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Flakes, which are a combination of dead dried skin and dandruff, can be one of the most embarrassing situations to deal with. Caused due to low oil production in the scalp, flakes can often lead to several skin infections, not just on your scalp, but on your face and neck as well.

If you have a flaky scalp, here are some simple home remedies to use.

Baking Soda – Add water to baking soda and apply the paste to your scalp. This will remove the dead skin from the surface. Finally, wash with warm water, shampoo and conditioner.
Coconut Oil – Warm coconut oil first and then massage it on your scalp gently. To get better results, add a few drops of lemon juice to the oil.
Lemon Juice – Since flaky scalp can lead to excessive dandruff, the best way to get rid of it is to massage your scalp with lemon juice. Doing so won’t only get rid of dandruff, but would also prevent further flakes.
Apple Cider Vinegar – In order to remove dead skin cells from your scalp, you can use apple cider vinegar, but not the distilled type. Applying it will leave your hair follicle clear, preventing flake formation.
Coconut Milk – Another way to get rid of your flakes is by rinsing your scalp with coconut milk and leaving it that way for about ten minutes. You can also add lemon juice to it and massage your scalp.
Aloe Vera – Aloe Vera can be used for dandruff and flakes since it moisturizes and repairs the skin of your scalp. You should apply the gel and leave it overnight. After waking up in the morning, wash your hair with cold water.
Tea Tree Oil – If you want to protect your scalp from the bacteria forming due to the flakes, your best solution is tea tree oil. Simply use the oil to massage your scalp and then wash it off with shampoo.
Olive Oil – Olive oil is a good remedy for moisturizing your scalp and increasing hair growth without promoting flake formation.
Witch Hazel – Another thing you can use to prevent scalp infection due to flaking is witch hazel. You need to boil this flower and make a paste of it. Once ready, apply it for about 30 minutes before rinsing.

Try these simple remedies at home and see how well they work for your flaky scalp.

Almost all of us are forced to face split ends at one point in our lives; it’s that common a hair problem. An ever harder truth is that the only way you can remove split ends once they find their way to your hair is by cutting it. However, there are certain preventive measures that you should take afterwards to ensure that these split ends never return later.

Removing Split Ends

If you currently have split ends, the first thing you need to do is to remove them before moving on to preventive actions. You need to cut them off on your own since only you can determine how much to cut. However, remember to use proper hair shears even if it’s just a strand as paper scissors can fray hair ends. Moreover, get a haircut scheduled after every eight weeks as all hair starts getting damaged beyond that point. Most importantly, never believe in products that claim to heal split ends since that isn’t possible.

Preventing Split Ends

Here are some tips that can help you steer clear of split ends in the future:

Keep your hair protected from all types of chemicals, including perming lotions, coloring agents and the chemicals found in pools. Also check if the water you normally use to wash your hair contains chemicals like chlorine or calcium carbonate since they cause split ends.
Always comb your hair gently and slowly while staying away from harmful styles like back combing. Use hair-friendly, combs and minimum strokes of brush. You can also use your fingers to untangle hair gently.
The ultraviolent rays of the sun have the power to damage your hair, so try wearing a cap when you go out to minimize sun damage. Moreover, consider using hair conditioners that have sunscreen to protect your hair perfectly against harsh sun rays.
Shampoos can be harsh on the hair, so make sure to select one that is quite gentle and complement it with a good conditioner. However, make sure to wash out both shampoo and conditioner properly from your scalp. In addition, once in a while, treat your hair to deep conditioning to nourish it and strengthen it.
While drying your hair, avoid rubbing your towel on your hair too harshly. Also keep your hair dryer’s temperature low to avoid damaging your hair and developing split end again.

If you are careful with your hair, you can easily prevent spilt ends and keep your hair healthy and glossy.

Deep conditioning hydrates and softens hair that has been damaged from everyday life (including chemicals, treatments, and excess heat). Your hair can experience improved elasticity allowing it to stretch without breaking. Make sure you’re deep conditioning correctly with these easy steps.

1. Choose the right product

Different types of hair need different types of conditioners. Try out different conditioners to see which ones work best for you. Here are some quick rules of thumb you can start with:

If your hair is fine, use lighter conditioners to make your hair look more voluminous.
If your hair is frizzy, try a natural oil conditioner such as olive oil, coconut oil, or other oils.

2. Start with shampoo

Proper conditioning starts with a proper wash of your hair. Gently wash and rinse your hair to prepare it to be conditioned

3. Apply the conditioner

Squeeze a quarter-size of conditioner into the palm of your hand. Start by applying to the roots of your hair and moving your way down. If you have really long hair, don’t be afraid to use more conditioner.

