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Add shine to dry hair with these home-made hair packs
10/31/2013 4:59:12 PM
Dry, frizzy hair can be unmanageable and have a lacklustre appearance. On the
other hand, healthy hair has an outer layer that contains natural oil to keep it moist
and shiny. When this layer is damaged – and this can happen due to several reasons
– the hair begins to look and feel dull, unhealthy and dry. Some of the reasons that
can lead to dry, unhealthy hair are:
Illness or nutritional deficiency
Harsh shampoo or hair dye
A high mineral content in the water
Chlorine used in swimming pool water
Whatever be the specific cause for your dry hair,
there are a few home remedies that can help you
combat this problem.
Vinegar
Vinegar acts like a conditioner on dry hair; it also
has the desirable effect of removing dandruff that
may be contributing to the lackluster appearance
of your hair. Take about half a cup of vinegar and
mix in 2 cups of water. Use this liquid as a
conditioner after you have rinsed the shampoo out of your hair. Allow it to stay on for a few minutes and then rinse off completely with water.
Eggs
Eggs are rich in proteins, fatty acids as well as the fat-soluble vitamins and this makes
them an excellent nutrient; besides, they also have a cleansing and conditioning effect,
which means they can work wonders on dry hair. Collect the white of a single egg and
mix in 3 tablespoons of water; apply this mixture onto your hair, leave it on for about 30
minutes and then rinse out thoroughly. Eggs work even better in combination with a little vinegar and olive oil. Take the
contents of 3 eggs, mix in a single teaspoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Mix thoroughly to get a viscous liquid; apply this to your hair and cover the hair for
about half-an-hour with a plastic cap. Wash out with a mild shampoo and water to get
hair that has a healthy moisture content and a lively shine. Another remedy that works well is eggs with almond oil and curd. Beat 2 eggs, mix in
about 2 tablespoons of almond oil and half a cup of curd; stir to get a pasty mass and
massage this into the hair and scalp. Cover with a plastic cap for about 30 minutes and
then wash with warm water and a mild shampoo.
Vegetable oils
Dry hair often tends to get brittle too and this causes it to break easily. Any vegetable oil
– olive, coconut or almond – can be used to moisturise such dry hair and give it
strength. Warm a little oil to a temperature that feels comfortable to the skin. Then
slightly dampen your hair and apply this warm oil all over. Cover with a warm towel and
leave it on for about an hour. Use a mild shampoo to wash hair and when the hair has
dried, you’ll find it has a healthy look and texture. For a greater moisturising effect, mix in a teaspoon of honey into the warm oil. Coconut oil in combination with curry leaves (karipatta) can also work wonders for dry
hair. Drop in a few washed and dried curry leaves into a few tablespoons of coconut oil,
warm for 2 minutes and when the mixture has cooled, massage it gently onto the scalp
and hair. Cover with a warm towel for about 20 minutes and then wash with a mild
shampoo.
Aloe vera
We all know that aloe vera is a great moisturiser for the skin but it works equally well on
hair too. Especially for those with dry hair, aloe vera treatment can help give a shine and
soft texture that makes frizzy hair manageable. This moisturising effect on hair works
even better when used in combination with other ingredients. For example, you can
make a paste with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 4 tablespoons of aloe vera gel and 3
tablespoons of curd and leave this on your hair for about half an hour. Or, you could collect a few hibiscus flowers, grind to a thick paste and to 2 teaspoons of this, and mix
in half a cup of aloe vera gel and one teaspoon of olive oil.
Tips
Along with these home remedies, you should also pay attention to how you handle
your hair. Do you brush or comb hair when it is wet? This could cause hair to lose its
strength, grow dry and brittle. Shampooing hair very often to give it a squeaky clean feeling is also bad; it can deplete
the natural oil present in the hair, making it dry and weak. The hair dryer may be a boon to those hard-pressed for time; but every time you blow
dry your hair; remember that you are also paving the path for dry and brittle hair. Use
the lower setting for the dryer, and use it sparingly to just get the moisture down a little
from where it can dry naturally on its own. With a few changes in the way you manage your hair and these home remedies, you
can soon bid goodbye to your dry hair woes.
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