Hair Care during and after Pregnancy {Pregnancy}

A normal, healthy person sheds about 50 to 100 (or up to 200 because of the lifestyle choices) strands of hair every day, and most of these hairs grow back. A healthy hair has a life cycle of about three to six years, depending on your termination length. Hair loss becomes a problem when the hair do not grow back or when hair sheds at an abnormally rapid rate (several hundreds hairs per day), the latter case generally seen during pregnancy.

A hair's life has three phases - growing phase, maturing phase (in which it stops growing and follicles prepare for resting phase) and resting phase. Thus, even the actively growing hair may go into the resting phase. This occurs because of an increased amount of estrogen (called happy hormones) in the body. Increased number of hairs enter the resting phase, disturbing the normal hair growth and loss process and causing more hair than usual to fall out.

During pregnancy, the body's resources are more necessary for the foetus development so the external functions of the body which are not directly related to the regulation of body functions are temporarily suspended. My experience was really weird during pregnancy. Even when I got my hands waxed, I couldn't see any growth for many months which was great but I also noticed hairs on my scalp were comparatively thinner.

So, I asked my husband for advice and I am sharing all of them with you.

• Improve intake of vitamin C : Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen which in turn supports hair follicles and keeps blood vessels in the scalp healthy.

• Improve intake of Protein : Hair is 95 percent protein and a diet too low in protein may cause hair loss.

• Step up your Silica intake : An adequate intake of silica is thought to prevent baldness and stimulate hair growth. Silica is present in substantial amounts in a wide range of foods, including strawberries, green and red peppers, miller, barley, wheat, cucumbers, oats, rice, bean sprouts, potatoes.

• Iron : Hemoglobin is needed for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the other tissues in the body, including hair. An undisrupted supply of oxygen is necessary for healthy hair. So eat more spinach & beet root which will improve your iron intake as well.

Since he is a doctor, his main focus is always a better diet to fulfil all the nutritional deficiencies. Hope this helps you all :) Do let me know how you like the post.

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Thanks a lot, Punam, for this helpful post. Isn't having a doctor at disposal amazing? I do think so but she says its quite overwhelming sometimes because of the amount of obsession they have towards hygiene and health!! Well, that's also probably true. Do check out her review on Auravedic skin polish.

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Related Posts:
How to deal with nausea?
Dealing With Heightened Sense Of Smell
Importance Of Folic Acid
Using laptop and mobiles during Pregnancy
Pomegranate Health Drink for Pregnant Women

Do all shampoos work for me? {Hair Care}

Yeah, I know. Its a weird post but this is in reply to a really funny comment I got one one of my posts yesterday. So, the anonymous writes:

All shampoos give u good results?? Dove also kamini also Pantene?

I thought many of you might have the same question so I would rather do a post on it. Well, actually my hair type, as I have mentioned countless times is, dry and fine and feels soft to silky depending on its mood. I have colored it once last year and that was a disaster. But, otherwise, my hair generally behaves nicely.

As to all shampoos suiting me, mostly my answer would be yes. My hair doesn't react easily and result in hair fall. Yes, my hair does get dry and the scalp also feels dry but no shampoo has triggered any allergic reactions and I don't have any history of dandruff which needs taking care of. When talking about shampoos, let me start with ones I used this year.

Dove Nourishing Oil

It was drying for my hair but initially it was fine. The conditioner does a good job of preventing the dryness. But, why I said it worked was because of my lack of experience with better products. Now that I have used Kamini's shampoo, I know how some shampoos can be non-drying. So, yes, this shampoo is not for dry hair but it did not dry out my scalp excessively and my hair behaved decently when I was using it.

Pantene Total Damage
Yes, it suited my hair because it did not cause my hair to get dry really soon. And, no itchiness either. Its, in fact, a good shampoo and the conditioner is even better.

Dove Color Rescue
Definitely drying!!! And, I have recommended it for only oily hair.

Kamini Shampoo
Yes, it suits me but it does dry out my scalp and hair sometimes. That is why I am searching for some shampoo whose ingredients I am aware of and is natural as well.

Those were the shampoos I tried out in my recent memory and more or less, I did like all of them. But, one thing I would say is that whatever shampoo you use, never ever skip on conditioner. Its very essential even if you have oily hair.  

Find products which suit your hair type but never skip on the essential routines. 

