Don’t we all love a shiny and lustrous mane? Having said that, not many of us can devote enough time to take care of hair and time and again fall prey to issues such as hair fall, dandruff, split ends etc.
This article will give you some good advice on the best methods to regrow hair and make sure that your have shiny locks. The methods are simple. Just follow them consistently and see a difference in how your hair looks!
So read on:
Meaning Of Regrowing Hair:
Regrowing hair is actually getting back your hair to its earlier state. Most of us may have lost hair due to various reasons or may be suffering from a severe case of hair fall. There are a number of reasons why you may be losing your hair and the best way to prevent it is to follow certain steps.
We will discuss them shortly in our article:
Causes Of Hair Fall:
Those clumps of hair on your brush and comb may be very unnerving and you should take stock of the situation and try to find out why you may be losing hair.
Here are some of the most common reasons of hair fall:
Pregnancy: Pregnancy comes with its own share of issues and thinning and hair fall is one of them. A majority of the women will face this issue and some lucky ones may not even face it! So pregnant ladies will lose their hair NOT during the time they are pregnant but after they have delivered the baby. The good thing is, the physical and hormonal stress is not permanent and usually this problem will get resolved on its own.
Physical stress: Stressing out is one of the major reasons of losing hair – a surgery, a trauma, an accident or flu can make you lose your hair. This is however a temporary condition and is known as telogen effluvium. Since this is not permanent, you can be rest assured that your hair will grow back once you have fully recovered.
Less protein in your diet: Proteins are the building blocks of life and are very essential for your hair to grow. If your body is not getting enough protein, it will stop the hair from growing and may also lead to hair loss. To prevent this condition from worsening, increase the protein intake in your diet and focus on eating good food.
Your genes are prone to hair fall: Yes, in this case you will have to blame your genes! About 3 out of 4 men will experience baldness and hair loss by the age of 60 and this is caused due to hereditary reasons. If baldness runs in your family, you should get it checked and use medication that will slow down the condition.
Female hormones: Just like male pattern baldness, few women will also face the problem of baldness or hair fall, especially when they start using birth control pills or go off these pills. Menopause may also lead to an increase in hair fall. The quickest way to solve this problem is to consult your doctor and find the reason why you might be suffering from this kind of hair loss.
Hypothyroidism: When you have an underactive thyroid gland, you suffer from hypothyroidism. It is not pumping enough hormones to your system and hence it leads to hair loss. You will immediately have to start on synthetic hormone pills that will bring back your levels to normal. As soon as it becomes normal, you should start getting back your hair.
Anemia: Anemia or iron deficiency is a very common issue among girls aged 20-49. Your hair starts falling, your skin is pale and you experience fatigue, dizziness etc. The problem is very simple and can be cured by having iron supplements. This will promote your hair to grow.
Severe weight loss: When you have a dramatic or sudden weight loss, your body is going to bear the brunt. You will not be getting the vitamins and minerals that you were initially getting and hence it will be like a shock to the body. This can go on for six months and after that your hair loss might start getting better.
Difference between Regrowing Hair and Hair Growth:
There is a slight difference between regrowing your hair and hair growth and it is as simple as this – When we talk about regrowing hair, we are referring to hair that already existed but was lost due to certain reasons (A few are mentioned in the section above). Hair growth is stimulating your scalp to grow new hair. When you suffer from hair loss, you will be working to regrow your hair. As you read further, you will find some really amazing ways to promote the regrowth of hair.
Here is the List of Natural Ways to Regrow Hair:
1. Meditate:
Description: Meditation is an excellent way to bring calm and peace to your entire system. Research has indicated that people who regularly meditate have seen an improvement in the regrowth of their hair. This is because meditation promotes cell rejuvenation and repairs the damaged hair cells. This in turn can help in the regrowth of hair.
What You Need: A yoga mat.
How to do: Every morning just after getting up, devote some time in meditating. You can do it in the peace and quiet of the morning or you can even meditate at night before retiring to bed.
Tips: Meditation can increase the blood circulation in the body and help in the regrowth of hair. You should practice it continuously for a certain period to actually see a difference.
2. Food you should eat:
Description: Good food is the building block of a good and shiny mane of hair. Certain vitamins and minerals are very essential for your hair to grow and also regrow. You should make sure to include these in your diet for strong hair.
What You Need: Keep your food stocked with food like salmon (very rich in Omega – 3 fatty acids that promote shiny hair), nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds, flax seeds etc. as they help prevent scalp dryness), chicken and other sources of protein (protein is very essential for the wear and tear of your body and having a protein-rich diet will ensure that your hair grows strong and healthy) and Vitamin rich foods like strawberries, blueberries etc.
How to do: Try and include as many of the above mentioned food items as possible to maintain healthy hair.
Tips: It is important to have a balanced diet. Make sure you consult a doctor before getting into any kind of diet and if you have nut allergy or any other kind of allergy.
