I am a 16-year-old girl. I have quite a bad dandruff problem. I use an anti-dandruff shampoo twice a week but the dandruff keeps coming back and it has proved to be quite a pain. Please could you suggest a few home remedies that I can adopt which will help reduce or stop the dandruff.

Dandruff is characterised by small, loose flakes of dead skin on the scalp or trapped in the hair. Dandruff may become worse with stress, anxiety or tension. Dandruff can disappear suddenly without treatment or may take multiple weeks of treatment to improve. Avoid applying oil at day time. Overnight application of warm oil is always better and the next day the hair should be washed. Prevention of dandruff may be achieved by shampooing regularly with a mild, non-medicated shampoo. The scalp should be massaged gently to loosen flakes and the hair and scalp rinsed thoroughly.

Here are few home remedies which will help in dandruff control:

The use of fenugreek seeds is one of the most important remedies in the treatment of dandruff. Two tablespoons of these seeds should be soaked overnight in water and ground into a fine paste in the morning. This paste should be applied all over the scalp and left for half an hour. The hair should then be washed thoroughly with soap-nut (ritha) solution or shikakai.

The use of a teaspoon of fresh lime juice for the last rinse, while washing the hair, is another useful remedy. This not only leaves the hair glowing but also removes stickiness and prevents dandruff.

A valuable prescription for removal of dandruff is the use of green gram powder. The hair should be washed twice a week with two tablespoons of this powder mixed with half a cup of curd.

I am Nikita, 21 years old. I had long lustrous thick hair. I used to cut my hair once a year and it used to grow back to its original length and volume but since I cut my hair in last January, my hair has not grown. It has lost its shine and is thinning very quickly. I use shikakai mixed with shampoo and henna to wash my hair and I also oil my hair regularly. Please suggest me a solution for my problem.
 
For effective hair growth here are few natural remedies: Soak a cup fenugreek seeds for 4 hours and then grind.

For a cup neem juice, take neem leaves, a little water and grind in a mixer, then strain. Mix the ingredients to a paste and apply to the hair and scalp and leave for sometime and wash the hair.

This improves hair texture and stimulates the scalp to effect good growth. Also look to coconut oil to plump up hair texture and quality. What we eat reflects on our hair. Hair needs proteins, vitamins and minerals, so incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables and milk in your diet. The hair is comprised mostly of protein, therefore to encourage hair growth, adhere to a diet rich in protein, like sprouts, pulses, beans, cereals, eggs, milk and milk products. 

YOUR QUESTIONS

Every week, Living will feature an interactive column, ‘Well-being’, where your questions on health, fitness, diet and nutrition will be answered by experts. Send your questions to Living, c/o Deccan Herald, # 75, M G Road, Bangalore-560001 or mail us at living@deccanherald.co.in