HeyMonicaB: A Blooming Resource on Ayurveda

Ah, unfortunately (or fortunately – many people look better with no hair!) one of the obvious places excess pitta shows up is on the head, resulting in hair loss or prematurely gray hair. Pitta type people are constantly thinking, planning, organizing, stressing, competing, strategizing, gettin’ angry (haha), all these things that require lots of brain power, heat and transformation. No wonder their hair can start to thin, what with so much going on in that brain o’ theirs!

If you have a receding hairline or notice that hair is thinning and are not thrilled, I offer some suggestions.

First to reduce hair loss, chill out! Pitta, you must chill. Calm your mind and try some nadi shodhanam or alternate nostril breathing for 5 minutes daily. Bring stress levels down through breathing. Ahhhh…

Second! Massage the scalp at bedtime with either brahmi oil or coconut oil. This will help prevent further hair loss. You could also massage your feet because it will be very calming and help the eyes (another site of pitta). The massage will stimulate and strengthen the hair follicles as well as improve circulation at the roots. Place a towel or something on your pillow so it doesn’t get greeezy.

You can buy brahmi oil on Banyan Botanicals and coconut oil can be found at a decent grocery or Indian grocery store. You could get that on Banyan also, but it might be pricier than other places.

Third!! Let’s not forget about diet. Dairy products (calcium!), specifically ghee, are great nourishment for the hair. Milk and ghee are pitta’s best friends. Remember to follow a pitta balancing diet, staying cool and sweet. For a nice treat float cucumber or piece of mint in your water – you can always do this.

Fourth. Aromatherapy helps too. Calming and soothing scents like lavender or sandalwood are instant calm for pitta. Sniff with mouth closed. If you like, you can mix a couple drops of the aromatherapy into your oil treatment at night for the ultimate in relaxation.

There are other things to try also with herbs and aloe vera juice, but those will vary by person so I offer these suggestions first. Really honestly, the bottom line is to chill your mind. Calm the mind and the hair will stay put. There is no magic cure to grow hair back (at least not that I know of yet), but these will help keep the hair you have.