Health for life

Showing posts with label grey. Show all posts

Powerful natural home remedies for grey hairs

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Premature graying is a morbid condition and it makes even the young look older. To get rid of grey hair you need a combination of internal and external treatments. Internal treatments are the most important, simply because if you do have gray hair then you actually have more sinister and life threatening things going on inside of you!

The main cause of grey hair is a lack of the essential nutrients, especially vitamin A and B group vitamins, along with the minerals copper, iron and zinc. Copper in particular is not only necessary for hair pigmentation, it is needed by the body to maintain the health of the artery walls and without it you end up with what’s known as elastic fiber breakdown.

Understanding the grey?

Grey hair is a symptom of improper protein diet. Hair grows white when the colour pigment (melanin) ceases to be produced in the hair follicle and small air spaces take its place. Pigment cells located at the base of each hair follicle produce the natural dominant colour of our youth.

However, as a person grows older and reaches middle age, more and more of these pigment cells die and colour is lost from individual hairs. The result is that a persons hair gradually begins to show more and more grey.

Individual hairs each have an outer layer (the cuticle) of overlapping flat cells, underneath, which is the thick cortex, which consists of horn-like keratin. The inside of the hair is made of softer, rectangular cells. Hair colour is determined by the concentration and depth of melanin pigment in the cortex - this produces the whole spectrum of hair colour from blond to black, with very fair people having almost no melanin.

When these melanocytes die, then the hair turns grey. Melanocytes produce the pigment melanin and they are the cells responsible for much of the coloring of the human body, including the hair. With age the melanocytes lose their ability to make pigment, so color is absent from new hair.

Reasons of graying!

Early greying of the hair is basically hereditary, and we can inherit it from one of our parents or grandparents. So if your fathers hair started to turn grey in his thirties there is a good chance yours will too.

Grey hair can also be influenced by stress. A person experiencing a prolonged period of stress and anxiety may notice, over a period of time, white hairs gradually appearing.

Malnutrition, worry, shock, deep sorrow, tension and other similar conditions may also slow down the production of melanin resulting in grey hair.

Sever illness too can stop or affect the production of melanin. However, scientists have not been fully able to explain the exact causes of this change in colour of the hair.

How to reverse the grey?

First of all, avoid all processed foods and coffee as these leach valuable nutrients such as copper, iron and zinc from the body. Instead, substitute coffee for green tea. Eat plenty of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs such as garlic if possible.

Avoid smoking and stress. Not only are these two of the biggest killers in the world today, they actually contribute to grey hair more than anything else!

Make healthy eating plans as your hair needs the following nourishment:

a) Vitamin A - vitamin A is necessary for promoting a healthy scalp and gives body and glow to your hair. Include dark green vegetables and orange & yellow fruits & vegetables in your diet.

b) Vitamin B - vitamin B regulates the secretion of oil, keeps hair healthy & moisturized. Eat more of fresh green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cauliflower, cereals, liver kidney, yogurt, bananas and green vegetables.

c) Minerals - minerals like zinc, iron & copper promote healthy hair. Food sources: zinc - red meat, chicken & green vegetables; iron - beef, dried apricots, red meat, parsley, eggs, wheat & sunflower seeds; copper - seafood, egg yolk & whole grains.

d) Proteins - consuming more of protein gives your hair natural shine and good texture. Include more of sprouted whole grains, cereals, meat and soy in your diet.

Home Remedies and Treatment

Onion Juice is a Powerful Grey Hair Natural Remedy:

Onion juice is rich in the enzyme catalase and has been used for centuries as a topical treatment for grey hair. Rubbing onions and onion juice on your scalp everyday is a potent grey hair natural remedy (the only down side is the smell). Wheat grass and barley grass are also rich in catalase so mix up a paste and rub this onto your scalp everyday as well.

Another Very Good Gray Hair Cure:

Mix up some castor oil and lemon juice until it goes frothy then add some henna. Apply the mixture to your hair and scalp and leave it on for at least an hour before washing and shampooing your hair. Repeat every day.

Rosemary and Sage:

Take half a cup of rosemary and half a cup of sage and boil in water for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 2–3 hours then apply to hair and scalp. Leave on until it dries then shampoo off with natural shampoo. Repeat every week and eventually all grey hair will be gone.

