Lustrous hair makes for great looks. Yet, hair, just like skin, is prone to a scrum of common conditions that, nonetheless, might be pesky and costly to deal with. Before emptying your wallet on expensive hair repair products, try these home remedies that cure anything from dandruff to split ends.
Dandruff
While not a serious condition, dandruff comes with a slew of setbacks – from public anxiety over dandruff-powdered shoulders to skin conditions like acne. Although there are many factors that might trigger dandruff – poor shampooing and brushing habits, stress and unhealthy diet, it is relatively easy to cure it. An easy home remedy is coconut oil and lemon. Massage the concoction, leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse it off with shampoo. Coconut oil nurtures the hair, while the lemon acid treats dandruff. Baking soda acts the same way as lemon, so rub it on and leave it for a minute before rinsing it off.
Dull, Dry, Damaged Hair
Everyday treatments like blow-drying and styling that heap heat and products on the hair easily leave it lifeless. To resuscitate it try any oil and fat-rich products like ripe avocado, butter and olive oil. Mash and blend an avocado with an egg and massage it onto wet hair, let it stay on for 20 minutes. Follow the same procedure with butter, which gives locks a lustrous shine. If you opt for olive oil – heat up a half cup of it, massage it on, cover your hair with a cap and wait for an hour before washing it off.
Greasy Hair
Often a result of over-washing, oily hair looks limp and – well – gross (a look spoiler, for sure). Choose acidic ingredients that are aggressive enough to reduce greasiness but are also gentle enough on the scalp not to dry out the skin. Slather on apple cider vinegar, the acidity of which help balance the scalp’s pH. The astringency of black tea acts in similar way by tightening the pores. Boil two tablespoon of black tea in a cup of water and apply the liquid when lukewarm, leave it on for five minutes and wash it off with shampoo.
Split Ends
While split ends appear naturally, over-washing and over-treatment can easily prompt them. The easiest way to get rid of them is to shear off a couple of inches. Yet, there are a slew of homemade recipes that slow down and reduce the occurrence of split ends. A mixture of one egg, one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of olive oil seals ends and traps in moisture. Also try olive oil, castor oil and mustard or honey and curd.
Hair Loss
We have around 100,000 strands of hair and losing anywhere between 50 to 100 a day is pretty normal. Yet, once that number spikes up, you better take some action. Consider Indian gooseberry that is rich in vitamin C, a deficiency of which triggers hair loss. You might also try to improve the blood circulation to the hair follicles (and, thus, regenerate them) by massaging on onion juice, the anti-inflammatory properties of which treat scalp infections.
For more information, visit Dr. Brian A. Levine's social media: