Ayurvedic Hair Care Routine: Say goodbye to damaged hair

Ayurvedic Hair Care Routine: It’s safe to say that hair plays a significant role in everyone’s life be it male or female. Otherwise there wouldn’t be multi billion dollar hair care companies selling their products in market. The only issue with these products are that they contain harmful chemicals. These chemicals not just damage hair externally but also internally. Keeping this in mind, we are going to explore Ayurvedic hair care routine to make your hair healthy to the core.

Ayurveda Perspective on hair

Whenever we observe any hair related issue, we look for different kinds of shampoos, oils etc. What you should rather do is to look forward to change nutrition, digestion, stress, and sleep. Ayurveda believes that hair is an eliminatory waste so it has no life of it’s own.

Hair is considered as an essential byproduct of asthi dhatu (bone tissue) in Ayurveda. A good head of hair is not merely about outer appearance but also a reflection of inner balance, digestion (agni), and mind. Likewise, when the quality of nutrition supplied to the deep tissues of the body is lessened, then the hair will certainly suffer.

Your hair, when healthy, shows your constitution your own prakruti of vata, pitta, and kapha dosha.

Vata hair: It’s generally dry, thin, and brittle. Your hair is in need of moisture and nourishment if you are a Vata body type.

Pitta hair: It is generally fine, silky, and susceptible to premature graying or thinning.

Kapha hair: It’s typically thick, oily, and susceptible to dandruff.

Causes of damaged hair

Ayurveda holds that any dosha imbalance is capable of causing damaged hair.

Excess Vata makes the hair frizzy, dry, brittle, and lacking in shine. It also leads to thinning hair, hair falling out in clumps, hair becoming short and harder to grow out, and showing split ends.

Pitta generates excess heat in the hair follicles which may destroy the hair and create prematur thinning, premature greying, and baldness. For individuals who wish to slow greying hair, balancing pitta can be beneficial, but this will not necessarily undo th natural loss of color.

Excess Kapha leads to excessive oiliness, heaviness and thickness of the hair.

Ayurvedic Skin Care Routine For Summer: Find skin routine according to your doshas

Ayurvedic Hair Care Routine

Ayurveda teaches us that hair health is not just topical but rooted in our ahara, vihara, and aushadha. When we live in harmony with nature, practice mindful routines, and nourish our body with wholesome food and herbs, our hair becomes a shining testament to our inner health.

Ahara (Diet)

Hair gets nutrition from scalp and scalp gets its from blood. The blood gets nutrition from the food that you eat, digest, and assimilate. Therefore, diet plays a major role in hair care routine.
Balanced and nourishing food supports all dhatus, including asthi (bones) and thereby kesha (hair).

Recommend Food Items

Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana 11/4

रक्तपित्तश्लेष्ममांसास्थिमज्जाशुक्राणि धातूनां केशाः मलाः।

Hair is a metabolic by-product of asthi (bone tissue).

This implies that to support hair growth, one must:

• Eat foods that nourish asthi dhatu: sesame, milk, leafy greens, ghee.
• Avoid foods that vitiate pitta and vata, such as spicy, dry, or overly processed foods.
• Protein-rich foods: Moong dal, toor dal, milk, and paneer.
• Healthy fats: Ghee, sesame oil, and avocados.
• Iron-rich foods: Green leafy vegetables, jaggery, dates.
• Hydration: Warm water, herbal teas

Diet According to Dosha

• वात दोष: Warm, moist, oily foods like milk, ghee, urad dal.
• पित्त दोष: Cooling foods like Amla, coconut, cucumber, coriander.
• कफ दोष: Light, dry, spicy foods like barley, green gram, honey.

Vihara (Lifestyle): Ayurvedic Hair Care Routine

Modern lifestyles often disrupt the natural balance, causing hair fall and premature graying. Ayurveda emphasizes proper daily and seasonal routines (dinacharya and ritucharya).

Healthy Lifestyle Practices:

• Regular Head Massage (Shiro Abhyanga) with oils like Bhringraj, Neeli, or coconut oil.
• Adequate Sleep: 7–8 hours of restful sleep helps repair tissues.
• Stress Management: Practice meditation, pranayama, and yoga.
• Avoid Hair Stressors: Hot showers, frequent coloring, excessive styling.

Aushad (Herbal Remedies)

Internal Remedies:

• Chyawanprash: Rejuvenates and nourishes hair.
• Triphala Churna: Detoxifies and improves digestion.
• Brahmi and Ashwagandha: Reduce stress-related hair fall.

External Remedies

• Bhringraj Oil: Reverses hair fall and promotes new growth.
• Neelibhringadi Tailam: Excellent for premature greying and strengthening.
• Amla Oil or Paste: Acts as a natural conditioner and cooling agent.
• Aloe Vera Gel: Applied directly to scalp for cooling and hydration.

Classical Formulations:

• Mahabhringraj Tailam: As referenced in Bhaishajya Ratnavali.
• Neelibhringadi Tailam: Used in Ashtanga Hridaya and Sahasrayoga.

Ayurvedic Therapies

Ayurvedic treatments revolve around using natural ingredients to nourish hair and scalp. Here are some popular treatments you can try:

Shiro abhyanga or oil massage: Apply warm coconut, almond, or amla oil to massage your scalp and hair. Leave on for at least 30 minutes before washing hair. This nourishes hair follicles and promotes growth.

Shirovasti: Medicated procedures like shirovasti are beneficial for scalp disorders

Shirolepa: Applying medicated paste over the scalp and hair helps replenish hair strands and prevent various scalp and hair problems.

Shirodhara: It reduces stress and promotes better mental health by using medicated oils

These ayurvedic rituals are recommended or measures to adapt in life and not treatment fir any chronic disorders. The constant use of these steps ensures better hair health in longer term.

Yoga Asanas for better hair

Practice these yoga asanas to promote hair growth and help in reducing hair fall, and improve health.

• Kapalabhati
• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Sarvangasana
• Balasana
• Sarvangasana
• Vajrasana
• Uttanasana
• Matsyasana

Give Ayurvedic hair care routine a shot and you will start noticing the change in your hair. You will feel better knowing you are nourishing your body and mind naturally.