Most of us have experienced a few or more 'bad hair days' in our lives.
Male or female, we all aspire to have hair which looks good, feels good and helps build our personality.
You'd agree with me when I say that our hair contributes a lot to our self-confidence, or the lack ot it.

I have learnt some 'dos and don'ts', and the use of herbs, which go a long way in helping to:

keep your hair in shape
prevent excessive hair loss
control dandruff
keep your hair looking neat and shiny

and I am enumerating these in this article :
( I shall keep adding to them as I go along, on a weekly basis ).

Some General Rules about having good Hair:

This is age-old wisdom, often ignored in the fast-paced world of today, but it is important to follow it, none-the-less.

Eat a healthy diet, get enough proteins and vitamins.

Deficiency of proteins and vitamins causes hair to grow poorly, become fragile, break easily and come off from its roots easily, too.

Ensure that you are eating enough greens, vegetables, fresh fruits and some dairy produce.

Non-vegetarians benefit by eating fish and eggs, both of which have a high content of protein.
Latest research shows that inadequate quantities of essential fatty acids in the diet contribute to hair loss as well.
Fish are a good source of essential fatty acids, especially mackerel and sardine, which contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for health.

So remember, starving oneself to keep thin deliberatly does nothing to help your hair and may cause its ruin, actually.

Get enough exercise: Couch potatoes should get off the couch and go for long walks, harrassed and over-worked executives should take frequent breaks in their busy schedules to 'work-out' in the office, and everyone, just about everyone, should consciously set aside some time in their daily lives, for any form of exercise that suits their individual lifestyle and needs.

Next, make sure you get enough sleep.
Good quality sleep is essential for your well-being. I cannot emphasise this enough.
Of all aspects of age-old wisdom, this is probably the least well-known and the most ignored!

It is extremely important to sleep at a stretch for the minimum time required, which varies between 4 to 9 hours everyday, from person to person.

One instinctively knows when one has slept adequately and when one has not. The symptoms of sleep-deprivation are a feeling of tiredness, lack of initiative, a 'sour' taste in the mouth, a dullness or ache in the forehead and perhaps a slight bodyache as well.

Not only the time spent in sleeping, but the quality of sleep has a bearing on your general health.
A sleep without too may breaks or too many dreams is an ideal which everyone should strive for, preferably without the aid of prescription medicines.

If absolutely necessary, one may take a few herbal medicines such as Valeriana, Avena sativa, Chamomilla, Humulus, Eschscholzia, Ignaita, Passiflora... choosing the ones appropriate to your needs, to enhance the quality and duration of your sleep.

Getting good sleep goes a long way in ensuring that you have good hair.

HOW TO REDUCE DANDRUFF

The main reason we get dandruff is a pH in our scalp, which is wrong for our type of Prakriti ( Constitution ), or our type of hair.

People with a Pitta-pradhan prakriti generally have very oily hair and their scalps usually have secretions with a low pH.
They need to use a conditioner frequently, which will keep their scalp pH balanced in very of less acid.
This simple measure often goes a long way to prevent dandruff in their scalp.

People with a Vaata-pradhan prakriti have an irregularity of pH in their secretions : sometimes the secretions are less acidic, at other times, more.
They have less secretions on the whole, so these people should use a moisturising conditioner which has a close-to neutral pH, regularly.

People with kapha-pradhan prakritis should use conditioners minimally. They need to keep their hair free from oil, as far as possible.

The hair conditioner used by any person may be herbal or chemical in nature. Most so-called herbal conditioners have small amounts of chemicals in them, anyway.

Favoured herbal conditioners are Aloe vera, Red Hibiscus, Mehendi.

REDUCE HAIR FALL, by strengthening the hair roots.

Ficus religiosa:

It can be used in two ways : topically[, as a hair oil or taken internally as Homeopathic pills.
For better effect, it should be used both topically as well as taken internally.
The oil may be left on overnight.
Use for a minimum of three months.

Juglans
This is another herb, that can be taken as Homepathic pills.

Oils of Hibiscus, Amla ( Indian gooseberry ), Terminalia chebula ( harda) help to strengthen hair roots.
They may be used on a regular basis.
If you live in India, you can get the fresh herbs easily and make them at home, using coconut oil as a base!

Following these measures would go a long way for keeping your hair lustrous, dandruff-free and strong!

( To be continued )
Comments welcome!