3. Head Massage:
Description: A good head massage can do a lot to regrow your hair. Massages increase the stimulation of your scalp and also help in the circulation of blood. As a result your hair regrowth becomes a little faster.
What You Need: You can even use oil to massage hair and then rinse it off.
How to do: Take some oil on your fingers and use the tips to massage the oil gently on to the scalp. In small, swift circular motions, rub the oil into your scalp and massage it. You can wash off after an hour or even keep it overnight and wash it off.
Tips: A dry head massage also works equally well on the scalp and if you are not in the mood for some oil, you can massage your scalp without the oil too.
4. Use an Herbal Rinse:
Description: Good herbal rinses work perfectly to stimulate the hair follicles and hence help in the regrowth of hair.
What You Need: You can prepare herbal rinses on your own or you can even buy some from the supermarket.
How to do: If you have been experiencing hair fall since a long time, you should be using a mild or herbal shampoo to wash your hair. After this, using a herbal rinse will help stimulate your scalp and promote your hair to grow faster.
Tips: Herbal tea rinses are very popular and you can even make them at home using your favourite liquor teas.
5. Stay Away from Conditioners:
Description: When your hair is falling, using a conditioner is a complete no-no. This is because conditioners actually cause the product to build up on your scalp and restrict the hair from growing. So, if you would like your hair regrowth to be faster and more effective, stay away from those misleading conditioners.
6. Use a wide tooth wood comb:
Description: A wide tooth comb is gentle and good for your hair and prevents hair from falling especially in the case of those nasty knots. Most beauticians will ask you to comb your hair with a wide tooth comb because it will stimulate your hair roots and set your hair without any collateral damage.
What You Need: Always buy wide tooth combs that are made of wood- especially neem wood as these are extremely beneficial for your hair and scalp.
How to do: Comb our hair with the wide tooth comb immediately after getting out of the shower and before sleeping.
Tips: If you have extra curly hair, only use the comb after your shower and try to not comb too often as it tends to increase the frizz in the hair.
7. Fingernails rubbing:
Description: Recently followers of Baba Ramdev have been asked to rub their fingernails constantly in back and forth directions to increase their hair regrowth and it actually seems to work! It is thought that rubbing the fingernails causes tingling in our scalps and hence helps in stimulating the hair follicles and promotes regrowth.
What You Need: Nothing but your fingers and some free time.
How to do: Rub your fingers together for at least five minutes and repeat this process for at least two to three times during the day.
Tips: Repeatedly doing this will actually help in the regrowth of hair! So make sure you do this simple procedure at least twice in a day!
8. Hair Affirmations:
Description: This is something that has now gained momentum and hair affirmations are nothing but positive talk for your hair. So if you are constantly talking down to your hair (like your hair is not good, or it is thinning) it will have a negative effect on your hair and your body.
What You Need: Some great positive thinking is all that you require!
How to do: Every morning when you get up, start your day by praising your hair and talking good about it and to it. Think about having shiny and glossy hair and talk to your hair about being strong and healthy. Remember these affirmations will take some time to manifest themselves. You will also need to be very consistent with the approach and keep talking to you hair.
Tips: The best way to see that the positive affirmations will work is to visualize your hair in the desired state and keep repeating the process.
9. Exercise:
Description: Exercise and yoga are two very important things that help in promoting your holistic wellbeing as well as the health of your hair. Invest your time in getting fit and you will see your hair health improving too!
What You Need: Some time in your daily routine for exercise or yoga.
How to do: Most cardio vascular exercises help to improve your health and also improve your circulation in the body. As such you are able to see your hair in its shiny and lustrous form.
Tips: There are specific asanas and yoga exercises that concentrate on your hair health. If you want to focus specifically on that, you can try and practice these asanas. You will have to be regular with them at least for a month to actually see a difference.
10. Avoid tight styles:
Description: Very tight hairstyles like corn rows, buns, chignons and tight ponytails can do a lot of damage to your hair. This kind of hair loss is referred to as traction loss and is caused by tightly tying your hair a certain way. The bad news is – this kind of hair loss is permanent and so you should try and avoid it as the damage is irrepairable.
What You Need: Stay away from tight hairstyles and ponytails that pull your hair in a certain way. If possible, change your hair styles at regular intervals to prevent any such issues.
How to do: Switch to loose hairstyles the moment you see there is some sort of pull or traction in your hair.
Tips: It is important that you visit a dermatologist if you start noticing bald spots on your scalp. They will be able to tell you better how to prevent this from occurring.
11. Amla:
Description: This is a great supplement for your hair and can instantly help to improve your hair’s health. Amla has certain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that help in increasing the circulation on your scalp, strengthening your hair follicles and also stimulating the growth of healthy and new hair. Amla also has a lot of antioxidants that can help us to get rid of free radicals and prevent the different signs of aging.
