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GET GORGEOUS: 10 tips to protect your hair this Holi

Dr Arvind Poswal from New Delhi says pre-oiling and using a mild shampoo later will help you keep your hair healthy and free from damage

Holi is back! And it is back with a bang!

It is that time of the year again which one waits for eagerly, to drench themselves in colours of fun and love.

Ducking the flying 'gulals', spray of colours from a pichkari, to rubbing one another with liquid and dry colours is the spirit of Holi.

We want to enjoy each and every moment of this blissful festival. But one thing which constantly bothers us at the back of our mind is that the harsh chemicals in the colours could harm our hair.

But as Indians, we understand the sentiments attached to a festival and the enthusiasm with which we celebrate them.

Therefore, Dr Arvind Poswal, hair transplant surgeon and medical director, Dr A's Clinic, New Delhi offers some quick tips you can follow to protect your hair during the festival.

One of the safest way is to go herbal.

You can also try making these 8 Holi colours from natural ingredients available at home, Besides, here are 10 essential tips that you can follow to ensure that even after a splash of harsh colours, your hair still remains healthy and beyond damage.

Also Read: 8 Holi colours you can also make at home

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1. Oil your hair

Oil your hair well. It is the perfect key!

A night before Holi, take a head massage with warm caster, a mixture of jojoba and rosemary oil or coconut oil.

This provides your hair with ample nutrition which it would require when it gets dry the next day due to colours.

If you have a sensitive scalp skin, also add a few drops of lemon juice to avoid any infection triggered by the chemicals in colours.

Apply oil every day for a week or two even after the festival to ensure that your hair keeps receiving nourishment continuously.

2. Rinse your hair

After playing Holi, rinse off your hair immediately with a mild shampoo and condition your hair.

These once done, also apply a pack of olive oil and honey to your hair.

This further nourishes your hair and scalp.

3. Wash with plain water

Wash off your hair with plain water so that most of the colour comes off.

Then use a mild herbal shampoo.

It is a possibility that the colour might remain on the scalp.

Do not panic, it may take a day or so to fade away.

In such situations, be careful not to wash your hair twice on the same day, it can cause to hair to become drier.

If you feel that your hair is becoming dry, apply oil and sleep overnight and wash it again the next day with a mild shampoo and apply hair repair serum on semi wet hair.

4. Cover your hair with a scarf

Cover your hair.

Either wear a hair-band, scarf, a bandana or a shower cap on your head to protect your hair from getting tangled, torn and damaged due to artificial colour.

5. Use a hair gel

Applying hair gel is another highly recommended option to counter the harmful effects of colours, as the greasy and oily nature of gel doesn't allow colours to stick on your hair and can be washed off easily later.

Rinse your hair strictly only once with a mild shampoo and do not keep on washing it again and again.

Repetitive washing of hair will make the scalp dry.

6. Tie your hair

Do not keep your hair open.

This is the basic rule. Tie it up.

Tying up gives lesser area of your head to be exposed to colours giving you an added advantage to have lesser stains to worry about.

7. Use lemon juice

If you have oily hair, after washing off your hair with a mild shampoo with lukewarm water, apply a conditioner mix of lemon juice and water to the roots of your hair.

8. Protect your scalp

Those who are prone to dandruff issues, you must keep clear in mind that chemicals used in colours can strip your hair off its natural sheen and turn them into damaged and brittle growths.

So, if you have decided to play Holi after all, either cover your hair with a cap or else use only natural colours.

9. Avoid perfumed shampoos

If your hair texture is dry and curly, it becomes very important for you to choose a good cleansing shampoo and conditioner.

The best way to look out for one is to go for one which is mild and does not have a lot of perfume and colours in it.

It should be good enough to simple serve the purpose to cleanse your hair and scalp of the dirt, dust and grime.

10. Avoid synthetic colours

Recently coloured your hair?

Strictly avoid usage of synthetic colours as they will cause severe damage to your hair.

Apply oil generously on your hair before playing.

Simply wash your hair with a mild shampoo, condition the same and then apply hair repair serum to them.