Neser Boha
upgrade your gray matter
I'm soooo bored I decided to start this thread (looking for a job is the most boring thing I've ever had to do...)
Topic: Hair and Scalp health: Common Sense Tips
I've always been a bit of a health freak. I've also always thought that my hair is probably the best thing about the way I look. So when I started loosing my hair after moving to the USA due to all the overwhelming stress that was associated with it and terrible homesickness that I was experiencing... it gave me a pause and I started researching everything about hair-care.
First some don'ts:
1. Don't confuse dry scalp with dandruff. Using dandruff shampoos on dry scalp will only exacerbate the problem in the long run. The little dry flakes they show in commercials to be 'dandruff' are usually symptoms of dry scalp. Dandruff flakes are more of a waxy yellow consistence.
2. Don't use shampoos with SLS in it (sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate) as they irritate and dry out your scalp - yeah every single commercial shampoo has SLS in them. In other words - fuck commercial shampoos.
3. Don't color your hair with commercial dyes. If you really must, have it done professionally. If you like red and don't have completely white hair, use henna - it's freakin' amazing - and, unlike commercial hair dyes, it is actually good for your hair and scalp.
4. Don't use tons of hair products, especially that reaches your scalp - that's how dandruff and dry scalp start. Use as little as you can...
Now some do's:
1. If you have chronic dry scalp or mild dandruff (not honeycomb dandruff as I'm not really a dermatologist - I wish) use shampoo with tea tree oil and it should take care of it. The best shampoo out there (at least in my experience) is the Dessert Essence Tea Tree Shampoo - it doesn't have any SLS and has tons of tea tree oil. I also like the Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo. When you lather your hair with the shampoo, leave it on for a while so that it can do its magic... about 3 minutes. I always double-lather.
2. Unless you really have to, don't wash your hair every day - it dries it out and is too much of a shock for your scalp to deal with. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week, but I know everyone has different needs.
3. Once a week, treat your hair to an oil wrap. You can use just your regular olive oil that you have in your kitchen, or jojoba oil, avocado butter, amla oil (found in indian stores)... Massage it into your scalp and hair and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then wash it out really well. It supports hair growth, moisturizes hair, and all that jazz. There are some great oil treatments out there - I only go with natural/organic ones...
4. After you're done washing your hair and putting conditioner in, rinse it out with cold water - it stimulates blood circulation in your scalp, which makes it easier for hair to get all the nutrients, etc.
5. If you have long hair and it is getting a bit too dry at the ends, use a little bit of unrefined cocoa/shea butter in it... just the ends... it works wonders. The silk products are also great, true that.
6. Get a really nice boar bristle hair brush and while brushing your hair, make sure the bristles reach the scalp...
Henna
Henna is the best thing that ever happened to me - hair-wise. I get stopped every week with people asking me how the hell did I get such a beautiful color - or telling me they love my hair. So if you wanna know how to go about it, all you gotta do is ask. (in the picture above - that is my henna-dyed hair
) I'm a proud owner.
Bleaching one's hair
I understand the obsession with blond hair... it's pretty... but I'd never risk the health of my hair and future hair-loss to looking pretty for about a decade... My mother used to have the thickest most beautiful hair when she was my age, but started dying it blond and by 40, she had about 50% of her previous hair-volume.
I'd love any of your advice/suggestions... I'm a hair-tip collector![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Topic: Hair and Scalp health: Common Sense Tips
I've always been a bit of a health freak. I've also always thought that my hair is probably the best thing about the way I look. So when I started loosing my hair after moving to the USA due to all the overwhelming stress that was associated with it and terrible homesickness that I was experiencing... it gave me a pause and I started researching everything about hair-care.
First some don'ts:
1. Don't confuse dry scalp with dandruff. Using dandruff shampoos on dry scalp will only exacerbate the problem in the long run. The little dry flakes they show in commercials to be 'dandruff' are usually symptoms of dry scalp. Dandruff flakes are more of a waxy yellow consistence.
2. Don't use shampoos with SLS in it (sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate) as they irritate and dry out your scalp - yeah every single commercial shampoo has SLS in them. In other words - fuck commercial shampoos.
3. Don't color your hair with commercial dyes. If you really must, have it done professionally. If you like red and don't have completely white hair, use henna - it's freakin' amazing - and, unlike commercial hair dyes, it is actually good for your hair and scalp.
4. Don't use tons of hair products, especially that reaches your scalp - that's how dandruff and dry scalp start. Use as little as you can...
Now some do's:
1. If you have chronic dry scalp or mild dandruff (not honeycomb dandruff as I'm not really a dermatologist - I wish) use shampoo with tea tree oil and it should take care of it. The best shampoo out there (at least in my experience) is the Dessert Essence Tea Tree Shampoo - it doesn't have any SLS and has tons of tea tree oil. I also like the Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo. When you lather your hair with the shampoo, leave it on for a while so that it can do its magic... about 3 minutes. I always double-lather.
2. Unless you really have to, don't wash your hair every day - it dries it out and is too much of a shock for your scalp to deal with. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week, but I know everyone has different needs.
3. Once a week, treat your hair to an oil wrap. You can use just your regular olive oil that you have in your kitchen, or jojoba oil, avocado butter, amla oil (found in indian stores)... Massage it into your scalp and hair and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then wash it out really well. It supports hair growth, moisturizes hair, and all that jazz. There are some great oil treatments out there - I only go with natural/organic ones...
4. After you're done washing your hair and putting conditioner in, rinse it out with cold water - it stimulates blood circulation in your scalp, which makes it easier for hair to get all the nutrients, etc.
5. If you have long hair and it is getting a bit too dry at the ends, use a little bit of unrefined cocoa/shea butter in it... just the ends... it works wonders. The silk products are also great, true that.
6. Get a really nice boar bristle hair brush and while brushing your hair, make sure the bristles reach the scalp...
Henna
Henna is the best thing that ever happened to me - hair-wise. I get stopped every week with people asking me how the hell did I get such a beautiful color - or telling me they love my hair. So if you wanna know how to go about it, all you gotta do is ask. (in the picture above - that is my henna-dyed hair
Bleaching one's hair
I understand the obsession with blond hair... it's pretty... but I'd never risk the health of my hair and future hair-loss to looking pretty for about a decade... My mother used to have the thickest most beautiful hair when she was my age, but started dying it blond and by 40, she had about 50% of her previous hair-volume.
I'd love any of your advice/suggestions... I'm a hair-tip collector
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