which may give you desired results but may harm your hair in long-term. What if we tell you that you could get similar results using natural ingredients without any harmful effects? One such ingredient is banana. Mashed banana on your hair might sound a little bizarre, but it can make your hair super soft and silky! You may also mix some other ingredients with banana to make interesting hair masks. So, if you are tired of spending hours in salons and spas and don't want to burn a hole in your pocket, try out the list of banana hair masks that may end all your hair woes. But, before that, here's what makes bananas so great for our hair

Benefits Of Banana For Hair
Bananas are high in vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fibre and magnesium, but free of sodium and cholesterol. They are almost fat-free, and relatively low in calories-depending on their size. Per 100 grams serving, bananas contain 0.3 gm total fat, zero cholesterol, 1 mg salt, about 360 mg potassium, 2.6 gm dietary fibre, 12 gm sugar and 1.1 gm protein. But, the benefits of bananas are not just limited to health; they are also used for excellent beauty treatments.

Bananas are great for your hair and scalp. They are known to improve manageability and shine of our hair. Moreover, they are known to prevent and control dandruff, and moisturise our scalp. Bananas are rich in potassium, natural oils, carbohydrates and vitamins, which help soften our hair and protect their natural elasticity. While there are many banana hair products available in the market, why to spend on too many store-bought products when you can make your own banana masks at home in your own kitchen.

5 DIY Banana Hair Masks For Dull And Dry Hair
Banana And Aloe Vera Hair Mask
Aloe vera is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, which help remove the dead cells that have accumulated on your scalp and promote hair growth. Moreover, aloe vera has proteolytic enzymes, which repair dead skin cells on the scalp and condition your hair, to give you smooth and shiny tresses. This hair mask prevents hair fall and makes your hair strong, shiny, and bouncy.

Ingredients:

- 2-3 medium-sized bananas
- 2 aloe vera leaf

How To Make:

- Extract all the pulp from the aloe vera leaf.
- Now, transfer the aloe vera pulp and bananas to a grinder.
- Blend the mixture well until you have a thick paste.

How To Apply

- Apply the mixture with a help of your hair colour brush.
- Make sure the mixture gets deep into your roots. Coat your entire scalp and all your hair.
- Let it sit for 2 hours. Wash your hair with cold water and shampoo it thoroughly.

Banana And Coconut Oil Hair Mask
Coconut oil helps nourish our scalp and reduces scalp infections. With high contents of vitamin E, it is excellent for dry and damaged hair. Moreover, the vitamin K content in coconut oil helps reduce dandruff. According to beauty expert, Suparna Tirkha, "Coconut oil massage promotes healthy hair growth and due to its property of preventing moisture loss, massaging this oil into the scalp and hair is known to have amazing results." The combination of banana and coconut provides long-lasting shine.

Seborrhea or dandruff can be a very distressing as well as an embarrassing problem. Dandruff, primarily caused due to dryness, refers to the white flakes that fall off your scalp. The problem of dandruff is common for both men and women, irrespective of age. Dandruff is such a problem that cannot be cured easily but can only be controlled.

There are many remedies for controlling dandruff. Eight such remedies are mentioned below:

1. Use anti-dandruff hair care products: Using anti-dandruff shampoos and conditioners can help you to control your problem of dandruff.

2. Avoid oiling your hair on a regular basis: Dandruff, at times, tends to increase if your scalp is excessively oily. So, to avoid it, try not to oil your hair very often. Also, if you have an oily scalp, make sure to use the correct hair care products to control the problem.

3. Apply lemon juice: Lemon juice is known to be a very effective remedy for treating dandruff naturally. Apply lemon juice all over your scalp to combat the problem of dandruff.

4. Baking soda: Baking soda is an effective remedy. It helps to reduce the excess oil on your scalp, henceforth will help in reducing dandruff.

5. Use virgin olive oil: Massage warm virgin olive oil on your scalp, this can help you to reduce your problem of dandruff to some extent.

6. Include more vitamins in your diet: A healthy diet can help you to deal with your problem of dandruff more efficiently.