Also, please note that a person's reaction to a product changes over time and may not remain same always whether the person is a blogger or a reader :)

Image Courtesy:omgdaily.com

Aloe Veda Herbal Hair Oil {Product Review}

Price: Rs 125 for 200ml (pretty decent)

Ingredients

Absolutely love the ingredients!!! Sesame oil is one of my fav oils for hair as its not very thick and heavy and is extremely nourishing and also prevents gray hair. A little information about Allantoin:

Allantoin is also used in medications for dermatological conditions including acne, impetigo, eczema, and psoriasis. Allantoin is moisturizing and keratolytic, meaning that it causes keratin in the skin to soften. This property helps skin to heal more quickly and to bind moisture more effectively, making products containing allantoin useful for dry skin and for healing wounds, burns, and scars. It is also effective against sunburn, chapped lips, cold sores, diaper rash, and similar skin irritations. (Source)

Pros

- made of amazing ingredients

- gives a bit of shine to the hair

- isn't a heavy hair oil

Cons

- smells too sweet for my nose

- has some green color added to it perhaps

My Experience

I have been using this hair oil since almost a month after I have left the treatment. I have talked about this in my June hair diary. So, to start with its a green colored oil which has a really sweet smell. I am not a fan of strong smells and I am not a fan of this either.

Moving on, I have applied this with the help of cotton as well as I have mentioned here. Incidentally, the usage on the website talks about the same method.

For best results, oil your hair with Aloe Veda's Herbal Hair Oil at least twice in a week. The best time to oil your hair is in the night. Leave the oil overnight and wash it next morning as this allows deeper penetration. If possible use heated oil as hot oil penetrates scalp better and carries the active ingredients to the hair roots. If done appropriately using a cotton ball directly on scalp this can give amazing results. To ensure that you do not damage the properties of the hair oil place the bowl over boiling water to heat the oil. It is advisable to apply oil in the night and leave your hair oiled overnight. Massage your scalp for few minutes even while shampooing and finish off with a light conditioner. Regular application stimulates the scalp and activates the hair follicles which leads to better hair growth.

it comes in a flip top bottle

So, I can say that yes, it does give shine to the hair. But, to be honest, the shine is less compared to the treatment I was on which really strengthened my belief in the treatment. I did not face any major hair fall or any other problem while using this oil.

One thing which I would say is that it seems to have some green color added to the oil. Why? I apply the oil from a silver bowl so there is always some quantity of oil which remains in the bowl and I don't wash it unless I apply the ginger tonic as well (which is generally next morning, I apply oil at night). And, I always noticed some green color spots on the place where oil was present.

As to how much it helps with hair growth, I am not really sure coz its too early to say something like that. Overall, I found it to be a decent hair oil which gets washed off easily and doesn't weigh down the hair!!! It leaves the hair shinier and softer if you haven't used a better product than that.

Availability

Online - Aloe Veda Websites

PS: Product sent by brand for consideration. 

Other products from Aloe Veda:

Aloeveda Moisturising Bathing Bar Indian Khus with Kewda Extracts

Aloe Veda Chocolate Vanilla Lip Butter

Best way to deal with Dandruff?? {DIY}

So, yes, I know most of you are facing this problem right now or would be in the coming subsequent months of August-September depending on when monsoons hit your town. So, be armed with this simple DIY to get rid of dandruff. 

Ingredients

• Apple Cider Vinegar / Fruit Vinegar / Vinegar
• Water

Method

Add 2 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a bowl and take a cotton and apply it to your scalp half hour before you shampoo your hair. To avoid dryness (vinegar is acidic so drying for scalp), you can apply this treatment on well-oiled hair. Do this every time you are going to shampoo. This helps with long standing issues of dandruff too. 

Remember the Kamini aunty treatment? Yes, it involves this ginger hair tonic which I had told you was ginger infused in vinegar. My mom has even prepared the dupe for it :D We are calling it dupe coz the actual treatment might have other additives. I shall share it soon :) Till then, let this treatment help ya!!

Image Courtesy:jdc325.wordpress.com

My Hair Diaries - June 2012

that's my hair last month after the treatment

Verdict on the Kamini Hair Treatment

Well, the results are, as far as I can notice, positive. I have noticed my hair line on the crown become fuller and my hair is definitely more shiny and really soft which I am absolutely loving. But, I still need to work on the weighing down issues. Now, regarding the volume, I really wish my hair would grow overnight but since that doesn't happen except for Rapunzel, I need to wait and watch!!!