Curry Leaves :
Liberal intake of curry leaves is considered beneficial in preventing premature greying of hair. These leaves have the property of providing vitality and strength to hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier and contain a normal pigment. The leaves can be used in the form of spicy condiment, or may be squeezed in buttermilk. When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil, the oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair pigmentation.

" Amla " or Indian gooseberry:

It is the best cure for grey hair and falling hair. Regular massage of "amla" paste rubbed into the scalp has worked wonders in many cases, frequently reversing the process of greying or falling off of hair.

Coconut oil and lemon:

Massage your hairs with coconut oil and Lemon everyday for at least 15 minutes. There are instances of people having black hairs even up to the age of 60-70 years by using this method.

Ritha & shikakai:

Soak about 10 to 12 rithas and 3 to 4 shikakai pods overnight in a pint of water. Next day, boil for a few minutes and strain. Use this liquid as a normal shampoo. Separately soak 10 to 12 dried amlas in half a cup of water overnight. Strain and use as a hair conditioner after your head bath. Leave it on the hair for ten minutes and rinse your hair with clean warm water. This will leave your hair smooth and shiny and also stop premature greying of your hair.

Castor oil and Lemon juice:

Mix lemon juice in castor oil and beat till frothy. Add henna in to it. Apply the mixture evenly over the scalp, and bathe after an hour using shikakai and ritha shampoo as above. This checks greying of hair.

Black tea

Take a cup of strong black tea (without milk), and to this add a tablespoon of salt. When cold, strain the tea and massage it on the roots. Leave it on for an hour, and then rinse with cold water. Do not shampoo it.

Proper Care:

Nourishment and proper grooming is very important to keep the hair texture, growth, shin and luster in a good condition. Theore use a shampoo & conditioner that suits your hair type. Choose products that are gentle, perably without any harsh detergent like sodium lauryl sulfate. For daily washes, use a shampoo that is mild, gentle & moisturizing. Dont use too much conditioner or else it makes hair greasy. Daily massage your hair with your fingertips; it helps proper blood circulation in the scalp.

Make sure you stay away from all chemical shampoos, hair colorings and dyes. These nasty products not only damage your hair and scalp, they can literally kill you with their toxic poisons! Only ever use completely natural shampoos and conditioners (you need to get good at reading labels)

Natural treatment for grey hair

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

What causes premature graying of hairs at young age, and how can I stop it?

Having white hair at a young age can make you stand out from the crowd. Most peoples hair turns grey or white as they age, But some people start seeing their first white hairs before theyre even out of their thirties. there are several reason behind this premature graying let us discuss some here.

1) One of the main reason is hair follicles malfunction. It just stop to produce melanin, the pigment that gives hair its color. The pigment in your hair is actually melanin, like the pigment in your skin. And the white hairs are simply ones that don’t have that pigment.

2) Genetics is another one of the likely causes of gray hair. Ask your parents or other relatives about family history of premature white hair. If your mother or fathers hair turned white at an early age, you may be genetically programmed for premature graying. Your genes determine when production of melanin stops, and If you inherited your gray hair, there might not be a way to prevent white hair from growing in the future.

3) Vitamin deficiency is also a reason in premature graying, especially a lack of Vitamin B. If you eat a balanced diet and dont suffer from malnutrition, you may have pernicious anemia. In this form of anemia, your body is unable to absorb Vitamin B-12 from the bloodstream. So consult your doctor for treatment.

4) If you suffer from hypothyroidism and your thyroid fails to produce enough thyroid hormone, this may cause prematurely graying hair, according to the University of Michigan Health System. A blood test can diagnose hypothyroidism and you can take medication to make up for the hormone your body doesnt produce naturally.

5) Smoking: Some researchers like Dr. J. G. Mosley who studied patients in the Leigh Infirmary in Lancashire, England in 1996, noticed a correlation between smoking and premature graying of hairs. Though Dr. Mosley could not prove that smoking caused gray hair, he did note that the smokers in his survey turned gray at an earlier age.

So how can u turn the table, you can certainly try to prevent white hair!

