Crowning glory

Throughout evolution of man, hair has steadily decreased in quantity, character and appeal. With almost 62 per cent males having some grade of baldness today, those with a head full of hair have a distinct appeal which is at a premium. And there is no hiding the fact that the other 38 per cent would leave no stone unturned to have a foothold on this high pulpit.

•  It is a misconception that you should not wash your hair daily. Wash it but with a mild shampoo like baby shampoo. Only twice a week should you be using shampoo that is a volumiser.  A good conditioner is a must and a celebrity must use it on alternate days.
•  While regular trims are great for keeping your hair healthy and prevents damage, it won’t make your hair grow faster. Hair grows from the root not the at the ends. You should continue to get your hair trimmed. Having healthy looking hair will help give the appearance that the hair is growing faster.
• There is no correlation between bad hair and repeat use of shampoo. It’s important to use shampoo for your type of hair (coloured, fine, frizzy etc.) but if you love your shampoo stick with it! It’s always great to try something new but like the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
• Cold water does improve the shine of hair but not dramatically. It is not recommended to wash your hair in cold water often. For comfort and shininess, use luke warm water once a week to increase the circulation in the hair follicles.
•  Plucking out gray hair simply does not create more grey hair but plucking hair creates scalp irritation which can be harmful to the hair follicle. If you start to see gray’s try a gray corrector which uses a small amount of dye to cover grays.
•  Some have argued that you will have healthier hair if you lather, rinse, and repeat but over-shampooing is bad for the hair and is not recommended. Simply lather, rinse well, and enjoy!
• Split ends are caused when the hair is dry and brittle. It’s important to keep your hair moisturised but they won’t disappear with the right product. Select a conditioner that moisturizes and make sure you are getting a quick trim every 6-8 weeks.

(Dr Bhatti is a Chandigarh-based surgical hair restoration expert)