- Avoid over consumption of salt (most vegetables have their own natural sodium) and sugar, skip them entirely, if possible.
- Same with alcohol and tobacco, also contributing causes of hair loss and dandruff.
- Avoid excessive shampooing–once daily is usually sufficient, using a mild, unmedicated, non–alkaline shampoo (organic ingredients, whenever possible). Those with ‘Dry’ hair may follow shampoos with acid rinses or with oil–based conditioners (again, using organic ingredients whenever possible).
- Try headstands–or any position lowering your head below your body–several times daily (15 minutes each time).
- Massage your scalp by hand, or with an electric vibrator.
- Avoid excessive mental labor, as well as mental stress, both of which reduce scalp circulation by constricting blood vessels. Meditation and mental visualization and relaxation techniques are helpful.
- Because minerals are even more important to healthy hair than proteins, include both in your diet. Nutritional deficiencies can cause hair loss, as well as premature graying. In some cases, a copper deficiency may cause premature graying. Overall, eat a balanced, high–quality diet , and/or supplement with good multi–vitamin, multi–mineral, trace–element and amino acid supplements.
- Just as moderate exercise increases bone density and can improve hearing, it also improves blood circulation in your scalp.
- Periodic, scientific juice–fasting removes toxic chemicals built up in your body, especially from chemically–grown foods, the air, the water and drugs used, thus producing healthier hair and preventing premature graying (and aging) average adult carries 5–10 lbs., accumulated over a lifetime!
- An ounce (each) of sage and rosemary, left for 24 hours in a pint of good water, provides a tonic for treating dandruff.
- Apple–cider vinegar, applied as a rinse, is another folk remedy for dandruff: heat only slightly, pour on, and let it ‘Set’ for an hour on a towel–draped head, before shampooing.
- Vitamin E, rubbed on the scalp, is also an effective remedy against dandruff.
- Rinse immediately after swimming in chlorine–or otherwise–polluted water.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to harsh, direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays do the most damage, so avoid the hours they’re most intense–10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (even in the shade, ultraviolet intensity can be 50% of that in bright sunlight, while sandy beaches can actually intensify UV exposure by 25%. Same on hazy or cloudy days, when 70–to–80% of UV rays reach the ground.)
- A correlation has been drawn between excess stress and hair loss, even among modern teenagers, so do try to reduce stressors in your life, as much as possible. Using your wisdom in finding ways to manage stress is fundamental to achieving better hair vitality, not to mention the other physiological, psychological and spiritual payoffs.
- Avoid the hottest settings of hair–curlers, curling irons and hair–dryers, both to prevent hair damage, as well as avoid skin burning. Be careful about the quality of products you use when dying or coloring your hair.
- Don’t assume that ingesting more protein will stop or prevent hair loss.
- Instead, focus on appropriate exercise and on good, balanced nutrition, including whole grains, nuts and seeds fresh, raw fruits and vegetables and if you use milk, goat’s rather than cow’s, usually in the soured form–yogurt, etc.