This is what I recommend:
Take charge of your health Keep fit and stay healthy, your body will work most efficiently when you are healthy, and if it’s running efficiently, it can do all the normal processes (like growing hair) better. You can try to prevent white hair by eating right, raining from smoking and avoiding stress.

They say stress is one of the causes of gray hair, so keep yourself fit, healthy and stress-free to prevent white hair. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals, including iron, copper, vitamin B and folic acid. Eat lots of fresh, green leafy veggies.

Deal with the grays you have
While you might not be able to prevent white hair completely, you can find ways to make yourself look good with the ones you’ve got. White and gray hairs can be beautiful, so don’t be afraid to flaunt your look a little bit! As long as you have a youthful glow, your white hair won’t make you look old. A streak of white or gray hair can look really chic and lovely! If you’re uncomfortable with the whites, you can look into hair dyes that will let you cover up the gray and match the darker hair you have on the rest of your head.

Natural treatment & home remedies for grey hair

Home Remedies for Grey Hair include lots of foods rich in iron, minerals and vitamin A and B. Green vegetables, yellow fruits, tomatoes, cereals, cauliflower, yogurt are rich sources of these nutrients. Drinking plenty of water and having proper diet rich in vitamins and zinc with plenty of fruits and vegetables help in delaying premature graying of hair.

1) Most beneficial treatment is use of Amla (Indian gooseberry) which is valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth & hair pigmentation. Massaging the scalp with a teaspoon of amla juice mixed with almond oil is beneficial or Boil dried Amla in coconut oil till it turns black. Apply this oil on the scalp everyday. This is a very effective home remedy for turning grey hair into black.

2) The butter made from cows milk has the property to prevent premature graying of hair. This can be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.

3) Daily morning intake of few black raisins with same amount of black pepper with hot milk is also beneficial for treating grey hair.

4) Foods rich in iodine like banana, carrots and fish should be included in the regular diet. Drinking butter milk with 2 teaspoons each of yeast and wheat germ is a great home remedy for grey hair. Protein rich foods such as sprouts of whole grains are also useful to fight greying of hair.

5) Massage regularly with almond oil to prevent greying of hair. Daily massage of the scalp with a mixture of coconut oil and lemon juice is a good home remedy for grey hair.

7) Soak grated fresh ginger in honey and store in a jar. Take a spoonful of this mixture everyday for curing grey hair.

8) Consume the juice of fresh capsicum, lettuce, carrot and alfalfa to cure copper deficiency and prevent greying.

9) Consuming yogurt with yeast is a good home remedy for premature greying of hair.

10) Massaging hair with ghee made from cow’s milk yields good results in grey hair.

11) Boil curry leaves in coconut oil and apply this on the scalp daily.

12) Use a paste made with henna powder, yogurt and fenugreek powder, coffee powder, the juice of mint and basil leaves and apply on the hair. Leave for 3 hours and wash off with mildshampoo. This gives a natural blackness and shine to the hair.

13) Fresh juice of amaranth leaves should be applied on the hair regularly as it has properties to prevent premature greying of hair.

14) Boil ribbed gourd in coconut oil and use this for daily to prevent premature greying.Always keep the scalp and hair clean

15) Combing hair regularly is a good habit, as this is another way to massage hair tissues and enhance hair growth. In addition, combing with a wide-toothed brush separates tangles and prevents hair fall and damage.

Moreover, hair is weakest when wet so, soak it dry with a towel before combing. Similarly, combing entirely dry hair is as harmful as combing wet hair. Use a comb which has soft bristles also make sure that you use it regularly as improper use of comb may also damage your hair at times.

16) Regular conditioning of hair is essential these days as hair is most exposed to pollutants, dirt, sun, wind and rain, and harsh chemicals. Covering up your hair on a sunny day will reduce browning and drying of hair. Regular conditioning will improve and strengthen the look of your hair. Hair conditioners are of two types: Natural and synthetic.

Natural and organic conditioners are less harmful and can give an additional glow to your hair.

Synthetic may be pathetic, yes it may cause some damages to your hair due to the chemicals present in it.

and finally

Go see a doctor
A doctor might be able to help you find the potential causes of gray hair and figure out which one is the reason for your problem. He or she can probably suggest some better ways to prevent white hair in the future.