Bombshell Chitrangada shares monsoon haircare tips

Actress Chitrangada Singh provides tips to keep your hair glossy and undamaged during the rains.

With the monsoons in full swing, so are your hair care woes! As the moisture levels in the air rise, they bring a whole host of problems for your mane like limpness, greasiness and hairfall. Your texture becomes dull, flat and unattractive and frizz is the most common problem.

In the following pages, Bollywood beauty Chitrangada Singh, known for her gorgeous curls and a degree holder in food and nutrition from Lady Irwin College, shares simple tips on how to keep your hair ravishing during the rain!

You must pamper your hair with a monsoon haircare regime that is unique to its individual needs.

Dry hair will need good nourishment to prevent it from becoming frizzy during the monsoons. It is best to give your hair a good coconut oil champi for at least an hour before shampooing it off. Coconut oil seeps into your scalp to deeply moisturise your hair, eliminating the frizz and giving it a smoother look and feel.

Oily hair tends to become limp during monsoons and requires hair products that will give volume and nourishment to the hair. Conditioning your hair pre-wash with an oil champi and post-wash with conditioners that are suited to your hair will kiss all your hair worries goodbye.

Drink plenty of water and munch on healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables, whole grains and nuts as they will keep your mane healthy and shiny.

After a wash, pat your hair dry with a towel and couple that at times with a hair dryer. Use a soft hair brush or a wide-toothed comb so that your hair isn't treated harshly and it maintains its shine and natural oils.

Dr Rashmi Shetty, hair specialist with the Parachute Advanced Knowledge centre has these tips to add to Chitrangada's:

• The golden rule for healthy hair in the monsoons is to keep hairstyles simple and the scalp clean and dry. In the rains, a thorough haircare regime and the right selection of haircare products -- shampoos and conditioners, coupled with coconut oil massages -- proves to be beneficial.
• Avoid getting your hair wet in the rains, as the pollutants in the rain can weaken the shaft bonds, making your hair dull and limp. The hydrogen bond in the outer surface of the hair is a weak bond, and it breaks easily when the hair gets wet. Therefore, it is also advisable not to brush your hair when it's wet.
• Eat a balanced protein, mineral and calcium-rich diet. Don't forget, elements in iron and specific vitamins play a part in hair health.
• Monsoons are a time when you should opt for protein packs for your hair, oil massages and lots of vitamins and minerals.