Oiling your hair is

– just a waste of time
– an icky sticky experience with zero benefits
– a time pass activity that makes no difference to the health of your hair
– essential but who has the time for all that, yaar!

If this is you, then here is a friendly warning!

Be prepared for lots of hair and health issues including rapid hair loss, thin and ugly hair, and very dry and itchy scalp.

Why has hair fall become so common?

We lead stressed lives. We have replaced the good-old oil massage with hair styling products filled with harsh chemicals. We spend time and money on straightening and other fancy procedures that cause a lot of hair damage.
And then there’s pollution and lack of a balanced and nutritious diet.

Net result- The pores in our scalp gets blocked, the natural oil called sebum that’s present in our scalp becomes dry and hard, and we end up with dull, thin hair with no strength and lustre.

What’s the solution then? More chemical-wala hair products? Or expensive hair procedures and what not?
Just look to your elders! Maalish, tel maalish!!

Stop starving your hair. Instead, just go back to the daily hair routine that our wise daadis and Aajis followed.

My grandmother was a working woman- a teacher and we are talking about the 1930s here. Despite her busy schedule, she had the most amazing lustrous hair. And she passed on her good hair sense to my aatya and my elder sister as well!
Bas hum thode peeche reh gaye!

Watching my Aaji’s daily hair care routine was a soothing experience in itself. She would slowly and methodically separate each hair strand one by one. Then, came a generous dose of warm coconut oil. This was followed by gentle repeated combing. Start at the top and gently go down. To the top and then down. Up and down… and so it went.

Oh and this exercise was always done under the sun in the Aangan. Vitamin D deficiency? Woh kya hota hai?

Simply writing these words transports me back to my childhood and its golden soothing memories.

Hair oil and Vitamin D? That’s it? And shampoo?

No chemicals! Only boiled Shikekai, that’s all my grandmother used all her life. And she could have simply breezed into any ‘ghane mulayam kaale baal’ ad!

So girls, just stop with the ‘time nahi hai’ or ‘next week se pucca’ or ‘chod na yaar, bas healthy khana chahiye’ excuses!

Ask any family member to help you out and have a long, luxurious, and relaxing champi.

Warm coconut oil and the loving touch of your mother or grandmother – aur kya chahiye..

Prajakta Fadnavis
Cosmetologist