India is a tropical region, and it experiences different seasons round the year, one of them is rainy. Now it is summer which is very hot, dry, sweaty, and a humid season and people get easily exhausted. But the monsoons are going to hit very soon, and this thought even make us relaxed and enthusiastic. Though monsoon nourishes all the ecosystem in the earth, it brings many serious problems like fever, other viral and bacterial infections, skin and haircare problems, digestive problems etc. Ayurveda says that the equilibrium of vata pitta and kapha are necessary to keep the body healthy. During rainy season, vata is getting hampered due to the humidity in the atmosphere and the Pitta level is also increasing in the body. The imbalanced vata and pita will disrupt the level of kapha leading to diseases. We are focusing to the common hair problems during monsoon and how to get rid of from these.
Common hair problems in monsoon
- Hair fall: The excessive humidity with sweating can adversely affect the scalp and hair, making it dry and brittle. And the high moisture content traps all the dirt and pollution which when settles in your hair, making it weak and causing hair fall in monsoon. Monsoon with high humidity makes your hair limp, lustreless, and heavy. Wet hair combing also worsens the condition. We should understand that, on average a human loses about a minimum of 100 strands, which is pretty common.
- Dandruff: Malassezia, a type of fungus that is most associated with dandruff, which is ever-present on all our scalps, and also causes oxidative stress to the scalp and hair. Monsoon provides the perfect breeding ground for this fungus, and it makes the scalp itchy. Dandruff worsens in the rainy season, as the fungus responsible for causing it flourishes in humid weather.
- Lice: Infestation of lice in hair is also a common issue during the monsoon, as lice breed during this season.
- Scalp infection and itchiness: Bacterial and fungal infections on the scalp are also common during monsoons. Exposure to polluted rainwater and warm humid conditions helps the growth of bacteria/ fungus on the scalp. It may develop painful pus-filled boils or severe itchy and flaky patches.
- Frizzy hair: During rainy season, the humid air naturally has more water molecules than dry air, and this leads to the hair strands forming a high number of hydrogen bonds. These bonds cause the hair to fold back and curly or frizzy.
How to get rid of these problems
- Warm oil massages – It is good to use warm oil for oiling your hair. This can be followed not just during monsoon but in every season. This oil penetrates deep into the hair cuticles and tames frizzy hair in monsoon. Coconut oil is best for all hair type, and if we are using other oils, it should be right based on the doshas and hair type. We can include the ingredients helping the growth of hair like amla, hibiscus, curry leaves, bhringraja etc while preparing the oil. Ayurveda also mentioned about the benefits of moordhathaila in preventing hair diseases.
- Keeping your hair dry – Hair should be dry in rainy season to avoid cold as well as scalp infection. Getting the hair wet with rainy water can bring about bacteria and other microbes with it. Keep your scalp healthy to avoid the deposition and spread of bacteria on the scalp. Hair gets more brittle in the monsoon and which may leads to the excessive hair fall. Let your hair naturally dry. Excess moisture during monsoons can cause the growth of bacteria, fungus and even lice.
- The rainwater contains acidic water along with other dissolved particles that get into your hair cuticles and penetrate deep into the scalp. This disturbs the pH level of the scalp, which may cause irritation and resulting in dandruff and dry hair in rainy season.
- It is necessary to oil and moisturize the hair in the rainy season. Hair may feel greasy or sticky but make sure to opt for an oil massage at least 20 minutes before washing your hair. Use coconut oil with a few drops of essential oils like lavender, sandalwood, rosemary etc.
- Regular hair and scalp wash with a good natural shampoo that can get rid of the sebum and Malassezia growth.
- Water makes the hair follicles weak, so it is not good to comb the wet hair. Use a widetoothed comb instead of the fine-toothed ones; which may not cause too much hair damage.
- Use caps, scarfs, umbrellas, and even a raincoat to keep the rainwater away from affecting your hair.
- Be careful in using the chemical haircare products that can further aggravate hair problems. A lot of hair problems can be minimized just by following a few simple routines.
- Do not leave the hair open while you sleep. Remember not to tie your hair too tight.
Diet to follow
- Increase the protein intake – The lack of protein in the hair and in the body can causes hair fall. Regular protein supplement in the diet promote hair growth naturally and restore the dry hair too.
- Drink plenty of water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Include eggs, spinach, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, beans, yoghurt, and soybeans in your diet that will benefit not only your hair but also your skin.
Some tips to follow….
- A mask preparing with curd and aloe vera gel can be used as a hair conditioner. Take two tablespoons of curd and one tablespoon of aloe vera gel and mix to form a mixture. The acid in this mixture will fight the bacteria formation and will leave your scalp feeling fresh and oil free. You can keep the mask for 30 minutes and wash with normal water (Try to avoid use of hot water on head) or decoctions made with thriphala, amla etc., and use this mask two times a month.
- Application of the paste of fenugreek seeds soaked in water over night or hibiscus leaf (thaali) in water can make the scalp clean and refreshing. The person with allergy or reccurent rhinitis should take care while doing this. It gives a good shampooing effect.
- Application of Aloe gel in coconut oil /aloe vera juice can be used for nourishment of hair and scalp.
- Mix Amla pulp with lemon juice, apply it on the scalp properly and massage, leave it for some time and then wash your hair.
- Hair serum containing coconut oil, olive oil etc can be used in cases of dry hair and split end cases. Hair gels are also playing a role mostly in those who are not interested to apply more oil in the hair and those who are having oily scalp also.
- Mix curry leaves, soaked fenugreek seeds, tulsi leaves and green gram in equal proportions. Grind these ingredients and apply over hair and scalp. Keep it for 30-40 minutes and washing it off with normal water.
Hair is fragile, and just like our skin, needs some extra care with changing weather. Monsoons can be quite challenging for the hair. Try to use natural and herbal products for better hair care. The imbalance of doshas, dhatus and malas are the cause of a disease in Ayurveda. It is applicable in cases of hair too. So we should follow the varsha ritucharya and diet in rainy season for preventing diseases. The diet which is good for asthidhatu is also good for the hair.
