When the weather in India turns cold, one start developing dry and scaly skin, cold and flu become common and dieticians and doctors advice people to eat properly and appropriately to keep warm as the freezing weather of India could lead to various other health problems like sudden high blood pressure, asthma and joint pains. But that’s not all. People often complain of hair trouble i.e. dandruff in the winter months. This often makes hair fall way more, than in colder weather than during the hot weather in India.
Why do we get dandruff in winter?
Cold and dry winds during winter leads to the occurrence of winter dandruff. It can also be caused due the presence of central heating in your house or office that eventually dries out the home and work environment further. Dandruff during winter occurs in the form of smaller and less oily flakes as compared to the other skin conditions. The white dust and flakes that you see in your hair and on your shoulders comprises of dead skin cells.
Resolving this dandruff issue is easy and resolving it in the winters, is easier! Before we list down things that need to be followed, we would suggest what not to do for dandruff. Everyone loves a hot water bath when it’s biting cold outside, but having a bath with very hot water not only makes the skin dry but also aggravates hair troubles further. Besides the use of chemical based shampoos to get rid of dandruff is only a temporary solution. A permanent solution therefore lies in using simple home remedies cited below:
1) Massage hair with sour curd and keep it for 30 to 45 minutes. Now rinse and wash hair with lukewarm water as usual. It would help in getting rid of dandruff.
2) People who have oily dandruff could end their dandruff woes by simply using a lemon. Apply lemon juice to your scalp. Let it stay for a few minutes, until it dries and wash hair normally as you do.
3) Famous Indian herb Methi or Fenugreek also helps in curing dandruff and hair loss. Take a handful of fenugreek seeds and soak them in water overnight. Apply the seeds and use the same water to rinse hair. Avoid washing hair with a chemical shampoo after this. Follow this procedure for couple of weeks for effective elimination of dandruff.
4) Prepare a hair pack by mixing fuller’s earth (a sort of a clay) with lemon juice. Fullers earth is easily available at Ayurvedic stores. This pack will not only remove dandruff but will make the hair shine.
5) Lastly massage your hair with mustard, almond, castor or coconut oil once every week (avoid using readily available, good smelling oils in the market) An oil massage will moisturize the scalp and will prevent it from going dry, keeping dandruff at bay.
Other than these, here are some points to keep in mind:
1) Regular hair wash and massage your scalp - washing your hair regularly and massaging your scalp gently can improve your hair condition. It helps in reducing the white flakes. Also, allows the shampoo to act on your hair for a period of 5 minutes so that the active ingredients can effectively work against the dandruff. Washing hair too frequently with a chemical based shampoo in the winters can also worsen the problem.
2) Use a humidifier - You can use a humidifier at your work place and home that can restore the moisture back into the air. You can go for a cool mist humidifier, as it helps in cleaning and drying of your humidifier regularly.
3) Health diets - take care of your diet as it can go a long way in keeping the dandruff away and maintain the healthy hair. Changing your diet to consume more zinc, omega3 fats, flaxseeds, walnuts, eggs and leafy vegetables and Indian gooseberry (Amla) could help immensely.
Also note, as the climate in India changes, understanding your body needs and therefore changing your habits accordingly becomes essential.
No more hiding your scalp under a cap, just note these simple ways to enjoy the cold weather of India!
Photo by o5com.