What You Need: Amla oil that is readily available in the market or you can even extract your own (but since this is a tedious process, we would suggest you buy a good quality amla oil instead).
How to do: Massage amla oil directly on to your scalp at least once a week and wash off with mild shampoo.
Tips: Always use amla oil from a good brand even though it might be a little expensive. A good brand will work better.
12. Henna to dye my grey hair:
Description: Most of us know henna as the natural hair dye that can help to darken your hair and condition it. Did you also know that Henna can be used to increase strengthen your hair and repair it? Henna is packed with some great properties that can help to increase the hair growth and also promote regrowth.
What You Need: Henna on its own is good enough, but mixing it with certain items like mustard oil, egg yolk etc. can work wonders to grow you hair.
How to do: Mix egg yolks along with your henna powder mix and apply it generously all over your scalp. This mixture is very helpful in improving your hair growth because of its high protein content. Use it once a month to see proper results.
Tips: You can also mix curd in the henna mixture for a more moisturizing feel. Henna tends to dry out hair and adding curd will help reduce the dryness.
13. Lentils and beans:
Description: Lentils, beans and legumes are very rich sources of protein and can help in the repair of damaged hair. The protein is also very good to increase your hair regrowth.
What You Need: Lentil soups, or bean curries should be regularly had as a part of your diet.
How to do: Add these above items to your daily meals for promoting hair growth.
Tips: You can also have lentils as soups in your diet. As Indians we have a lot of dals and a mixture of the good lentils will provide you your daily dose of protein for healthy and soft hair.
14. Fresh veggies and fruits:
Description: A good and balanced diet will not only promote your health, but will also help your hair grow better. Lacking certain minerals and vitamins in your diet can adversely affect the health of your hair and make it look like lackluster and you may even start losing hair. Eating a good diet which has the right balance of vitamins, minerals and proteins is the sure shot way to prevent hair loss and have a shiny mane.
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What You Need: A generous dose of veggies, fruits in your diet.
How to do: A balanced diet meal should look colourful and you should aim to have at least one fruit a day for best results.
15. Herbal oils:
Description: Herbal hair oils are a great item to add to your hair care regime. These are very rich in natural ingredients and can help in increasing the growth of hair to a large extent.
What You Need: A number of herbal oils are available in the market currently and they can work wonders for your hair. Focus on the one that will work on your hair loss and use it consistently to see a difference.
How to do: Massage the hair onto your scalp and use it at least once a week.
Tips: Always wash off your hair with a mild shampoo after the hair oil massage.
16. Stay happy:
Description: Happy you equals a head full of happy hair. Like we mentioned in the point about positive hair affirmations, the lesser the stress you give your head and body, the better it is. You should have happy thoughts and smile more often to prevent stress and anxiety.
What You Need: Just a head full of happy thoughts!
How to do: Every morning before your start your day, begin by being thankful and having a positive attitude towards life. In the end, all that matters is your happiness.
Tips: Smiles are contagious and can help make others happy too. Learn to be happy and see your life transform!
17. Stay away from heat appliances:
Description: Electrical appliances like hair straighteners, blowers etc. are not good for your hair. They will not only damage them superficially, but regular use will also break down the hair follicles and strip the hair of all the essential proteins. Try and stay away from these heat appliances.
What You Need: If you want to go for a particular hairstyle that will need the use of these gadgets, make sure you use a heat-protecting serum or lotion to mitigate the damage.
How to do: Use the product generously on your hair before beginning any styling.
Tips: As far as possible, stay always from straighteners and blowers. Go the natural way and prevent your hair from getting damaged.
18. Stay away from chemical treatments:
Description: Any beauty salon is brimming with these chemical treatments that promise curly or straight hair or coloured hair. All these products are not natural and can adversely affect the hair and strip it off its natural oils. Over time, your hair will start falling and you will be able to see bald spots.
What You Need: As far as possible stick to natural products and herbal items. These do not have lasting damage on your hair.
How to do: Whenever you go to a salon, specifically ask them for natural products.
Tips: Herbal products can make your hair healthy and shiny. These are natural and work on your hair to make them stronger. Keep off from chemicals if you want to see your hair grow faster.
19. Read the labels of the hair products:
Description: The most important point to note while buying any hair products is to pay close attention to what’s on the label. Many a times, even if the products claim to be natural, some synthetic products may still creep in. Read the fine print before investing in a costly hair product.
Tips: Focus on well-known herbal products like Biotique and Ayur, Himalaya etc. They are natural and hence will not damage your hair.
Final words:
We love our hair and we would go to all lengths to make sure our hair remains smooth, shiny and of course strong. But sometimes we have no control over what happens to our hair and hair loss is one of them. As we mentioned above, there might be a number of reasons that may lead to premature hair loss. You will need to make sure you identify the root problem and use the methods above to help your hair regrow. Remember, it’s going to take some time, but it wil be completely worth it!