13 Food Types for Healthy Hair

A wholesome diet, rich in silica, calcium and iron, will help reduce or prevent hair loss. Following a simple diet schedule of these 13 food type one can hold back hairloss without having to run around expensive salons.

When your hair starts falling off like dry straws, what can you do? 

Well, panicking and running around to expensive salons for hair treatment might seem a brilliant idea, but the truth is that you can manage to get a hold of the situation back at your home alone.

First, it would help to locate the various reasons for hair loss. Studies have revealed that men lose hair for some common reasons, like:

• Improper diet,
• Lack of proper vitamins,
• Genetic factors,
• Excessive stress, anxiety and worries,
• Prolonged illnesses like typhoid, anemia, dysentery, jaundice etc,
• Poor blood circulation, and
• Unclean scalps.

Once you have located the source of your problem, it can become much easier to fight back. In desperate times like these, it would help to go completely natural. Do not trust chemical products since they might cause more harm than good. To put your panicking soul to rest, here are 15 different ways to reduce hair loss:

• Take a glass of water with flaxseed (alsi) in an empty stomach. This will provide you with the omega 3 acid that you need for hair growth.
• Begin every day with one amla. Women generally use hair oil made of amla to get those lustrous curls, didn’t you know?
• Soak 5 almonds every night in water and eat them with their skin on.
• Your scalp needs nutrition. So get plenty of fluids like buttermilk, lime juice and coconut water. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day!
• One bowl of sprouted pulses for would be great.
• Proteins. Eat chicken and egg each day.
• Reduce you daily intake of tea and coffee.
• When you are washing hair, use a teaspoon of lime juice for the last rinse. That make your hair lustrous while protecting it from dandruff.
• You are never too old for milk. Drink two glasses of skimmed milk for maximum benefits.
• Apply a paste of methi seeds on your scalp for half an hour once every week, and drink methi water on empty stomachs.
• Remember how the age old sadhus survived on fruits? No wonder that they had such long hair! Eat at least 2 or 3 fruits every day like strawberries, bananas, apples, mangoes, chikoos, and grapes.
• Go green- eat a lot of vegetables, munch away on that iron laden spinach.
• It is better to have more faith in white meat. Fish, chicken and egg can do wonders for your hair!  Try to stay away from red meat.

Hair loss is more common in case of men than women. And you always did wonder whether gender difference worked out better for women, right? Follow these principles to the boots, and you would see satisfactory results soon enough!

Keep your Hair Silky and Bouncy

Dry scalp, dull hair, dandruff and excessive hair fall - these problems are not just winter problems. And fretting and worrying can worsen things, say experts, claiming the problem can be controlled with the right treatment.

Dry scalp, dull hair, dandruff and excessive hair fall - these problems are not just winter problems. And fretting and worrying can worsen things, say experts, claiming the problem can be controlled with the right treatment.

The importance of hair can be understood from the fact that those with a receding hairline or bald patches are queuing up outside specialised hair transplant clinics and splurging on treatments.

Rohit Batra, dermatologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS: 'It is a temporary phase and people shouldn't get tense thinking about it because stress is also a reason for excessive hair fall.

'Flaky skin, frizzy, rebellious hair are common during winter, but it can be avoided and repaired.'

To keep the tresses lustrous and bouncy, Batra suggests that one should 'oil hair regularly'.

'Fungal problems aggravate when people do not wash their hair frequently, when they do not oil their hair or let the conditioner stay for a longer duration.

'Another factor is that in winter usually people wash hair with hot water, but they forget that it is not advisable. They should wash hair with lukewarm water because hot water leaves the scalp dry,' Batra added.

If dermatologists are not available, one can consult hair stylists who are trained and can dole out good hair care tips.

'Season change always has certain side effects. Be it monsoon or winter, it is a time when everyone needs to take care of one's skin and hair,' stylist Raj, who is associated with Prince and Princess beauty clinic, told IANS.

'The number of customers with such complaints increases during winter. On a normal day, a fall of 50-60 strands is considered healthy. In winters, a person can experience hair fall of more than 200 strands,' he added.

If you can't afford professional treatments, you can go for effective home remedies, says stylisht Gaurav Sharma.

To get rid of dandruff, 'use lemon juice, camphor mixed in coconut oil. People should apply lemon juice for 15 minutes and then rinse it. This is a very effective remedy. Lemons are easily available and are also cost-effective,' he said.

'To get back the texture, wash hair with beer. It really helps bring the shine back and gives volume too,' he added.

Even celebrity hairstylist Amjad Habib emphasises the quick home remedy to fix fizzy tresses.

'Home remedies are the most effective. People who have normal but frizzy hair can apply mashed mango and mint paste. It brings back the shine and makes hair smooth,' said Habib.

'People who have very dry hair should apply a paste of three bananas and honey and leave it for 50 minutes. It takes away the dryness and makes the hair softer. Lastly, for people who have oily hair they should apply a paste of mint on the scalp and leave it for 10-15 minutes and then rinse it thoroughly,' he added.

Batra also advises a nourishing diet.

'As far as medicinal precautions are concerned people can take Vitamin H, calcium pantothenate and biotin. A lot of hair serum (like Livon) are also available in the market. It helps a lot in bringing back the shine.'

'A rich diet of protein is what we recommend. For non-vegetarians fish and chicken helps. Vegetarians should indulge in soya products,' he added.

7 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Hair

It's time to rethink your go-to ponytail.

"There are a lot of things you do on a daily basis that can wreak havoc on your hair," says celebrity stylist Harry Josh, who works with Gisele Bundchen, Rose Byrne, and a ton of other A-listers. According to Josh, here's what you're doing wrong.

1. Using the wrong hair ties.

"You might still be using an elastic with the metal fasteners that hold the hair tie together, or, God forbid, an office rubber band to put your hair up, but these types of hair binders will only rip out your hair when you try to take them out," Josh says. "Instead, get one that is made entirely out of fabric. And never use a rubber band to pull your hair up — they're your hair's worst enemy."

2. Doing your ponytail the same way each time.

"If you normally put your hair in a ponytail in the exact same spot every day, you can actually cause surface breakage in that area," Josh says. "What happens over time is that your hair will start to get weaker and break off in that spot, and you'll be left with a bunch of flyaways."

3. Pulling it back too tightly.

"Over time, this can cause breakage to the hairline, since you're essentially putting a lot of tension on your hair at the root," explains Josh. "If you have a frail hairline, opt for looser styles." 

4. Skipping using heat protectant spray when you style.

"These types of products nourish as they style and put a barrier between the plates of the hot tool and the inner core of your hair shaft, which keeps it strong," says Josh. "Some even contain UV filters, which help shield UV rays from sun damage, which makes it feel rough and look dry."

5. Brushing it with a boar bristle brush when it's wet.

"You always want to use a paddle brush or wide-tooth comb when you're trying to detangle your hair after you shower," says Josh. "Go for one with bristles set far apart; otherwise, using a boar bristle brush will yank your hair out since its bristles are so close together." 

6. Never brushing it at all.

"Brushing your hair invigorates the blood in your scalp, bringing it to the follicle," Josh explains. "And the healthier the follicle is, the healthier and more lustrous your hair will look."

7. Trying to fix your at-home dye job yourself.

"If you're trying to do the ombré look or give yourself highlights at home, and your hair comes out looking more yellow than what you were going for, call your stylist," Josh says. "If you go out and buy another box, thinking you're going to give it another go, think again. You could end up frying off your hair and making it fall out."