6 Essential Haircare Tips For Monsoon

Do you want to channel your inner child and get soaked in the rain? Or have you been caught outside without an umbrella, and just decided to embrace a sudden shower? It may be a fun in-the-moment thing but if you don't get clean and dry as soon as you reach home, your hair's condition may be at risk! Dermatologist Dr. Shikha Shah reveals that "fungus...loves moisture and sweat. It increases rapidly by consuming these two elements."

But, say you go home and dry your hair. That is still not enough as the actual raindrops could also do a lot of damage. A hundred years ago, the rain may have been safe but now, it's full of dust and chemicals from the air and pollution. It could strip the natural oils from your hair, turn it frizzy, cause dandruff, make your scalp itchy or maybe cause a more severe scalp infection. Wet hair is also weaker which means knots and split ends galore!

This can even affect your face as experts believe warm and damp environments may lead to infections on the scalp or face. So, maybe it is time to indulge in monsoon hair care and keep your hair and skin safe and healthy.

To keep your hair and scalp healthy during the rainy season, customised monsoon hair care tips are the way to go.

Always keep an umbrella handy. But if you've forgotten it, even a scarf or a cap will do the trick. While your head may still get wet, a scarf will act as a temporary barrier and stop the rainwater from directly damaging your hair.

You should thoroughly shampoo your hair to make sure there is no buildup, sweat, dirt, pollutants, or rainwater on your scalp. During other seasons, a mild shampoo will do but one of the best monsoon hair care tips is to get your hands on a clarifying shampoo.

If you have dandruff, the Dove Dandruff Care Shampoo starts clearing out flakes from the first wash. But thanks to its moisturising formula, it doesn't dry out your hair.

Clogged pores and weak hair follicles equal hair thinning and breakage. In this case, the TRESemmé Detox and Restore Shampoo is a boon as it uses natural ingredients like ginseng and neem to detox and cleanse your scalp.

If you prefer something more natural, the Love Beauty & Planet Tea Tree, Peppermint & Vetiver Sulfate Free Purifying Shampoo is for you. It is free of sulphates and parabens. Instead, it uses natural tea tree oil to clarify your scalp and peppermint and vetiver for a soothing fragrance.

Heat styling can do a number on hair. So, imagine wet hair and heat. That is just a recipe for disaster. Apart from the severe case of burning your hair, frequent use can dry it out and strip the natural oils.

This makes your hair prone to breaking, especially during the monsoon humidity. If you must use a blow dryer, curling iron or a straightener (Tip: only use curling irons and straighteners on dry hair), always use a heat protectant spray first.

Exfoliation is just as important for your scalp as it is for your face and body. Regularly using a scalp scrub is one of the best hair care tips at home. It dislodges scalp buildup and allows the hair follicles to breathe. Love Beauty & Planet Tea Tree Oil & Peppermint Scalp Scrub is a scalp scrub that uses natural ingredients like its shampoo counterpart. Apart from cleansing your scalp, it controls excess oiliness, clears dandruff and soothes any itchiness.

A holistic approach is the best way to take care of hair in monsoon. This includes a balanced diet which is rich in vitamins and minerals. This allows your hair to stay strong and healthy which means less chances of it being affected by rainwater. Foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish and seeds have the essential nutrients to keep your hair strong and shiny.

Yes, you can definitely oil your hair during the monsoon. Oiling moisturises and nourishes your scalp so that it doesn't turn dry. But don't leave it on for too long as it can turn greasy and attract dust.

The humidity levels are usually high during the monsoon. So, your hair tends to absorb the moisture from the air and swell up. This is how it turns frizzy, weak and tends to break easily.

A lot of hair care tips suggest washing hair daily even in the monsoon. Celebrity hairstylist Jawed Habib told The Times of India that "it is essential to wash hair daily to get rid of sweaty scalp & sticky hair." But this does depend on your lifestyle and hair type. If you have curly hair, you can go two to three days without shampooing. But if you tend to travel daily and sweat a lot, you should definitely wash your hair more often.