Natural remedies for great hair

Do you want gorgeous hair?

Try these natural remedies that need ingredients from your home garden or off your kitchen shelves.

• Natural remedies for a glowing complexion

Normal hair

~ Peel a dudhi (bottle gourd), squeeze the peels to extract the juice and apply it into your hair. Keep on for half an hour to one hour. Wash. The amount of juice required would depend entirely on the length of your hair.

~ Soak one 1 tsp methi seeds overnight, grind it and apply it to your hair. After an hour wash it out well. Shampoo your hair the next day. The methi will give your hair a glow.

~ Make a paste with equal quantities of henna powder, orange peel powder (dry the orange peel and powder it), methi powder and lemon peel powder (dry the lemon peel an powder it) and apply it to your hair for half an hour. Wash off with plain water and shampoo the next day.

• Tips for coloured hair

~ Boil tea leaves in water. Strain. Condition your hair after a shampoo with the same water. Rinse.

~ Massage your scalp with coconut milk for two hours before a shampoo.

~ Grate 50 grams of dudhi. Add that to 50 ml coconut oil and boil the oil on a low flame till the water in it dries up and apply to your hair for one to two hours before washing.

~ Mix fresh lemon juice in cool water and use it to wash your hair. It will give a shine to your hair.

~ Take few drops of safflower oil on your palms. Rub the oil from the base of your head towards the scalp. This replaces essential fatty acid lost from the base.

• Going bald? Try these solutions

Oily hair

~ Apply yoghurt to your hair at least one to two hours before shampooing.

~ Soak henna leaves in coconut oil and massage the same oil into your scalp. Shampoo well.

~ Beat an egg yolk and work into your scalp at least one hour before washing with shampoo.

• 6 secrets of great hair

Dry hair

~ Dip a wad of cotton into unboiled milk and apply onto your scalp one hour before washing.

~ Beat an egg white and apply it onto your scalp one hour before washing.

For falling hair

~ Grind an onion, strain the juice and apply to your scalp.

~ Mix lemon juice and amla (Indian gooseberry) juice in equal quantities. Apply on your scalp every night. This concoction also helps growth and prevents premature graying.

• Diet-dos for great hair

For premature greying

~ Cut some amla into pieces and dry them in the shade. Soak the dried amla in water overnight then boil these pieces in coconut oil till the solid matter becomes charred dust. Then apply the oily residue into your hair. The water in which the amla pieces are soaked can be used for the last rinse of the hair.

For dandruff

~ Pour a capful of vinegar into your hair and rub it into the scalp. Let it dry for few minutes. Wash. Repeat the process until the dandruff disappears over a period of time.

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Seemaa Tarneja and Priya Khanna are consulting nutritionists. They are based in Mumbai.