Post-Festive Haircare: Dr Amit Karkhanis Shares Haircare Tips to Get Gorgeous Hair and Healthy Scalp

Here's how you can take care of your hair post the festive season.

Do you have frequent bad hair days? Post the festive season, it is quite common to have bad hair days since you hair too much of hair-styling, pollution and stress can take a toll on your hair. Just like skin, your hair also needs a bout of TLC post the festivity. You need a complete haircare detox to restore hair health. Just simple tips can help you to get rid of dull, dry and lifeless hair and flaky scalp. We spoke to Dr Amit Karkhanis, Medical Cosmetologist & Director from Dr Tvacha Clinic about the same. Here are some haircare tips suggested by the expert that you can use to get back your healthy scalp and strong hair. (ALSO READ These Post-Festive Skincare Tips Shared by a Dermatologist Will Help You Get Back Your Glowing Skin).

How to take care of hair post festive season? Any homemade remedies to avoid bad hair day post festive season?

Hair care post festive season is important as your mane needs that much-required tending after all the hair styling tried during the festivities. The sunshine, dirt, and stress are the main elements that can hamper your hair health. And during the festive season, you get exposed to all three of them. Therefore, start your hair detox by going back to your regular hair care routine. However, the use of shampoo and conditioner is not enough. Instead of using any heavy chemical-laden hair care treatments that can further cause damage to the hair, opt for some regular home remedies. Hot coconut or olive oil massage 30-45 minutes before the hair wash, helps moisturize hair and works as a natural conditioner.

You can also rely on natural home remedies. Honey is one such ingredient that works as a natural moisturizer. Honey helps repair dead cells of the scalp and damaged hair follicles. It can be mixed with an equal portion of shampoo during the hair wash.

How to cleanse the scalp?

Cleaning your scalp helps you get your hair back to its healthiest state as it revitalises and helps your hair to glow and shine. In a nutshell, cleansing your scalp has numerous benefits. It removes oil, dirt, and bacteria, opens follicle pores, improves blood circulation to scalp, hair and increases nutrient delivery to follicle root and shaft.
Use your fingers to massage your scalp while showering. Move your fingers in a circular motion for at least five minutes and rinse well with cool water. This helps in improving blood circulation to your scalp as it loosens the dead skin cells.

It is important to choose and use the products carefully, as the products may build up on your scalp. Your hair produces its own natural oils. If you add essential oils to your hair they will build up, as well other products that you apply to the top of your hair. At least once a month, your scalp should be cleaned well to remove accumulated oil and dirt. To minimize build-up between cleaning use sulfate-free hair products.

How to keep the hair looking shiny and bouncy?

Try to reduce the use of hair dryers as even mild heat can damage your hair. Overuse of the hair dryer can dehydrate your hair, leaving it looking dry and frizzy. If you want to use it, then switch over to normal air from hot air when the hair is almost dry. This will help not drying it out too much. Hair will also not get overheated. Use conditioners regularly as they rehydrate your hair and give it that shine that you want. Coconut, almond or olive oil are some of the best natural remedies. Use it on your hair and scalp and leave it on for as long as possible before washing off. Make sure you do not dry your hair too much after that. For bouncy hair, you can use a superior quality volumizing shampoo and conditioner.

Tips to maintain strong and healthy mane

A lot depends on your diet and also how you shampoo your hair. Avoid using harsh or strong shampoos as they have a lot of chemical content which is not usually good for the hair. While choosing the shampoo, see to it that the shampoo has sufficient amount of glycerin in it. Make sure you use a conditioner. You can also use an oil treatment once a week the night before washing for your hair. While applying oil, one very important thing is that the oil should be applied more in the roots and the tips.

Use a good Conditioner

Shampooing your hair is not the only thing that will do wonders for your hair. Applying a good conditioner is most important.

Brush Effectively

It is always advised to comb your hair after your hair is completely dry. While combing is necessary to untangle the knots in the hair, overdoing can damage your hair. Choosing the right comb for your is also very important. For frizzy hair, a wide toothcomb is preferred.

Use homemade masks for your hair

An effective hair mask to control the dryness in the hair can also be made at home. The ingredients you would require; one ripe banana, 1 tablespoon of honey and a cup of olive oil. Mix all three ingredients really well and apply over your hair. This needs to be kept for half an hour and then wash your hair thoroughly.

Stay away from Hair Styling

Stay away from hair styling products as much as possible. The gum and gel in these products may lead to dryness and dandruff.

How to deal with hair fall?

Including vitamins in your diet and as part of hair care can help prevent hair loss. Wash your hair regularly with a mild shampoo as it helps to keep hair and scalp clean. It also lowers the risk of infections, dandruff, hair breakage, and hair loss.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is essential for hair growth. It repairs and builds tissue and betters blood circulation in the scalp. While vitamin A encourages healthy production of sebum in the scalp, vitamin B helps hair to maintain its healthy colour.

Eating healthy and protein-rich food is as essential as any other hair care treatment to curb hair loss. Include lean meats, fish, soy etc as these foods enhance hair health.

Do not brush wet hair as it tends to increase hair loss. Also, avoid brushing hair too often as it can injure and increase hair loss.

Stay hydrated and stress-free. Avoid smoking as it reduces the amount of blood flow to the scalp.

How to get rid of the flaky scalp?

Avoid using too much shampoo as it increases the chances of residue being left behind. Failing to thoroughly rinse the shampoo and other hair products out of hair can cause flakiness.  Avoid extremely hot water as it can dry out the scalp skin and lead to dryness and flaky scalp.

Scalp massage can help in reducing the flakiness as it aids blood circulation to the scalp and helps clear blocked pores that may be interfering with sebum production. Sebum is the medical term for skin oils that are produced from microscopic sebaceous glands found under the surface of the skin.

If too little sebum is produced, the hair becomes brittle and the scalp becomes dry. If too much sebum is produced, the scalp becomes overwhelmed by oil and the hair follicles become clogged.

Any supplements that need to be included in the diet?

A fruit a day and 4 almonds a day are very useful for your hair as well as the skin. Diet plays a major role in hair. A balanced diet would help you the most to have gorgeous hair.

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