Monsoon and Hair Troubles — Not Anymore!

As much as we love letting our hair down in rain dance parties, we dread the real rainy showers. Concentrated with atmospheric pollution, it damages hair and skin causing itching, dandruff, oiliness, frizziness, and even acne and hair loss!

So what do most of us do in such a scenario? We reach out to the nearest mall and salon and binge on all kinds of hair products once again exposing our hair to more chemicals. They may claim to be natural, but they are not. They lose their natural properties during the long manufacturing chain and what remains are just chemicals that are a short term solution with long term side effects!

Keep lighting a Diya from the outside, but would it continue to glow if you don’t pour some oil in it? No, right? Your body is like that too. If your body is not nourished from the inside, outside products will not be of much help.

Here are six foods that will nourish your body and give your hair natural strength and shine from the inside.

• Sweet potato: Most of us shy away from Sweet potatoes because of their carbohydrate content. However, they are loaded with beta-carotene, a higher form of Vitamin A, which curbs the dryness and itchiness of scalp. Of course, you can have this vitamin from other sources as well, but being a seasonal veggie, it’s a better choice.
• Oats:Making a bowl of oats a part of your morning routine would mean forgetting what hair fall is! Oats are enriched with fiber, minerals like zinc and iron, and omega-6 fatty acids. This healthy combination of nutrients stimulates hair growth increasing volume and reducing hair loss.
• Walnuts:Walnuts being rich in biotin, vitamin B & E, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium, nourish hair follicles from the inside and strengthen hair roots. Thus, hair fall is reduced by up to 50% with just two walnuts a day!
• Yogurt:Having few scoops of Yogurt after meals are the easiest way to bring back a healthy shine and gloss to your hair. It is rich in Vitamin B5 which improves blood flow to the scalp and prevents dryness and flakiness.
• Salmon:Sea foods are packed with omega-3’s that are like nitro-fuel to healthy hair and skin. If you’re a non-vegetarian with an affinity for sea food, go for freshly cooked Salmon (not deep-fried, though). Twice or thrice a week is enough to get you back a full head of hair, bouncy and shiny.
• Lentils:Those who are vegetarian and are troubled with hair loss this season must go for loads of lentils. Folic acid and iron are essential for good blood circulation, hair restoration, and growth. Lentils contain them along with other growth-stimulating minerals like zinc and biotin.

Signing off

The humid weather during Monsoon leaves hair sticky and scalp itchy. While proper hair cleansing and care are extremely important, the role of proper diet is indispensable. Nothing would help your hair stay on your head than a diet that nourishes hair follicles and roots and keeps the hair shaft strong.

So, give your hair the strength it needs from the inside. Nourish your body with diet and enjoy the rains!