As the season of monsoon is nearing its end, we’re left with a bunch of bittersweet memories. On the one hand, a rainy day made for the perfect occasion to relish chai and samosas. But on the other hand, hair and humidity were not the best of friends. As much as we loved romancing the monsoons, hair fall is a major seasonal concern that haunts us even after the rain gods stop making an appearance.
This calls for tweaking our hair care routine to fit the needs of the season. First of all, familiarize yourself with the shampoo and conditioner that you use. If your hair care products are laden with chemicals you’ve never heard of, it’s time to make the switch to ayurvedic products. These harsh chemicals do us more harm than good by stripping the hair of essential oils. Natural, gentle and highly nutritious ingredients like ashwagandha, bhringraj, neem, reetha and aloe vera are your true, life-long friends.
Monsoon hair fall also benefits greatly from a warm oil scalp massage or ‘champi’ as we know it. Oil’s lubricating properties help tame frizzy, unruly hair, condition the scalp and improve overall hair texture. As an added benefit, scalp massages feel incredibly calming and are a perfect way to end a long day. While my personal childhood favourite is cold pressed coconut oil infused with herbs, I sometimes like to alternate it with almond or sesame oil. Brands like Forest Essentials offer a range of oils that are sold individually and as part of powerful concoctions. Leave the oil overnight or for at least 2-3 hours to see best results.
During monsoons, our body accumulates an excess of Pitta dosha, while Vata dosha is also aggravated. Since hair fall is mainly connected to Pitta dosha, your efforts must be directed at balancing it. This would mean reducing your intake of fried, spicy and refined food. What also helps balance Pitta is drinking adequate amount of water and consuming probiotic foods such as yoghurt.
Like most ailments in Ayurveda, hair fall too is connected to a weakened digestive system. It points to a disturbance in digestive health. Hair in Ayurveda is considered to be a by-product of the breakdown of asthi (our bones). Thus, when the metabolism of asthi slows down, it leads to hair fall. But the metabolism of asthi depends on agni, our body’s digestive fire. This explains why strengthening the digestion can work wonders for the health of our hair.
This could mean going easy on samosas and pakoras – but like they say, it’s all about priorities.