4. Cover your head

Use a shower cap to cover your head. Deep conditioning takes time for the conditioner to penetrate the strands of your hair. The shower cap allows the conditioner to penetrate your hair without turning your floors into a slippery swamp.

5. Skip the blow dryer

Heat can damage your hair especially if you have a shower cap on. Let your natural body heat warm the conditioner up. This method can take overnight but will lessen the damage to your hair.

6. Rinse with cool water

Cool water seals your hair and locks in the moisture from the conditioner. Use a towel to gently pat your hair dry after rinsing. Congratulations! You just deep conditioned health and life back into your hair.

Dealing with dandruff isn’t easy, especially after you have tried every treatment in the book. However, there are a few things you can do to bring back all your black clothes and be less conscious about pesky white flakes. Here are ten easy tips to incorporate into your daily routine.

1. Shampoo Your Hair Every Day –

Keep your scalp clean by washing it daily. You will get rid of the excess oil, dirt particles, and flakes that come with dandruff.

2. Change Your Shampoo –

If your regular shampoo is useless, buy a new one that contains either zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, or ketoconazole. These ingredients fight off the main cause of dandruff: the malassezia fungus.

3. Pick Three Different Shampoos –

Don’t stick to a single brand of shampoo. A resistance may form with the constant use of active ingredients, so it’s better that you use three shampoos and rotate them monthly.

4. Lather Twice While Washing Your Hair –

By lathering twice, you’ll be able to wash off the oil accumulation and flakes first, allowing the ingredients to penetrate further into skin cells.

5. Use Tar Shampoo –

Consider switching to tar shampoo as it helps decrease the hair cell turnover. Its drawbacks, however, are its odor, ability to stain light hair, and irritation of scalp.

6. Rinse Your Hair –

Rinse your hair with a conditioner, crème, or even with lemon juice. A good conditioner will make your hair manageable, reduce its stiffness, and seal its moisture.

7. Check The Sensitivity Of Your Scalp –

If you have sensitive skin, avoid harsh chemical shampoos as they might inflame your hair follicles and cause folliculitis, the inflammation of one more hair follicles.

8. Don’t Irritate Your Scalp –

If you scratch your scalp, wounds will begin to appear. With wounded skin, you shouldn’t use a medicated shampoo until your head is healed.

9. Avoid Sweat –

Workouts or exercises can make you perspire excessively, leading to skin cells flaking. So shower after a workout to curb your dandruff.

10. Don’t Use Sticky Stuff Often –

Using hair styling gels, mousses, sprays or any such product support oil buildup. So avoid applying them often.
With these tips, you can kiss dandruff goodbye once and for all. What has and hasn’t worked for you? Comment with your thoughts or tips.

Women enjoy flaunting their hair; it is their crown of glory and one of the features that make them stand out. However, healthy hair is becoming a rarity among today’s women as they tend to face a number of hair-related problems. If you’re wondering what those are, here are five common issues.

1. Dandruff

Dandruff is the white particles that stick to your roots and are hard to hide. If you’ve been careless with your diet lately or are suffering from a low metabolism rate, scalp infection, and stress, dandruff is inevitable and so is hair loss. The solution to this problem is anti-dandruff shampoos and a healthier lifestyle.

2. Split Ends

Split ends occur when your hair turns brittle and dry. If you comb or brush your hair more, go for perms and dye frequently, or expose your hair to heat often, split ends will quickly form. Use conditioners that suit your hair type to avoid split ends.

3. Frizzy Hair

Women consider frizzy hair a curse, but it’s basically an issue caused by loss of moisture. To protect the natural moisture of your hair, don’t brush your hair often, especially while using a hair dryer. This condition can be hereditary passing from parent to child, so identify the cause first and then look for a treatment.

4. Flaky Scalp

Flaky scalp is yet another common issue women want to get rid of. Dead skin flakes reduce the hair growth process, leading to hair loss. To reverse this condition, you need to take vitamins and stop using hair styling products with high chemical content.

5. Hair Fall

Just like men, women can be victims of hair loss. The main causes of hair loss among women are stress, birth control, hormonal changes, DHT, menopause, reaction to medication, and excessive use of styling products. To counter this issue, use a shampoo formulated to combat hair loss that provides nutrition to your hair and cleans off the dirt, oil and other residue.

If any of these issues haunt you, consult a specialist immediately or use home remedies for the best results. What issues haunt your hair? Comment below with your thoughts and hair issues.

Did you know there’s a right way to wash your hair in the shower that minimizes breakage and increases how healthy your hair looks? Learning the proper technique to wash your hair will help keep your precious hair on your head. We recommend a 5-minute wash 3-4 times a week. Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. You too can have healthy hair by properly maintaining your scalp and follicles. Start with warm water and rinse with cool water. Here are the steps to healthier hair:

Step 1: Brush before you shower

Brushing before you shower not only reduces the amount of hairs that get caught in your drain, it will also help minimize breakage and stimulate circulation in your scalp.

Step 2: Wet your hair and apply the shampoo

Wet your hair, and apply a quarter-size of shampoo into the palm of your hand. Start by applying to the roots of your hair and moving your way down. If you have really long hair, don’t be afraid to use more shampoo.

Step 3: Massage your scalp

Massaging your scalp increases the circulation and delivery of nutrients that help nourish your hair to grow. Before you rinse, use the shampoo on your hair to gently massage your scalp with your fingers. Create circular motions by rubbing your scalp and gently running your fingers away from the scalp. Restart the massage every 20-30 seconds by quickly running your hands under the water. Adding water to the shampoo on your scalp will help the shampoo break down and increase nutrient delivery to your scalp.

Step 4: Rinse with lukewarm water

Use lukewarm water to gently rinse your hair. Make sure you rub from the scalp down to get rid of built up gunk in your scalp and hair.

Step 5: Rinse with cold water

If you’re looking to use conditioner, now is the time. Apply it to the mid-length of your hair and move down. Finish your wash by rinsing with cool water to seal the cuticles.

Enjoy!

1.Double check your home treatments and technique

When treating your own hair at home, it’s easy to be overzealous and damage your scalp without even knowing. Because you can’t easily view your scalp, you won’t even notice the difference. If you straighten, process, color, or heat your hair at home, try getting a second opinion from a professional to make sure you are doing it correctly. Paying a stylist to do it once is cheap in the long run, and may teach you some important techniques that you can use when you style at home.

2. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins.

The modern diet of our society can be an insufficient source of vitamins and minerals that are used by the body to maintain healthy hair. For instance, Iron-deficiency anemia is common when the body isn’t getting enough iron. You can get your vitamin levels checked by monitoring your daily intake, or by having your physician run a test. Vitamin deficiencies can be easily resolved by supplementing your daily intake with a multi-vitamin.

3. Get rid of hairstyles that tug on your hair.

Braids and weaves that are made too tight often pull out hair that otherwise would be on your head. Keep your ponytails and braids loose to keep your hair from unnecessarily being pulled out.

4. Skip the flat iron if your hair is still wet.

Wet hair breaks easier than dry hair. Before doing any form of tugging on your hair, make sure your hair has adequately dried via air or a soft blow dry. Blow dry on the lowest setting and feel your hair over time. It will look and feel significantly healthier than blasting it on high heat all the time.

5. Do not leave products in for longer than advised.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, that tingling feeling you feel on your scalp by leaving products in for longer than advised may be significantly damaging your hair and scalp. Follow the instructions and recommended time to minimize hair and scalp damage.

6. Eat adequate amounts of protein.

Protein is one of the main building blocks of hair. Check your diet to make sure you’re getting enough. The more active you are, the more protein you will need in your diet to promote healthy hair growth.

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Your body needs a balanced diet to promote the growth of healthy hair. The effect of diet on the health of your hair does not happen over night. It takes time for hair to grow out. Your hair follicles require a proper diet to improve the health of your hair. Your diet is important but there are also other lifestyle considerations that affect the health of your hair. Smoking, hormonal imbalances, and lack of sleep can also affect your hair health. Although nourishing your hair with proper nutrition is important, there is no amount of nutrients that can make up for those concerns. Still, you have a lot of room to improve if your diet is not as good as it could be. Regular intake of the following foods will lead to a well-rounded diet that provides your hair with the nutrients it needs to grow healthy. Keep in mind this list is not prioritized in any way. Also, we recommend that you try to get all of the foods into your regular diet instead of focusing on one or two.

1. Salmon

Salmon’s abundance of protein, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids make it a super food for your hair. Your body is unable to make omega-3, an important nutrient in hair growth, so eating salmon ensures you get enough.

2. Poultry

Poultry is high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. Your hair is primarily comprised of protein and the growth cycle requires adequate amounts to grow hair.

3. Kale

The iron, beta-carotene, folate, and vitamin C in kale help maintain healthy hair follicles and aid with the secretion of essential scalp oils.

4. Walnuts

Walnuts contain the most omega-3 fatty acids out of all nuts. Walnuts also contain biotin and vitamin E, which increases your cells resilience to genetic DNA damages. Also, walnuts contain copper, which helps your hair maintain its sheen an color.

5. Yogurt

Yogurt is high in protein, vitamin B5, and vitamin D. Vitamin B5 is commonly cited as a hair nutrient that aids in healthy hair growth. Make sure you’re getting enough by visiting the dairy section of your local grocery store

6. Oysters

Oysters contain protein and zinc, an ingredient that aids against hair loss.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes provide beta carotene which is used by your body to create Vitamin A. Vitamin A is used to produce oils that promote a healthy scalp. Without Vitamin A, the scalp can become dry and flaky.

8. Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, zinc, selenium, sulfur, and iron. Iron aids with delivery of nutrients to the scalp. Without iron, the scalp can suffer from inadequate amounts of oxygen and other elements needed in the hair growth cycle.

9. Blueberries

Blueberries are a great source of anti-oxidants such as vitamin C. Vitamin C aids in nutrient delivery and ensures that your hair follicles receive the precious nutrients of your daily diet. Vitamin C also shelds the body and hair from free radicals in the body.

10. Legumes

Legumes are high in protein, iron, zinc, and biotin, and are great for vegetarians looking to supplement their protein intake.

Now that you know what foods are great for healthy hair, how has your diet been? Comment below and let us know if you’ve been feeding your hair correctly, or if you have foods you think should be added to this list.

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Are you suffering from regular hair loss? It might be due to deficiency of riboflavin, one of the eight B vitamins responsible for maintaining good health and healthy hair.

Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, carries out important metabolic activities in the human body, and plays a critical role in enhancing energy levels and maintaining healthy hair. Those who know how important it is to maintain the health of their hair, along with skin and nails, will regularly supplement their diet with vitamin B2.

Along with other B complex vitamins, riboflavin offers significant nutritional support that helps not only to prevent hair fall, but also to grow longer hair. Riboflavin also helps dry hair by strengthening the hair follicles, creating stronger hair.

People are increasingly relying on vitamin B2 supplements because unlike other B vitamins, riboflavin is not found in many foods. Eggs, cheese, yogurt, whole grains and fish are among the chief food sources that offer fair amounts of the B vitamin. Also, riboflavin is found in a lot of fortified foods. Men usually need 1.6 mg/day, women require 1.1 mg/day, although pregnant and breastfeeding women might need up to 1.6 mg/day.

As an important nutrient, riboflavin helps to promote hair growth substantially, resulting in shiny and glossy hair. This hair-nourishing vitamin combines well with other B complex vitamins such as thiamine to make your hair grow faster. As a powerful dietary supplement, riboflavin has been helping a large number of men and women prevent hair loss, thereby also serving as an effective anti-aging agent.

So if you’re keen to have a healthy head of hair, make it a point to include foods that are rich in riboflavin in your diet, or try the vitamin supplements that can turn your hair soft and shiny. Remember, any deficiency in riboflavin can result in hair that can be easily broken. On the other hand, adequate amount of vitamin B2 in your daily diet can provide enormous protection to your hair follicles and, in the process, ensure healthy hair.

Resources

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b2-000334.htm

What Is Horsetail?

It can be a real frustration when your hair is falling out or not growing as fast as you’d like, but horsetail can help. In case you’re wondering what horsetail is, it’s a plant that gets its name from looking like the tail of a horse. It’s been used by herbalists in different cultures for centuries.

The History of Horsetail

The plant is known for providing a variety of benefits for the health of human beings. It’s also been used for making tools and whistles, as well as for sandpaper. For beauty, it’s been used in makeup and shampoo. Horsetail is chock full of minerals and nutrients that are good for people, including: calcium, fatty acids, silica, iron, and manganese, just to name a few. So, you will find that Horsetail is great for you.

How Does Horsetail Help Hair Health?

Now, let’s get to the point. Why is this stuff good for my hair? Research has shown that horsetail silica extract encourages hair growth. Another plus is it will help reduce dandruff and split ends. It’s a great ingredient to have in your shampoo. Some people get their daily Horsetail by consuming teas that have Horsetail in it.

How To Use Horsetail

If you mix Horsetail into your hair with some coconut oil or olive oil, you will find that it increases the circulation to your scalp. It will stimulate your scalp to help you grow more hair and strengthen the hair you have via your hair follicles. The mixture should be left in for about ten minutes and washed afterwards with regular shampoo. The horsetail mixture can be used like a regular conditioner. Finally, it’s also a good idea to take a supplement that contains horsetail or drink a tea that contains it as part of your daily nutritional intake. It’s a great natural remedy for your hair.

Your turn! What are your thoughts? Join the discussion by leaving a comment below.