Ask any woman if they have any hair concerns, and they’d definitely have a lot to say. Dandruff, frizz, hair fall, split ends, itchy scalp…the problems faced when it comes to maintaining healthy hair are endless! And so are the number of solutions available to deal with them. Moreover, to wade through all the information available online (as well as all the advice shared by mums, grannies, and even hairstylists) is downright confusing, if not exhausting.

To crack the secret to having a happy mop of hair, we asked Trichologist Karishma Manchanda to join us for our weekly #GirlTribeLive on Malini’s Girl Tribe. She helped shed light on resolving some of the most common hair problems. And her insights were very useful! Read on to see what was discussed.

Common Hair Stressors

Even though we think hair loss or hair growth has to do with what’s on top, it actually has to do with what’s on the inside,

says Karishma. Often poor hair quality is reasoned to be because of genetics or hormones, when in fact, it is affected by what we eat and our lifestyle. 

Lack Of Nutrition

Poor quality of the food we consume is the number one hair stressor. Preservatives in packaged food, processed food, little to no consumption of nutrients in one’s diet—it all affects hair quality.

It’s important to build a cellular system that will help fight hair fall.

Stress

Our response to stress is fight or flight. While it’s natural to feel stressed sometimes, our hectic lifestyles ensure we’re stressed all the time. Since hair is considered a non-essential organ by the body, in times of stress, it reduces the blood flow to our scalp. Over time, this can affect hair growth and even cause hair fall.

Pollution

Interesting factoid: In Delhi right now, the amount of pollution a person is dealing with, is equivalent to them smoking 36 cigarettes a day! Toxins in the air stick to the protein in your hair and lead to inflammation. This leads to an itchy scalp and even dandruff. Karishma recommends covering your head with a scarf when stepping out, to protect your tresses from dust, pollutants, and UV rays.

3 Secrets To Get Happy Hair

Here are the 3 things that Karishma recommends we can do to promote hair growth and have beautiful tresses:

  1. Nutrition: A well-balanced diet is key. You should have iron, calcium, anti-oxidants, Vitamin A, D, C, E, K and amino acids in your diet. Also, drink at least 10 glasses of water a day!
  2. Scalp hygiene: Look at your scalp as an extension of your face. And that’ll help you understand how much you need to cleanse it to keep it dust-free.
  3. Stress management: There are many things to stress about in our day-to-day lives. But learning how to manage your stress well would lead to happier hair!

What’s the one thing you do to take care of your hair? Please share it with us in the comments below!

We often have such conversations on Malini’s Girl Tribe. To be a part of them, join the Tribe here.