Editorial Tarannum from Ground Zero Health & Fitness Humour Beauty Jewelry Column Short Story Prev Issue Next Issue

The sun can be just as damaging to hair as it is to skin. During summer, if the weather is dry and hot, one needs to protect the hair. Excessive exposure to the heat of the summer sun can dry out the hair, making it brittle (i.e. breaks easily). The hair may also acquire split ends. One of the best protections is to cover the hair while in the sun, either with a scarf, a hat or your dupatta. Its not such a bad idea to carry an umbrella when you go out of the house in the hot summer sun.

After washing your hair, apply a conditioner and then wash your hair with plain water. This will also provide protection. Some shampoos have built-in conditioners. If you have coloured your hair, it is all the more reason to protect the hair from the sun, as the sun’s radiation can cause changes in the hair colour. At least once a week, give your hair a hot oil treatment. Heat pure coconut oil and apply on the hair and scalp. Leave it on all night. Hot oil helps better absorption and penetration of the oil.

During summer, swimming is a favourite pastime. Swimming in an open pool also exposes the hair to the sun and results in dryness. In fact, the chlorine content in swimming pools is also very drying. After your swim, shampoo and condition your hair. If you swim in an open pool, be sure to wear a swimming cap to provide protection.

Weekly henna treatments also provide protection and add strength to the hair. Henna actually has the ability to coat each hair. If your hair is dry, add 2 teaspoons oil to the henna paste, along with curd, raw eggs, lemon juice and coffee.

If you normally blow dry and use hot curling tools every day, try and give your hair a break during the summer month. Allow your hair to dry naturally during summer. Or, if you must use a hair dryer, hold it about ten inches away and stop using it while the hair is still slightly damp. Hair dryers cause further dryness and damage to the natural beauty of the hair. From time to time, trim your hair to remove and prevent split ends. If split ends are neglected and the hair becomes dry, the hair can actually split all the way up.

After a month or two of dry conditions, the air may become humid. This is quite possible just before the rainy season. High humidity can also pose a problem, specially to those with oily hair. Oily hair tends to attract dirt and pollutants from the atmosphere more easily. The look of the hair really suffers. It becomes limp soon after a shampoo and loses its shine, body and bounce. In humid conditions, the hair also tends to swell and become matty and rough. This is due to excessive perspiration and sweat secretions. The salt in your sweat, along with environmental grime, makes the hair rough and robs it of its lustre and body.

If you perspire a lot, you will find that you need to shampoo your hair more frequently. Many people want to know if they can shampoo their hair daily. It is quite safe to shampoo your hair daily, if required, but you must mild herbal shampoo. Take care to use very little shampoo and rinse your hair well with water, to get rid of all soapy residue. Even short, layered hairstyles require frequent shampoos to maintain body and style. A henna-based herbal shampoo is ideal during humid conditions.

If your hair is oily, avoid rich conditioners. Try a herbal hair rinse. You can also use conditioning agents from your kitchen shelf. Tea and lemon rinses may be good during the summer. Boil used tea leaves again, in enough water. Cool the liquid and use as a rinse after your shampoo. Lemon juice can be added to a mug of water and used as a last rinse. A lemon rinse helps to reduce grease and also maintains normal balances. You can also apply the white of an egg before your shampoo, leaving it on for half and hour. This not only gives body to the hair, but is also a wonderful cleanser, cutting down on oiliness. A henna conditioner is ideal. It benefits all hair types and adds body and shine to the hair. It also helps to cleanse the hair and scalp, removing impurities and wastes.

During summer, keep your hair simply styled and away from the face. Try to keep the nape of the neck free of hair. It will make you feel and look cool. Matted hair, sticking to the skin on the back, can be most unattractive.

Don’t forget, that internal health is just as important as external care. So, during the summer months, when the body loses a lot of fluids, take plenty of fresh fruits and raw salads. These help to cleanse the body of toxins, apart from catering to your fluid needs. Have fresh fruit juices and lassi. A bowl of sprouted lentils made from "kala chana" and "mung" is ideal for healthy hair. Add cucumber, tomato and other salad ingredients, along with lemon juice to add more taste and spice to your sprouts.

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