Current Routine

this is my hair after leaving the treatment this week

My mom said that we should check it out for 6 months before finalizing. But, now, I have temporarily stopped the treatment because I wanted to see if I follow the same routine with over-the-counter products, will I get the same results. So, I have started using the Aloe Veda Herbal Oil but continuing with the ginger tonic and the shampoo. Right now, I am using L'Oreal Total Repair 5 hair mask as a conditioner and Dove Nourishing Oil Serum as a leave-in serum. 

So far, I have been using the changed routine for the past one week and the one thing which I was afraid of was that sudden change from the treatment might result in hair fall. Thankfully, that did not happen. And, even now, my hair is extremely soft and shinier but the shine is lot less as compared to the treatment oil which was amazing!!! So, that was my hair this month. Let's hope I have positive things to say about the Aloe Veda oil as well.

Related Posts: 
My Hair Diaries - May 2012
My Hair Dairies - April 2012
My Hair Diaries - March 2012
My Hair Diaries - February 2012
My Hair Diaries - January 2012

Hair Tips for Monsoon {Hair Care}

I am loving, adoring and blissfully bathing in Hyderabad weather after the sultry Delhi :) Ok, yes, its humid and that does increase the suffocation at times but the cool breeze in the evenings and the lovely rains are just too romantic too ignore!!! But, then, monsoons always bring a spate of hair problems with them. 

Humid Hair

The scalp gets all dirty very soon even though the pollution is in control. The reason for this is because of the amount of humidity which accumulates the dust and sweat in the hair and makes the scalp dirty very quickly. So, hair wash should be frequent, preferably on alternate days and you should always make sure to leave your hair open for at least an hour everyday to let the roots and the scalp get some air through them and get dry.

If you get wet in the rain, let your hair air dry and then go for a hair wash. Immediate washing is generally not preferable as it may lead to diseases and illness.

• Hair Fall: This is the most common problem of hair in monsoons and even I can see those effects. One way to control it is to keep the hair and scalp always clean as mentioned above and to keep the hair always dry as even a little wet hair is also prone to a lot breakage. Do not comb your hair immediately on returning home after a long day. Leave your hair untied for a good half hour to an hour and let it dry thoroughly before running a comb. 

• Dandruff: Even though the weather is humid, the scalp can dry out easily because of the climate changes and weather fluctuations. And, that can lead to a lot of dead skin being accumulated on the scalp and leading to dandruff issues. This also contributes to hair fall in the monsoons. Ultimately, this issue can also be resolved by keeping the scalp and hair clean and dry at all times.

Hair Accessories

Avoid using scarfs and stoles to keep your hair protected from rain or even pollution. Because, lack of air circulation causes the sweat to get entrapped and accumulated on the scalp. Instead, carry an umbrella to protect you in sudden rains. And, pollution is anyway in control in monsoons so don't worry about that. Btw it may be necessary for you to wash your hair everyday at times. Go ahead and do it. Only make sure that you use a good quality shampoo, preferably a high-end brand or an SLS-free shampoo.

Keep your hair tools clean and dry

Clean your comb, hair brush and even the scrunchies and hair clips you use as they gather the sweat when you use them on dirty hair!!!

Image Courtesy:idiva.com

Home Remedies for Hair Growth {DIY}

[Source:she.sulekha.com]

Yesterday, I talked about some of the tips to start taking care of your hair. And, I had said that I shall share some of the home remedies which have helped my hair tremendously in certain number of years. So, lets start on. 

Fenugreek Seeds

[Source:asia.ru]

Yes, the methi or fenugreek seeds about which I talked almost when I started my blog. That was one remedy which helped my hair fall and I guess it did help in a little in improving the hair texture but since I am so lazy, I had discontinued the remedy. I guess its time to start again!!

Egg

As always, I swear by this remedy. Applying egg on my hair weekly has helped my hair a lot and if not in hair growth, it has definitely helped to keep my hair soft, silky and shiny and strong too. But, the downside of the remedy is the smell which even I can't bear so I have not used egg on my hair since quite long.

Yogurt

This was advised to me by one of my friends who was advised by an acquaintance. The said acquaintance used to douse her hair in yogurt everyday and wash it off (not shampoo but only plain water rinse) and used to shampoo her hair once a week. This was the routine in vacations but I do admit that she must have smelt bad!!! But, the remedy and the hard work paid off and her tresses were very beautiful and long. 