7. Mental stress: Reducing your mental stress can help you to control dandruff, as most hair problems occur due to this pshyshological problem.

8. Use the right comb: Try using an appropriate comb for your hair. If the comb hurts your scalp, then the skin of your scalp may turn flakier resulting in more dandruff.

Following the above mentioned tips can help you to deal with your problem of dandruff efficiently.

Numerous individuals suffer from hair loss and hair fall problems, which inevitably cause low self-esteem and low self-confidence. Although this is not a life threatening condition, this disorder can cause serious self-esteem issues in individuals. Most individuals with extreme hair loss issues are uncomfortable in having a social life and face a constant suffering from within.

There have been numerous kinds and types of medications for treating and preventing hair loss. However, homeopathy has proven to be amazing without causing any side effects. Homeopathy is an alternative medicine which uses no harsh chemicals and works on the principle of triggering the healing process in the body.

Possible situations that cause hair loss-

1. Stress

2. Too much vitamin A intake

3. Pregnancy (hormonal changes and stress)

4. Menopause

5. Heredity

6. Lack of protein

7. Anaemia

8. Various hormonal imbalances

9. Deficiency of vitamin B

10. Thyroid problems

11. Alopecia Areata

12. Drastic weight loss

13. Ageing

Homeopathic medicines stimulate the hair roots to promote regrowth. The medicines used in Homeopathy to aid hair regrowth are all of natural origin and therefore, safe for use among persons of all age groups. The main advantage of opting for Homeopathic medicines for hair regrowth is the absence of any related toxic side effects. Some of the most common homeopathic treatments to prevent hair loss are-

1. Hair loss due to Alopecia Areata: This disorder is caused due to the immune system, which mistakes hair for foreign objects and attacks it, thereby causing erratic loss of hair. The individual loses hair in patches haphazardly. There are numerous medicines for specific treatments of Alopecia. Some of them are listed below-​


- Fluricum Acidum: This not only fights alopecia, but is also efficient in preventing hair fall after Syphilis, where hair breakage, hair fall and hair tangles increase immensely.

- Phosphorus: This is very effective in treating alopecia and can also be used to heal other gastrointestinal problems, blood, bones and nervous tissue problems.

- Calcarea carbonica: This is one of the best homeopathic medication for hair regrowth. It also prevents itching and sweating of the scalp.

- Vinca minor: This is very effective in treating alopecia along with dandruff. Abnormal hair growth can also be treated with this medication.

2. Hair loss due to Dandruff: Dandruff is a common problem and the worst part is that it brings intense hair fall with it. Dandruff is caused generally due to eczema and psoriasis. The medications that can be used are as follows-

- Psonorium: Best treatment for preventing dandruff and hair loss caused along with it

- Mezereum: Heals rashes and lesions and tackles hair fall in crusty scalps

- Kali sulphuricum

- Natrum muriaticum

- Pulsatilla pratensis

3 . Baldness: Mostly affects men. Some of the recommended medicines include:

- Silicea

- Baryts carbonica

- Lycopodium clavatum

However, it is advised that in case of hair loss, before you consume any medicines, consult a homeopathic practitioner for a thorough treatment.

Holi is a festival of food, friends, colors and enjoyment. People in different parts of the nation play Holi with Chemical and Artificial colors. People put different artificial colors in the pool which mixes with the water causing a reaction to your hair. The hair and skin are bound to get spoiled with the direct contact of these chemicals. So, in order to save your hair from different chemical reactions, here are some essential tips for Pre and post holi celebration.

Hair Care Before The Holi

Oil Massage
Make sure that you apply sufficient oil. It has to be mixture of warm coconut oil & Castor Oil. This will help your scalp and hair stay nourished and save your hair from dry chemical colors.

Root Mask
Make sure that the roots of the hair are masked. As hair is most prone towards the chemical reactions, they tend to become extremely dry. So, to avoid this situation you have to apply a root mask to save them from getting dry and discolored.

Cut Off Split-ends

It is must to chop off your split hair as the split ends would damage the hair more.

