HAIRCARE THE AYURVEDA WAY

In the classic novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde, a beautiful young man called Dorian Gray wished his portrait would age rather than he. Dorian expressed the wish of many people who tried to keep the effects of the march of time at bay. They tried magic, potions and modern science to transplant hair or freeze the body to be revived some time in the future.

Many medical traditions have practical solutions to slow down or reduce the ravages of time on the hair and body. Ayurveda has a number of recommendations to do just that. Since this article is on aging hair, we will concentrate on your crowning glory but you can apply most of the same principles to your body.

AYURVEDIC RECOMMENDATIONS

Ayurveda preaches our whole lifestyle contributes to our well-being. Therefore, the recommendations will move from hair specific recommendations to general ones.

•Oil massage to improve circulation, relax and reduce tension.

•Wash to keep the hair clean. Dirt and oil buildup clog hair follicles, encourages growth of germs, fungus, parasites and irritates the scalp.

•Condition and nourish the hair to make it look better, feel better and more manageable.

The conditioner provides a protective sheath around each strand of hair.

•Exercise to keep fit and improve circulation. Your hair derives its nutrition from blood. Good circulation means more nutrition will go to feed your hair root.

•Ayurveda values yoga highly. The exercises give your body a workout and meditation keeps you calm and emotionally balanced thus relieving stress, a contributor to hair loss.

Breathing exercises expel stale air and bring fresh air into your body to provide oxygen for cell activities.

•Smell can influence your state of mind. Use aromatherapy to achieve your desired emotion. Certain herbal scents also help to clear the airways and assist your respiratory system to perform better.

•Nourish the body with a healthy diet suitable for each body type. A good diet gives you good quality hair. Eat junk food and the junk will end up in your hair. Remember, your hair stores stuff rejected by your body.

•Your beauty sleep is important. The body does housekeeping, cleaning and maintenance while you are deep asleep. Accumulated toxins in your body are not good for your body and hair. Aim for regular bedtime before 10 pm.

•Your hair protects your scalp from harmful rays of the blazing sun. Over time, the sun can damage your hair follicles. So protect your hair by wearing a hat, a scarf, a turban or use an umbrella.