Ayurveda for Premature Greying of hair
- Dr. Rani Iyer
That little strand of grey hair peeking out from beneath your lustrous black mane can often be a source for alarm bells to go off in your head. I'm so young; I can't be ageing. Unfortunately in today's world of unavoidable stress, pollution and junk food, your hair ages faster than you do. A chemical called melanin helps produce the colour of hair. As a person ages, the pigment inside the hair follicle dies. The result is less melanin in the hair, giving it a grey or white appearance. Usually the first grey hairs appear near temples and then spreads to the crown and then to the back of the head. According to Ayurveda, our hair is a by-product of bone formation and the tissue responsible for building bones is also responsible for the growth of hair. Early hair loss is related to body type and the balance of the mind-body constitution (doshas). Of course this premature ageing is a combination of various factors like lifestyle, genetic makeup or a medical condition. Increased intake of fried, sour, spicy, salty, and fermented foods, as well as tea and coffee, aggravate the Pitta Dosha (Ayurvedic humor representing Fire) in the body. People who have excess Pitta in their body are likely to lose their hair early in life, or have premature grey hair.
This Pitta accumulates in the skin of the scalp, leading to hair falling out and greying prematurely. Factors like excessive anger and stress are also responsible. So your job could effectively be contributing to your dilemma. Excessive consumption of alcohol and meat also aggravate Pitta. Lack of Vitamins, iron, iodine and copper in the daily diet, an unclean scalp, using hair dyes in the initial stages of graying or factory made hair oils, also contribute to the problem. For you ladies, try and stay away from those hair dryers. Diseases like chronic constipation, anemia, sinusitis, chronic cold can aggravate the condition.
A combination of diet, herbs, oil massage, meditation, aromatherapy, breathing and yoga can be beneficial in addressing the problem of hair loss and premature greying of hair. Avoid Pitta-aggravating foods like spicy, heavy, and oily foods, as well as tea and coffee, refined foods, refined sugar, junk food, and alcoholic and carbonated drinks. Increase intake of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, curry leaves and vegetable juice prepared from lettuce, carrot, capsicum, and alfalfa. For external application, stick to natural herbal oils and shampoos. Amla or the Indian gooseberry is an excellent tonic for premature greying of hair.
Some medicated hair oils for premature greying of hair are:
NeeliBhringamalakaTailam, BhringarajTailam, Brahmi Amla KeshaTailam. Shad BinduTailam is used for inhalation (Nasya) once daily for 1 to 2 months. 5-10gm of TriphalaChurna taken at bedtime with milk or water over a long period, can prove very effective in curing premature greying of hair.
ISMAIL CHOHAN
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