Well, I did use the remedy and not quite in the same way but I used to keep curd / yogurt in my hair for 1-4 hours a stretch and wash it off with a shampoo. Over a period of time, my hair texture did improve a lot. And, here I am guessing, that it did improve my hair volume too. But, I am not quite sure on that count.

[Source:beautythroughstrength.com]

Onion Juice

This is something I swear by again and it is one of the top rated of my posts in all time. I know!!! And, yes, onion juice helps a lot in hair growth itself. But, yes, it gives a very foul smell which is why I get discouraged to use the remedy but the results are too obvious. 

The reason why onion works is because of its richness in sulphur, one of the main minerals required for hair growth.  don't know if it will cover a bald spot but yes, it will definitely revive the hair follicles if they have been dormant too long. A very difficult remedy to use, though :(

[Source:boston.com]

Tomato

Again, one of my few first posts on the blog, it had helped to restore my sunburnt and extremely damaged hair to a decent condition. Tomato gives a lot of shine to the hair and also helps with dandruff as it is a little acidic but not as acidic as lemon to leave the hair entirely dry!!!

These are the remedies which have helped my hair a lot overtime. 

PS: Read a status message on FB: 
"Be with a man who ruins your lipstick, not your Mascara!!" 
What say?? :D

Hair Grows more if tied up? {Hair Care}

[Source:hji.co.uk]

Statement: Hair grows faster if you keep it it braided or styled and not simply left open.

Well, what is the fact behind this statement? Does hair really grow just because you braid it up. If you keep it tied all the time, doesn't it put pressure on the hair? So, what are the answers to these questions??

Yes and no The statement is true in one sense but it can prove much stressful for the hair if over done. When you tie your hair, you are putting some pressure on your hair. If this pressure is less than the tensile strength (weight the hair can bear) of the hair, it will help your hair to grow a bit. But, if the pressure becomes too much for the hair strands to handle, the result is hair fall and breakage. So, keeping your hair tied up is a good thing but when done in the most comfortable way. You should not feel any pressure anywhere on the scalp or the hair while your hair is tied up. 

Another reason why tying up the hair is recommended is that it prevents the hair from being left loose and open and this way, they will lose less of their moisture and turn dry. If you have observed, the more you leave your hair open, the more dry they become. If the ends of the hair are well-secured, your hair will look beautiful int he long run but avoid putting pressure on the roots. And, always keep on changing your hair style - make it a braid sometimes, pony tails can be high, low or in the center or even on the sides, create a bun. The focus is to make the hair pull down but make sure that you are not rough with your hair and when you keep on changing your styling of the hair, it distributes the pressure on the hair equally on all the hair strands because of which there is a uniform growth.

And, don't forget to leave your hair open for sometime everyday. Hair too needs to relax but always make sure to braid or tie your hair while going to bed because that is the time when it loses most of its moisture.

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Combs and Hair Care {Accessory Review}

Combing is one of the most essential activity of our daily routine. And, the quality of our combs determine the health of our hair. I have changed a lot of combs in my life and my preference has always been the wide-toothed comb even before I had become interested in beauty and started reading about it. Wide-toothed combs make it easy to detangle and comb through the hair whatever the mass of the hair be. So, let us see how various combs in my latest years ave affected my hair. 

My yellow Giant Comb

This one I had received as one of the goodies from Sunsilk when they had launched their revamped version sometime in 2006 as part of the promotions in malls. And, since then, I have not touched another comb.

See the nice rounded edges of the comb

As you can see, the teeth in both parts of the comb are wide and they help in combing the hair very very easily. So, since I had started using this comb, my hair had improved drastically. Also, his comb has rounded tips though the plastic is jagged at some places due to the poor finishing.

Bad Buy - Roots Comb

Then, I got interested in vanity and read everything about hair care which includes a huge section on hair accessories of which combs are a staple part. Now, somewhere, I had read that the tips of the combs should touch the scalp and distribute the oils equally. Now, my yellow comb had been over-used in the years (2006-2010). So, I decided that it wasn't doing its job well-enough and I had to get a new comb. So, I hunted low and up in some vanity store (starts from 'K' and I am not able to recall its name though I have been trying since quite a long time). Finally, I checked all the combs and decided that roots would do the job well even though I could have settled for 30 bucks cheaper on another comb which was essentially the same (don't remember the brand). Bought it and very happily tried it on my hair, a little more hair than usual on the comb. I decided that was due to the change in the comb and hair will get accustomed.

