With the arrival of monsoon, everyone heaves a sigh of relief. It creates a refreshing atmosphere and brings in pleasant weather. However, this season’s humid weather also creates havoc with your hair and scalp. The humidity makes the atmosphere extremely sticky, which eventually weakens the hair, and increases the risk of dandruff. Problems such as hairfall and frizzy hair become common. Therefore, it becomes vital to take essential care of your hair during the rainy season. Here’s how you can beat the monsoon blues and keep your hair shiny and healthy:
Indulge in a healthy diet
Usually, during monsoon, the intake of water often reduces. This can be harmful not only to your body but also to your scalp and hair. It’s extremely important to keep yourself hydrated and drink lots and lots of water. Rains often tempt us to indulge in oily junk food, which should be avoided as your diet plays a significant role in keeping your hair healthy. Add protein-rich foods such as eggs, walnuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains along with green vegetables to your daily diet as they provide shine and strength to hair, and provide support to combat the weather.
Do not expose your hair to rain
Since rainwater is highly acidic in nature, it weakens your hair and makes it dull. While drying your hair, use a soft microfibre towel. This type of towel absorbs the water rapidly and also reduces friction between the hair and the towel. This eventually helps in reducing hairfall and chances of dandruff. When your hair is wet, do not tie it as it leads to further hair damage. Also, avoid combing your wet hair as it’s at its weakest then. Choose a wide-tooth comb so that it can easily detangle your hair without causing any breakage. Avoid sharing of combs to minimise the risk of fungal infections.
Get an oil massage & hair wash
Oil massage is essential for your hair as it provides nourishment to your hair and helps in strengthening them. Twice a week, massaging your hair and scalp with hot oil will keep your hair shiny and strong. During monsoon, regular massage with olive oil helps in preventing frizzy hair and keeps your scalp hydrated. For this, heat some olive oil and massage your scalp with it. After two hours, wash your hair with lukewarm water. This will not only strengthen your hair but will help you in avoiding frizziness.
As the humidity frequently attracts dust which settles on your hair and makes it dull, it’s necessary to wash your hair twice a week with a mild shampoo. Generally, during monsoon, your scalp loses moisture, therefore it is important to use a conditioner. Apply conditioner after every hair wash to prevent your hair from getting dry and frizzy.
Indulge in some home care
Home remedies from your kitchen can be extremely useful to provide shine and strength to your damaged hair. This organic and natural method nourishes your hair without any side-effects.
Fenugreek seeds (methi) is the ultimate panacea for many hair problems such as hairfall, dandruff and dryness. For stronger and healthier hair, soak methi seeds in water overnight and use this water to wash your hair. It will help in providing shine to your hair and also reduces hairfall during this weather.
Our scalp is more prone to dandruff in monsoon season, therefore a paste of turmeric and neem is often recommended to fight dandruff. As neem and turmeric both possess antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antiseptic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, they are excellent remedies to treat dandruff. Rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, they also make your hair and scalp healthy.
A banana and olive oil hair mask helps in providing strength and nourishment to your damaged and dull hair during monsoon. Banana has natural hydrating properties, while olive oil is rich in antioxidants. Together they make your hair nourished and supple.
Add vinegar and honey to a cup of hot water and leave it for a few minutes. Apply it on your hair and leave it for some time. Wash it off with a mild shampoo. This will help in getting rid of the monsoon frizz. It will also deeply condition your hair.
Get experts’ help
During monsoon, the pollutants in the rain weaken your hair and make it dull and damaged. Therefore, a few kitchen remedies and prevention are not enough for 100% haircare. Take advice from experts and undergo treatment. A keratin treatment is often recommended by experts as it is a structural protein found in your hair, skin and nails, which helps in strengthening your hair. It also helps in smoothening the hair and adds shine. A profibre treatment helps in repairing damaged hair by making it healthy again. It increases the surface blood circulation to prevent deficiencies of the scalp. This treatment adds strength and shine.
(The author is managing director, Sparha Advanced Aesthetic Studio, Bengaluru)