Hair - Care , Style , Products

Hair Care

Who doesn’t love a full head of hair? This requires regular maintenance and special care every once in a while. These have to be kept well as we know that the first impression is the last impression.

• Wash your hair twice a week (long hair) or thrice a week (short hair). Choose a shampoo that suits your hair. Normal, dry, oily and damaged hair shampoos are available for different types of hair. Don’t keep changing and experiment with new shampoos stick to one brand always. Baby shampoos contain mild detergents and are useful for dry, thin hair. Conditioning shampoos – cleanse and condition at same time. Medicated shampoos can be used for dandruff, fungal infections of the scalp.
  
  
• Conditioners on the other hand improve cosmetic appearance and feel of hair making them soft, manageable, easy to disentangle. Apply from ear downwards till ends. Do not massage onto scalp as that is one of the biggest reasons for hair fall.
  
  
• Once a week use a hair pack made of one egg, yogurt, and olive oil. Apply on scalp and hair, leave on for half hour and then wash off.

Know Your Hair Condition

How you will treat your hair depends not just on the natural texture but also on the condition of your scalp and strands. While the structure may not change but the condition of your hair can change from season to season, and city to city.

So you have dry hair which happens when oil glands in scalp are inactive and they lack moisture. This can be a natural condition and may get aggravated by exposure to the sun, using harsh shampoos and any chemical treatment. Another reason for dry hair is blocking of pores by accumulation of oil on the scalp. They look dull and dry with split ends. “Dry hair needs lot of care and nourishment. After shampooing, dry hair becomes frizzy. Before shampoo, ends look dry. This type of hair breaks off easily. Scalp feels itchy and dry. Sometimes, you can observe dry flakes of skin in the scalp. Caring for dry hair should be part of daily regime. To protect them from the action of chemicals and pollution, use mild shampoo. Avoid excess use of hair dryers and curlers on dry hair,” advices Dr Apoorva Shah, trichologist.

According to him, people with oily skin have oily hair generally. Hair becomes oily because of excessive secretion of oil from glands. Scalp also gets oily. “Oily hair needs to be washed too often. You can wash them daily or every other day. For oily hair, oils and shampoos having henna and neem are very good,” says the doctor. Then you have what is called combination hair – a problem that many women face but do not understand. In this you have grease scalp and dry ends with splits. In this case you will actually have to use a shampoo for oily hair, and a conditioner for damaged hair. Avoid getting the conditioner near your scalp.

The best type of hair is the balanced hair or normal hair which has a natural shine, and the scalp is in perfect condition. It is easy to maintain, and a boon. So treat such hair well with proper care and a well balanced diet.

With the modern day penchant for chemical treatments on the hair, now you get what is called the sensitive hair. Sensitive hair can genetic. Such hair is fine and delicate and breaks very easily. The second type is chemically treated mane which makes the strands very porous, and breakable. Either ways this kind of hair should be cared for with treatments at a hair spa and protein based therapies.

Play up Your Natural Tress Texture

It’s so easy to get dissatisfied with what you have, and seek ways to alter the natural state. But the truth is that you look best if you can enhance your natural assets, and play them up for timeless style. That goes for your hair as well. While you might try chemical treatments to straighten your curls or get waves put, but the maintenance can be a pain if you have a busy lifestyle. Unlike earlier years, the current crop of stylists and hair experts recommend working with you natural hair texture. It is healthier for the strands and easier for you to maintain. Says Manju Bijlani Stylist, Nalini and Yasmeen, Mumbai, “It is not practical for anybody to style their hair everyday and spend hours blow drying and setting their hair hence it is extremely important that we work with one's natural texture so that you are able to wash and wear the style and it still looks well kept.”

According to Trichologist, Dr. Apoorva Shah the texture, and structure of the hair plays a very important role in styling of the hair. “Actually it is your texture which decides how you should style your hair,” he adds. In fact most of us tend to just classify our hair as dry or oily, and curly or straight. That’s when the problem of bad styling comes up. Actually hair is determined by the structure, thickness and quality of the strands.

Hair structure can be curly or straight. Curly hair may be wavy or may have medium to tight coils. Curly hair has too much variation due to its curl pattern. “Curly hair is easy to work with. You have endless options to style them,” adds Bijlani. In fact the classification is based on the structure of your hair. The three main types include Straight, Wavy and Curly. Once your structure is determined, a stylist then checks for the thickness of the strands, and quality of your hair which can be coarse, dry or silky. Explains Bijlani, “Different hair types can be handled well with different kinds of styling products meant for that particular kind of hair, e.g. straight hair can be styled by blast drying the hair using a little bit of serum. Curly hair can be styled using curl saver mousse. Wavy hair can be styled with a little bit of control kind of products that weigh down the hair a bit and short hair using different kinds of hair wax.”

Avoid Bad Hair Days

It happens to everyone once in a while, when you wake up in the morning and notice those ungainly kinks in your hair that refuse to be tamed, or your hair feels super greasy, or simply looks frizzy and blah. Don’t give into depression of a bad hair day. Simply follow these tricks to make your worst hair work best for you.

• Hair looks limp with styling residue? Take some baking soda and mix it with your regular shampoo and lather up the scalp nicely. Rinse thoroughly to cleanse the scalp, and use a light conditioner. Your hair will feel softer and more manageable. Avoid using styling product that day except a drop of shine serum.
  
  
• No time to shampoo your hair in the morning? Just wash and rinse the front part of your hair as you soap up your body. Then smooth the hair on top or comb your bangs nicely to give fresh look to your style. Pull the hair back into a ponytail and tease it slightly to give a purposefully messed up look.
  
  
• Bored of your regular style? Simply switch your part to the other side or go right down the middle to make a world of a difference to your looks.
  
  
• Greasy scalp? Sprinkle some baby powder or corn starch into your palms and rub on the scalps, and comb out hair thoroughly for a fresh feel.
  
  
• Hair too wild to tame? Then play up the texture. Turn your head upside down and spray some sea salt spray at the roots. Then scrunch hair with fingers for natural volume. Part and pin on one side for a trendy do.
  
  
• No time for blow drying hair? Pull back into a tight bun at the middle of the head. Smooth some serum to tame flyaways and you are set to go. In the evening let the bun loose for some sexy waves.

Tips for Shiny Hair

Do you want to transform dry, rough and dull hair into a thick, shining mane that draws admiring glances and arouses envy?

There are a few cosmetic preparations and home remedies for shiny hair that will help to transform you into an elegant beauty.

• Rinse your hair with lemon juice for that extra shine.
  
  
• Mix two tablespoons of honey to warm water and apply on hair one hour before shampoo.
  
  
• Blend strawberry pulp with three teaspoons of mayonnaise and massage on to scalp and hair. Shampoo and condition after an hour.
  
  
• Deep conditioning is essential for that natural sheen.
  
  
• Mix egg yolks with olive oil and apply to your hair. Wash off with cold water when dry.
  
  
• Avoid using shampoos that contain sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate.
  
  
• Eat green, leafy vegetables that are rich in iron. Citrus fruits and Vitamin C should also form an important part of your diet.
  
  
• Avoid treating your hair to chemical bleaches.
  
  
• You can use heat activated shampoos to wash your hair.
  
  
• Use apple cider vinegar to rinse your hair.
  
  
• Shampoos containing silk amino acids help to maintain that natural sheen.
  
  

So start on your hair care regime and get soft, silky and shiny hair into the bargain.

Note: If you are allergic to any of the above mentioned ingredients, please stop using them.



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