Avoid Shampoo

You must avoid doing shampoo a day before going to play the Holi. By doing this you scalp would not loose the essential oils present on the hair and on the scalp. This will be a natural way to avoid hair fall.

A Nice Hair Style

You can always put up a bun by bringing all the hair tied up. Else you can always go for the tight braid as keeping the hair loose might weaken your hair.

Cover Your Hair

It is must for you to cover your hair by bandanna or cap as the direct application of colors will affect your hair. By covering the head/hair, the scalp and hair would stay unharmed.

Hair Care After The Holi

Soak funegreek seeds in four table spoon of curd and apply to the scalp for not more than 30 minutes. Wash your hair.
Use plenty of water and wash your hair with mild soap Or Make sure you firstly wash your hair with only plain water and then wash it with mild shampoo.
After the wash, make sure that you apply lemon juice to the hair and scalp. This will restore the essential acid-alkaline balance in your hair and scalp.
Apply hair oil after the hair dries. This is to ensure that the hair remains hydrated and do not loose its moisture. On the other hand applying oil would nourish the scalp.

So, enjoy your holi without being worried about your hair.

Hair loss is not just an aesthetic issue, it also lowers self esteem and confidence level, affecting the overall morale and personality. Ayurveda considers hair loss to be a problem associated with excessive pita and a combination of yoga, meditation, massage oils, and hair products can help cure hair fall. In terms of yoga, there are specific asanas which increase blood flow to the scalp and thereby promote hair growth.

Hair loss also is believed to be an effect of stress and anxiety, so meditation to calm the mind and body plays a great role in controlling hair loss. Light oils like almond oil and castor oil, when warmed and massaged onto the scalp, induce hair growth and can help control hair fall. There are various products which are believed to have a dramatic effect on hair fall.

Bhringaraj: Known as the king of herbs, its literal meaning is “king of hair". It reverses balding, prevents premature graying, and also promotes hair growth. It is available as oil and as powder, its leaves also can be used as a paste that is left in place for a couple of hours and then washed off. The bhringaraj powder can also be mixed with other products like amla and tulsi and coconut oil to give shine to the hair.

-Brahmi: This works by promoting growth of the follicles and nourishing the roots. It also reduces dandruff and removes dead skin from the scalp, thereby reducing itchiness. Mixed with curd and lukewarm water and applied on the hair regularly, it can turn the hair shiny and thick. It can also be mixed with ritha, alma, and tulsi for better results.

-Ritha: Soap nut powder has been used for centuries to promote hair growth. It has very mild soap and so can be used even daily. Soak it overnight and use the water to wash off hair. It contains saponin which adds to the hair strength and shine.

-Shikakai: Meaning “fruit for hair,” this has loads of antioxidants and vitamins which nourish the hair. It retains the natural oils in the scalp, and so adds to the shine and strength of the hair. The powder can be mixed with warm water or oil to form a paste that is applied on the hair and left in place for a couple of hours. It can also be added to tea and then used on the hair.

-Neem: Reduces itchiness, cools the scalp, improves blood circulation, and cures the scalp of itchiness, scaliness and dandruff. Water boiled with neem leaves and neem oil produce very good results.

The next time you are worried of hair fall, try these options and see the difference.

Dr. Abhijit Sangule
Dr. Abhijit Sangule
BDS, Dentist, 8 yrs, Pune
Dr. Dinkar Padade
Dr. Dinkar Padade
MS/MD - Ayurveda, Ayurveda, 30 yrs, Pune
Dr. Kedarnath  Kalyanpur
Dr. Kedarnath Kalyanpur
MDS, Dental Surgeon Dentist, 8 yrs, Pune
Dr. DHOLARIYA JAYANTILAL
Dr. DHOLARIYA JAYANTILAL
MD - Allopathy, Family Physician, 8 yrs, Ujjain
Dr. Rakhee Tanaji
Dr. Rakhee Tanaji
BHMS, Dermatologist Homeopath, 13 yrs, Pune
Hellodox
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