Hair Allure

By GAYATRI PAGDI

The significance of herbs in our lives is remarkable.

For thousands of years we have attached our many emotions to our hair. Whether it was Draupadi’s vow not to braid her hair unless it was washed with Dushyasana’s blood, or Chanakya’s vow not to tie-up his tuft till the power-drunk Nanda dynasty reached its nadir, tresses have had a lore of their own.

If the mane added a legendary twang to the comeliness of Lord Krishna, also called Keshava, meaning the one with beautiful hair, it has bound the Ganga [Ganges] to Lord Siva’s matted locks.

No description of beauty, whether that of a man, or woman, is complete without a mention of hair. Even today those of us with a full head of thick, lustrous, healthy hair certainly feel blessed.

Ayurveda Helps

Genuine ayurvedic hair treatments, including hair cleansers, use only herbal powders, essences and oils. Most often the powders don’t produce any lather because they don’t contain sodium, or other chemical agents, that destroy hair protein and strip it of natural oils.

However, for those of us who are too used to associating lather with real cleaning, there’s always the “ritha” that is now increasingly being used in dry “shampoo” powders. A good branded herbal shampoo powder usually has the following ingredients: shikakai, jatamansi, amla, harda, behda, tulsi, neem, brahmi, maka, krushta, nagarmotha, and jaswand.

Besides, one can always supplement one’s hair care plan with a weekly mask that can be easily made at home. Make a paste of one tsp of triphala, neem, sandalwood and licorice powders with water. Apply the paste to your scalp, keep it on for half-hour and then rinse thoroughly, with warm lemon water.

Weekly Massage

A weekly oil massage is also extremely effective if your skin is dry or sensitive. Simply apply one tsp of warm sesame oil on to your scalp. Now, massage and wrap your head with a hot towel. Leave it on for about ten minutes.

If your skin is dry, try this twice a week. The best time is first thing in the morning, because massage increases blood circulation to the scalp. Doing this after a meal may interfere with your digestion.

If mehendi is a natural hair colour enhancer, adding mandur and indigo to gray hair is naturally beneficial -- when you do this, you will see the glow return to your hair sooner than you would expect.

When you get into the act of using herbs for hair care, it’s only a question of time before you throw your black, or coloured, hair dye in the trash can.

You won’t need it anymore.