Be hair happy this autumn

Changing weather conditions take a toll on your hair, making it dry, frizzy, brittle and lacklustre. This is the time you need to alter your hair care regime to start preparing for the coming season. Make your hair shiny, bouncy and smooth by following these easy tips.

1. Massage your scalp with warm oil to restore the moisture. Mustard oil helps in tackling dandruff and hair fall. Olive oil mixed with almond oil is excellent in providing nourishment to scalp and hair.

2. Load your diet with fruits, hard cheeses, vegetables, whole grains and omega 3 fatty acids. Daily intake of vitamins, minerals, protein and iron (lentils, red meat, giblets, egg, fish, sea food) helps in rebuilding the loss of tissue in the scalp and strengthens follicles. Drinking plenty of water also helps to keep the hair well-conditioned.

3. Use tepid water for washing your hair. Avoid hot water as it robs your scalp of natural oil, causing dry hair and dandruff. Invest in a hydrating shampoo and conditioner as well as silicone-based finishing products to seal in moisture. Avoid shampoos with sulfate. Go for essential oil-based treatments to balance keratin levels.

4. Avoid over-use of blowdryers, curling irons, or flat irons, as artificial heat harms the cuticles, causing frizzy hair.

Here are some recipes to make your hair glow:

1. Apply grated cream of green coconut for nourishment and conditioning.

2. Bananas make a wonderful hair mask when blended with an egg, three teaspoons each of honey and milk, and five teaspoons of olive oil. 3. Mix one mashed avocado with a teaspoon each of olive oil and honey, and then apply it to your hair. Leave the mask on for at least 20 minutes and then wash off.

4. Soak fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind the seeds into a fine paste the next morning and apply it to your hair. Wash off with a mild shampoo after 15-20 minutes.

PHOTO: ISTOCK Fenugreek seeds add lustre to your hair and improve texture