Kitchen ingredients to revive your hair

Every woman dreams of having a luscious, long, soft and healthy hair. Overexposure to harsh sunlight, weather changes, stress, inappropriate diets, pollution, chemical treatments and medical conditions makes our hair brittle, dull and frizzy by nature even if you were born with gorgeous, lustrous hair. Damaged hair is extremely fragile and tends to break more easily.

Whether your hair is long or short, curly or straight, dealing with dryness is inevitable when your hair is constantly battered by heat styling tools, chemical treatments, and environmental pollution.While it may take longer to see results, your hair will thank you in the long-term. Here's how to repair damaged hair with ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen.

Oil

Oil is a common kitchen ingredient. You can use sesame seed (til) oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or almond oil, for the hair. Warm the oil and massage gently into the scalp, at bedtime, using the fingers to actually move the scalp. Once or twice a week, heat pure coconut oil and apply on the hair and scalp. Apply on ends too.

Egg

Egg is one of the most versatile ingredients. It contains silicon, sulphur and fatty acids that help to nourish the hair. The white of the egg has a powerful cleansing action too. Applied on the hair 15 minutes before shampoo, the egg coats the hair shaft and adds thickness, shine and body. For dry, damaged hair with split ends, cut off the split ends. Take one tablespoon almond oil and add 2 egg yolks. Mix together and apply on the hair. Apply on ends too.

Milk

Milk can easily be applied on the hair to nourish it and add body and shine. After shampoo, rinse the hair with milk and leave on for 5 minutes. Then rinse off with plain water.

Banana pulp

Banana pulp by itself can be applied on the hair, like a pack. It nourishes and conditions dry hair, adding body and shine. Take the pulp of two bananas, and add two teaspoons of lemon juice. Mix together and apply on the hair. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash hair.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is extremely nourishing and softening for the hair. It is said to control hair loss and promote growth, being rich in protein, essential fats, iron and manganese. Mix one cup coconut milk with powder of curry leaves and 2 tablespoons orange juice into a paste. Curry leaves are rich sources of beta-carotene and protein, which encourage healthy hair growth. Apply and leave on for one hour. Wash off.

Gram flour

Gram Flour (besan) has a cleansing action and reduces oiliness. For a hair pack, mix a cup of curd, two teaspoons of besan, an egg white and the juice of half a lemon. If you have very dry hair, substitute the egg white with egg yolk or teaspoon of almond oil. Apply the paste on the hair and wash it off after half an hour.

For oily scalp and dandruff, mix ripe papaya pulp with gram flour, egg white and four teaspoons apple cider vinegar into a paste. Apply on the hair and wash off after half an hour.