Hair Care Ideas For You
 The
structure of hair is like that of the scales on the skin of a fish -
that is overlapping scales around a central core called the
cortical. Smoother overlapping and undamaged structure of this makes
the hair look shiny and smooth and leads to easy combing while a
tangled or roughed-up structure makes the hair look rough and dull
and makes it difficult to comb as it causes interlocking of hair and
make it "knotty".
The type of hair, its color, the age
for its graying and its retention on the head is normally inherited
and depends upon the genetic makeup of the person. However there are
few external factors which contribute to the health of hair, its
behavior and its looks.
1. Cleaning: When hair is shampooed
the action of water and shampoo makes the scales of the hair open up
and then the shampoo emulsifies the excess sebum, dirt & grime
and washes these off on rinsing. A shampoo must perform this basic
action without excessively de-oiling the hair, otherwise the hair
gets rough. Some of the shampoos contain added foam-boosters and
stabilizers which, though they feel psychologically more effective
due to excess foam, tend to over-strip the hair and thus leave it
dry, rough and "knotty". Organic Shampoos are made of a
mild cleansing base derived from Palm or Coconut and are gentle in
action. They do not contain any other boosters.
2. Herb Treatment: While the hair is
"open" during shampoo, it is easier & more effective
to transfer the effects of the herbs or additives to the hair
because the scales are open and a deeper access to the hair shaft is
available. This is when the herb-extracts in shampoos do their job.
That is why we recommend that the shampoo be allowed to remain on
the hair for about a minute after lathering and then rinsed off. A
mild "Conditioner" is added to all organic shampoos which
neutralizes the positive charge left on the hair after a shampoo,
thus preventing it from getting "Frizzy" on drying.
 3.
Intensive Conditioning with an Intensive Hair-Conditioner: Involves
further neutralizing the positive charge (if left behind), adding
more body and smoothness to the hair through a non-oily
micro-coating of a waxy substance and closing the hair-shaft tighter
so that the hair looks more shiny, is smoother to comb and does not
attract & trap excessive dirt. Intensive hair-conditioners
perform this action very efficiently. The effect of the
herb-extracts is carried through and intensified if a matching
hair-conditioner is used .
4. Hair Dressing: Most people do not
use a hair dressing while some prefer to use some form of an oil or
a non-oily gel, mousse or spray to keep hair tidy and shaped and
held in the manner they like. Most hair oils give a mild hold &
provides the requisite results while delivering the anti-dandruff
and anti-interactive properties of herbal-extracts.
5. Special Treatments: Special
treatments like an oil massage, overnight oil application or hot oil
treatment do add health to the scalp & hair through stimulation
if a nourishing oil is used through nourishment. Our range of hair
oil is a very potent Ayurvedic restorer of hair & scalp health.
NOTE: Some special treatments to hair, like Perming and Blow-dry
Shaping tend to manipulate the hair-shaft and thereby damage the
smoothness of hair and tend to make it rough. The problem is usually
caused by damage to the scales of the hair due to over-drying, which
results in hair getting disorganized and tangled. Intensive
conditioning is a must for this type of hair and can ease the
problem.
HAIR LOSS: About 30% of hair on the head is renewed every 3 to 4
months. This implies that each one of us gets a new head-of-hair
every year. So some hair-fall is natural and normal. With age the
process of re-growth of new hair slows down and one tends to get
thinner on the 'top'. This also is normal. In Ayurveda, some herbs
have been prescribed which slow down the thinning process and in
fact, can revitalize the follicle to produce healthier hair. These
have been described in the individual product notes.
However, the condition of the
general health of a person does make a difference to the
hair-health. Mild exercise in open air, good nutrition and a
tension-free mind help hair-health. One of the largest causes of
excessive hair-loss (specially in women) is Anemia (low Hemoglobin).
Checking and taking care of this usually reverses the excessive
hair-loss.
Massage and overnight application of Hair Oil promotes hair growth,
prevents hair loss and reactivates sluggish or weak hair follicle to
produce healthy hair.
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