Edges are not looking pointed but are pretty sharp!!!

Now, when I opened the comb, I got the shock of life coz its edges were really pointed though they didn't feel at all that way through the packing. They even look rounded. So, I was a lot disappointed coz the combs are not supposed to be rough on the edges as that snags and pulls the hair. Subsequently, my hair fall went to worse when I started usign this comb very regularly. I couldn't' guess the reason at first though the thunder bolt struck me probably a month or two after. I shifted back to my lovely yellow comb which I had so ruthlessly disposed off and voila, my hair fall was back to normal. 

Moral of the Story: Check the combs properly while buying combs. Do not settle for something which is cheaper coz your hair pays heavily afterwards. And, yes, your combs might be leading to your hair loss. Analyze them now. 

History of Combs

So, let us come to a little history of combs. Earlier in ancient times, single sticks of either wood or animal bones were used as combs to detangle hair. Since, wood would splinter so animal bones were preferred. In the Victorian era, there were ivory combs too. But, then, regard for animal life increased and such luxuries became privileges. I definitely do not support elephant slaughter for tusks. Or, any other animal for any part of theirs. So, we do not have animal bone combs any more. They were majorly made out of Sharks teeth and ribs. But, now, some companies do sell combs made of artificial keratin coz they don't get jagged. Otherwise, a simple substitute is wooden comb which is available for a cheaper rate courtesy The Body Shop. 

The Body Shop Detangling Comb

So, I was searching madly for a wooden comb since I had no access to bones comb. And, when I saw it in TBS, I felt crazy happy. I wasn't aware of TBS as a brand and didn't trust it so didn't buy the comb and 295 INR for a comb seemed really costly to me. Then, my birthday happened and this was one of my self-selected gift set. And, I obviously used it without further ado. And, voila, my hair was so soft in the first use. Though, the first time you handle this comb, you wouldn't feel comfortable. It needs a little getting used to and the wood gets little polished with regular usage. So, probably in a week or two, this was my favorite comb and this time, I didn't dump my yellow comb. But, here is the catch. When I tried combing my hair with the yellow comb after my hair got used to the wooden comb, there were more strands to be seen on the yellow comb which clearly proved that wooden comb is better. 

I have been using this comb since February and I can say there are less splits considering my previous track record with the split ends, my hair is more shinier and softer, has a better growth rate as far as I can tell, hair fall which I had been facing had reduced to a considerable extent, probably has a little more volume (can be attributed to the growth fact) and no breakage (I had little breakage earlier). Overall, my hair quality has improved with this comb. Now, I have wavy to curly hair and curly hair people should not use brishes as they lead to more hair fall so I am more of a comb girl (more coming on brushes in some other post!!). Ok, yeah, it is a little costly but I think worth spending for the results!!! 

Look at the rounded edges of the teeth

Now, here comes the biggest catch of this comb. Cleaning. It is wooden so cleaning with water is something unthinkable. So, I have no idea how to clean it. I do use water coz I have no other choice. I sprinkle baking soda on the comb and use a wet brush to clean the comb between its teeth. I nicely scrub the comb with the baking soda and when I feel its done, I wash it quickly with water to keep it for as less time as possible in water. IF you can suggest a better method to clean, please do so!!! Another problem is the packaging. The comb comes with a sticker stuck to it and the sticker is literally stuck to it. It takes weeks to scratch out the sticker (you can't use water, remember!!) and its really sticky. I don't know why TBS does that horrible packaging but that is something where it can be improved upon.

The comb itself is really small and extremely handy. It has polish on the upper frame. It is a wide-teethed comb which is said to detangle wet hair but I don't use it on wet hair. I use it on damp to dry hair. It says that it distributes the oils well. Well, seeing the results, it certainly must be doing its job. The edges of the teeth are not pointed but not even rounded. They are blunt edges and are wide enough to distribute the oils properly. Wooden combs also reduce the static in the hair so less frizzy hair. It is made up of the wood from trees which are some forest steward council approved (I don't remember what exactly it was but I think it was a rain forest preserve or something!!! It was on the sticker).

My Recommendation

Absolutely!!! You should invest in this comb for better hair. And, this is for people who have gorgeous hair too.

Don't forget to give this a try!!! Pin It