Beauty Consultant and Cosmetologist Rima Soni talks Tress Sense and tells you all you need to know about hair care in a 3-part series.
SOME WELCOME QUICK HAIR SOLUTIONS:
Hair tonic for weak hair
Massage 1/2 a cup of celery juice into the hair and leave on for an hour. Shampoo off but avoid a hair conditioner. Do this treatment every alternate day for quick results.
Scalp cleanser
Cleanse and moisturise the scalp with a thick layer of aloe vera gel taken freshly from a plant. This treatment can be done daily and it would help whether left overnight or just an hour daily before a shampoo. It works as a setting lotion for the hair as well and is non-greasy. Oily or dull, unmanageable hair can find much benefit from this miracle plant gel.
Oily scalp with dandruff and hair fall
Try aroma oils. Mix 2 drops of lavender oil, 2 drops of tea tree oil, 2 drops of rosemary oil together. The blends put together will help prevent hair loss and dandruff, detoxify the scalp, and improve circulation.
Bounce, body and sheen
Add 5 drops of jojoba oil into a tumbler of water. Rinse hair with this. No need to shampoo later. Your hair will have a great sheen and bounce, inducing hair growth.
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Try onion juice mixed with a combination of aroma oils. Take 2 tablespoons of onion juice; add 2 drops of tea tree oil and 2 drops of rosemary oil. Onion juice helps activate the circulation, tea tree oil will cleanse the scalp and rosemary will further help the growth.
Dandruff
Dandruff can be irritating to the scalp and causes hair fall. Powder 1 tablespoon of seeds from a custard apple into a fine powder. Take enough yoghurt to make a paste and add 1 teaspoon of lime juice. Apply this to the scalp, leave on for 1 hour and shampoo this off with a very mild scrub. Do this twice a week for effective results.
Strength and elasticity for fragile hair
Massage a paste or juice of celery into the hair and keep it on for an hour before rinsing off. Do this thrice a week.
Sensitive, itchy scalp
Massage the pulp of a ripe avocado into the scalp and hair. Leave on for 1 hour and follow with a very mild shampoo. Do this twice a week. Hair will become soft, manageable, and shiny.
Fragrance, shine and a mild hair tint
This is best achieved with chamomile tea or leaves. Take 2 tea bags of chamomile tea and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let this brew in a jug of warm water. An hour later, rinse and shampoo hair with this water and leave to dry for easy and natural hair colour.
Split ends
Split ends are not healthy and must be attended to at the earliest. Mix 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey together and apply to split ends. Leave on for an hour and shampoo with a single mild wash.
Boils or rashes in scalp
Take 1 tablespoon of almond oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of glycerine and add 1/2 a teaspoon of finely powdered fenugreek seeds. Massage this onto the scalp, leave on for 1 hour and rinse off with a mild shampoo.
Protein treatments
Healthy hair needs a good diet of protein with a mix of vitamin B-complex. Hair, as we know, is made of protein, so feed the body with 1 tablespoon of brewer’s yeast added to any fresh juice (carrot, orange, mixed fruit juice). If you are a non-vegetarian, add liver to your diet along with egg whites and fish. For all vegetarians, fresh green, leafy vegetables, fruits of various colours, sprouts, tofu and most of all, 8 to 10 glasses of filtered water will work wonders.
Protein rich hair mask
Add 2 beaten eggs to 1 tablespoon of yoghurt. Apply lavishly to the hair. Shampoo off after an hour. Do this once a week for super healthy hair.
Dry, dull hair
This is an excellent protein treatment: massage 1 cup of mayonnaise into the hair. Leave on for 30 to 45 minutes, rinse off and follow with a mild shampoo. Do this once a week.
Natural conditioner
Avoid the use of conditioners as this will also cut back on time spent. Take 1 tablespoon of shampoo; add 1 teaspoon of avocado or almond oil and 1/2 a teaspoon of glycerine. Apply this to wet hair. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
Shiny, Strong hair
Take 1 lemon tea bag. Brew for 5 minutes and use this water for the final rinse after shampooing. Allow to dry into the hair.
Rich sheen
Allow 9 strands of saffron to soak for an hour in a cold glass of milk. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and massage this into the hair. Keep on for 1 hour and rinse off with a mild shampoo.
Healthy, manageable hair
Take 2 eggs and beat them into a very creamy consistency. Add 1 tablespoon of castor oil. Massage this into the hair. An hour later, shampoo off. Do this treatment once or twice a week.
You can also give manageability and sheen to the hair by adding 2 tablespoons of warm honey to 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper powder. Apply this to the hair and follow with a rinse one hour later.
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Find a few minutes to gently massage your scalp using the pads of your fingers every day.
Gently lift scalp and just lightly massage with your fingers to help improve the quality of your hair. This helps the flow of oxygenated blood to your roots increasing their nourishment.
Steaming the scalp twice a week cleanses the scalp and improves circulation. Brush hair daily using natural hair bristles. Avoid steel or plastic bristles as they break weak dry hair.