Healthy, shining and lustrous hair is a woman's greatest beauty asset. Hair can be beautiful and healthy only when it is maintained in good condition. The condition of your hair and scalp is a clear pointer to your general well being. Almost any illness or emotional stress can cause dull and lifeless hair. But hair problems are also frequently caused by over exposure to chemicals, heat from electrical styling appliances. The age and health of a person, nutrition, hormones, and seasonal and climatic conditions generally influence hair growth.

Hair root is the main source of nutrition to the entire strand of hair. A tiny tube like pit in the skin called the follicle holds the root hair. The papilla that forms the base of the follicle nourishes the root with blood vessels and nerves. One or more sebaceous glands are also attached to the hair follicle to nourish and protect the hair shaft by secreting oils. Healthy hair gets its shine also from a thin coating of sebum. If the sebaceous gland becomes over active and produces too much sebum the result is greasy hair. Frequent washing does not affect sebaceous secretion, it will not make greasy hair greasier or dry hair drier.

Hair loss

Some loss of hair is normal. The most important cause of the loss of hair is inadequate nutrition mainly protein, vitamin A and B. The hair grows normally after the liberal intake of these vitamins. These nutrient rich foods are eggs, nuts, soy bean, mango, liver, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, dried apricots, whole grain cereals, peas etc. Hair loss may also be caused by a variety of other conditions such as pregnancy, anaemia, thyroid disorders, stress, typhoid, influenza, and heredity. It makes the hair root weak and results in hair fall.

Unclean condition of the scalp can also cause loss of hair. It weakens the hair roots may result by blocking the pores with the collected dirt. Alfalfa juice in combination with spinach or coriander if taken daily will help the hair to grow fast. The juices of carrot, green coriander, lettuce, amaranth in different combinations is also considered beneficial. The combination of these juices is rich in elements, which are particularly useful for the growth of the hair.

Certain drugs including the contraceptive pills and chemotherapy can affect the growth and thickness of the hair. Vitamin B6 with magnesium will assist to some extent in counter acting the negative effects of these pills. Do consult with your doctor if you suddenly lose hair.

Dry scalp and dandruff.

The present living conditions with the increasing rate of pollutants in the air and water have increased the various disorders and diseases of the scalp. Dandruff can be recognised by small white flakes that appear on the scalp and hair. It is caused by poor blood circulation, inadequate nerve stimulation in the scalp, infection, and unbalanced diet. Zinc and essential fatty acids guard against dandruff and dry scalp. Essential fatty acids also help to prevent dry skin and flaking scalp. Foods such as shellfish, pumpkin seeds, nuts and vegetable oils, sardines, mackerel and salmon are good sources of zinc and essential fatty acids. If dandruff and scalp problems do not respond to diet and shampoos one must consult a doctor as they can some times reflect more serious under lying health problems.

Grey hair

Vitamin B deficiencies and biotin may bring about early greying of hair. If copper is lacking n your diet can also result in early hair greying since it is involved in the hair pigmentation. A whole some diet with pulses, nuts, and fish should meet your requirements. If you have to resort to dyes prefer to use henna or those extracted from vegetables since the chemical dyes have been linked to cancer and could do you more serious harm. One must remember that grooming and using styling products alone does not solve hair problems, protein vitamin, minerals rich diet enhances and maintains the health and lustre of the hair.

Home remedies:

1. Soak 2-tablespoon fenugreek seeds in water over night. In the morning grind into a fine paste. Apply all over the scalp and leave for ½ an hour to control on dandruff and hair loss.
2. Boil a hand full of neem leaves in 4 teacups of water. After cooling and filtering use for rinsing hair for dandruff.
3. Massage warm oil on to the scalp well and allow remaining for an hour. Then rub limejuice mixed with vinegar (1:2) onto the scalp and leave on for another hour for dandruff removal.
4. For falling hair, mix the juice of one lime with 4-table spoon of thick coconut milk and rub into the scalp and wash well. This should be repeated once a week for effective treatment.
5. Massaging the hair scalp with fingers till it starts to tingle with the heat will activate the sebaceous glands and enables the blood circulation and makes the hair grow healthy.
6. Applying almond oil on the scalp frequently and massaging the hair stops the hair loss.
7. A useful remedy for the patchy loss of hair is the paste of the liquorice made by grinding the pieces in milk with a pinch of saffron. This paste should be applied over the bald patches.
8. Amla oil prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth.
9. Massaging amla juice and limejuice into the hair is found to be effective for grey hair.

By Ms Mumtaz Khalid Ismail