When a person’s hair begins to turn grey before the age of 35, the condition is called premature greying of hair. Various oils are available in the market or can be easily prepared at home in order to get rid of the problem of premature greying of hair. Some of these oils are listed below:
1. Amla should be cut into pieces and dried, preferably in shade. These pieces should be boiled in coconut oil till the solid matter becomes like charred dust. This darkish oil is very useful against premature greying.
2. Massage your hair with coconut oil and Lemon everyday for at least 15 minutes.
3. Take 4 tbsp of sage leaves and boil them in coconut oil for about 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp of cloves and let it cool. Apply this oil and leave it overnight.
4. Bringraja or Eclipta Alba is excellent hair oil that prevents premature greying of hair.
5. Curry leaves boiled in coconut oil serves as an excellent tonic for hair.
6. Take a few pieces of ribbed gourd and dry them in sun. Soak in Coconut oil and keep for 3- 4 hours. Boil the oil, till a black residue is left. Massage your scalp with it.
7. Fresh leaves of amaranth vegetable boiled in coconut oil will help in retaining the black color of hair.
8. Massage the scalp with butter made out of cow’s milk. This should be applied at least two times in a week.
9. Mix a tsp of Indian gooseberry juice with a tsp of almond oil and few drops of lime juice. Apply this mixture on your hair and keep it overnight. In the morning, wash the hair. This is an effective home remedy for treating premature greying of hair.
10. Coconut oil or Sesame oil, infused with herbs like Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Bhringaraj (Eclipta alba) or Japa (Hibiscus), helps maintain the color and luster of hair.
Ayurveda suggests various dietary and lifestyle changes which can help an individual to deal with the problem of premature graying of hair.
Various lifestyle changes suggested are:
1. Massage scalp regularly:
Medicated hair oil improves nourishment to the scalp which helps to keep your hair long, lustrous, strong, shining and thick. The warm oil head and scalp massage, nourishes the hair and scalp, alleviates dry scalp, enhances circulation. Coconut oil or Sesame oil, infused with herbs like Amalaki, Brahmi, Bhringaraj or Japa helps maintain the color and luster of hair.
2. Regular cleansing of scalp and hair:
Always keep your hair and scalp clean to avoid clogged hair follicles and itching of scalp. Cleanse with a gentle herbal shampoo. Over or excessive shampooing can lead to dry out the scalp and damage hair. Use lukewarm or fresh water to wash your hair, and follow with a natural conditioner.
3. Sleep Sufficiently:
Improper or irregular sleeping schedule causes disturbance to our body. During sleep our body repairs tissues and reorgansises systems. One should retire to bed before 10 p.m. and should finish dinner two hours prior to sleep. Light dinner with less spice followed by a glass of milk (an hour after dinner) is always found to induce good quality sleep. Lack of sufficient sleep can lead to poor health of hair.
4. Stress management:
Living regularly in state of stress can lead to premature graying. Herbal tea enriched with any one or more of Brahmi, Mandookparni, Ashwagandha and Jatamansi support natural ability to manage stress. Spare time to rest and relax to keep stress under control.
Various dietary changes suggested are:
1. Regulate dietary habits:
Ayurveda advocates that one should have food in properly ventilated, calm, quiet corner. One should chew food properly before swallowing. One should not drink too much water during meals.
One should drink luke warm water if oily, spicy and non vegetarian food is consumed. Dinner should always be light.
Excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol, meats and smoking should be avoided. Eating too much fried, oily, greasy, spicy, sour and acidic foods is always harmful.
2. Nutritious diet:
List of beneficial hair foods include white Sesame seeds, fresh Coconut, Green vegetables, whole Grains, Dates and Raisins, curd, Sprouted mixture of beans, Nuts and Seeds and healthy fats such as Ghee or Oil.
Ayurvedic suggests cooking food with spices and aromatic herbs as they improve digestion and detoxify our body tissues. Ayurveda advocates for regular intake of Turmeric, Black pepper, Fenugreek, Coriander and Cumin are both flavoring and Agni (digestive fire) enhancing.
Herbs like Amalaki, Haritaki, Hingu, Bhringraja and citrus fruits help to improve digestion and immunity for all age groups and all Dosha types.
Dr Rajesh Nair is the consultant of world’s largest online ayurvedic store http://www.ayurvedaforall.com. Please check his favourite Ayurvedic medicines and Ayurvedic treatments for Hair loss.