Hair Care Video Transcript
Ayurvedic Explanation of Hair Problems
As per Ayurveda, greying of hair is termed as palitya rog. Scientifically for early greying of hairs melanocytes cells are associated with colour of hairs. Melanocytes secrete melanin which gives colour to hairs. Any circumstances which cause reduction in secretion of melanin can be a reason for greying of hair. When there is less secretion of melanin, hairs lose their black colour... more in the transcript below.
Hair Care Video Transcript
Who doesn’t want to be in possession of beautiful black, voluminous, long hairs. Especially, the girls are more concerned about their hairs as hairs enhance their beauty. But this doesn’t mean that boys are any less concerned. All in all, it won’t be wrong if I say that hairs are an integral part of our lives. But sometimes, due to various different reasons we face hair problems.
Pollution, dust, and sun damage our hairs to a great extent and because of this our hairs become dry, weak and prone to breakage. Gradually we become so concious about our hairs that we try shampoos and conditioners of almost all brands available in the market. But the chemicals present in these shampoos and conditioners do more harm than good. The result is early greying of hairs, hair fall, baldness dandruff etc.
To discuss several hair problems and to find their solutions, today we have with us Dr. Parmeshwar Arora, who is a Senior Ayurvedic Expert. We welcome you to our show, doctor.
Q. Today I was discussing about hairs like how each one of us has a desire for long and beautiful hairs. But somehow hair fall seems to be a common problem in our lives. Loss of a few strands of hair everyday is normal but when should we become alert that the hair fall needs attention?
A. You said it rightly that losing a few strands of hair everyday is a normal process and we should not let it bother us and infact, it does not even catch our attention. Also, at times of seasonal variations there is a slight increase in hair fall. This slight increase is also noticed after some illness or if we become weak. These are normal processes but when the hair fall is as much that it attracts our attention then surely it becomes a reason for worry. If we have recovered from illness and the increased hair fall just continues or it keeps on increasing or the increased hair fall during seasonal variation continues even after the season has settled then this is the stage when the hair fall would start bothering you and you would get worried. This is the time that you should attend it and try to find the reason as well as solution for the problem. You should get the complete diagnosis done and take the appropriate treatment.
Like any other disease, here also, the key remains the same i.e. the earlier we diagnose the problem, whether it is hair fall, greying of hair or dandruff, the better and easier it is to treat it.
Q. What could be the reasons for hair fall?
A. If we try to look at the reasons, we observe physiological hair fall (like hair fall increases with the impact of ageing, or with seasonal variation). Apart from this the hair fall could be because of genetic reasons also. Genetic reasons generally impact males. In endogenic Aloepecia i.e. Male pattern baldness, we see that there are some patterns like initially the loss of hair is in frontal region followed by crown. Enogenic alopecia is due to genetic impact. Genetic impacts are seen in girls or female gender, as well but they impact more males than females. Apart from these there are sometimes some pathological reasons where some disease or the drugs could be a reason for hair fall. Sometimes nutritional deficiencies could be a reason. We generally do various experiments with our hairs eg. we use shampoos containing chemicals, dyes, hair colours or straightening procedure. These too can become a reason for hair fall. Similarly intake of some hormones could be responsible for hair-fall. Stress also impacts hair-fall.
When we talk about pathological reasons, we classify this type of hair-fall in two categories: Non-scarring and scarring. In non-scarring type, if you have lost hairs there is a fair chance that with treatment you will regain them. If you get diseases like typhoid or jaundice which lasts a little longer, then once you recover from them the hair fall which had begun due to weakness from disease stops. Sometimes when the hair-fall is due to nutritional deficiency then it gets sorted once you pay attention to your diet and nutritional requirements are met. Similarly if the hair-fall is due to some drugs which we are taking due to some illness, as soon as the drug is withdrawal, the problem of hair-fall gets sorted out automatically. If it is due to stress then as soon as we come out of the stressful situation, the problem of hair-fall also goes on itself. During chemotherapy, which is a treatment procedure for cancer, there is hair loss but as soon as the chemotherapy stops, generally patients regain the lost hairs. All such hair losses fall under the category of non-scarring hair fall. In contrast to this, in scarring type of hair-fall, the lost hair cannot be regained. In cases of burn or trauma, there is permanent loss to hair follicles, and hair cannot be regrown. There are some infections e.g. recurrent infection of tuberculosis or herpes, in which patients may have scarring type of hair-loss.
Q. Dandruff is another common problem of hairs. Every other person seems to be struggling with dandruff and season changes also cause dandruff. So, what exactly is dandruff?
A. If we define dandruff scientifically, then it is exfoliation of epidermis in the form of dry white scales. So, the shedding of epidermis (upper layer of skin) which happens in form of dry white scales is termed as dandruff. we often see that when our skin is dry and we run our finger or comb through our hairs then some dust like thing falls. This dust like thing is dandruff.
Q. What are the reasons for having dandruff?
A. Our skin has two layers, outer layer is called epidermis and the layer below epidermis is called dermis. Epidermis itself is made of five layers. The basal or the lowermost layer is called stratum germativum. It is a type of germinal layer which is responsible for creating divisions in cells which forms new cells towards upwards i.e. towards skin or outwards. At the time of movement it gets associated with creatine protein due to which the cells gradually become harder. This process is termed as creatinisation of cells. As the cells reach the upper layer they are completely creatinised and become hard and dead. The first and outermost layer of skin which is called stratum corneum is formed of these cells. If due to some reason the cell proliferation at stratum germativum gets increased, then the creatinised cells very rapidly reach the uppermost layer i.e. stratum corneum. This results in increased number of dead cells on the top layer. Normally these are invisible if the proliferation is normal but as proliferation rate increases, the number of dead cells increases and become quite noticeable in the form of dandruff. I have a very interesting fact to tell you here....normally an adult scalp sheds 1 g stratum corneum each day but that’s innoticeable. So rapid proliferation of stratum germativum, outward movement of newly formed cells, their creatinisation and increased formation of stratum corneum is what we call, dandruff.
Q. You explained us the entire process of dandruff formation. Now I want to understand that do variations in seasons impact this process anyhow?
A. Obviously. If I talk about division, Ayurveda clearly explains it. Whenever it is about abnormal division, vata dosha is the one which is responsible. Nowadays, our eating habits are quite vata aggravating. We quite often eat rich and non-fresh food. Generally people refuse to accept the fact that they eat food which is not fresh. But the packed or canned food contain chemicals and preservatives which prevent it from rotting but then they cannot be called fresh. According to Shastras, the un-fresh food is said to be vata aggravating food. Similarly, any food which makes gas or which can not be digested is said to be vata aggravating. Vata aggravating lifestyle somehow diminishes our immunity and induces abnormal cell division. It can be related to change in season. Whenever there is change in season, we have weaker immunity similarly whenever we have increased vayu, our immunity becomes weaker. Weakened immunity has direct impact on cell proliferation. Abnormal or increased cell proliferation causes dandruff.
Q. We often observe that dandruff is more when we wash our hairs. Why is it so?
A. Pilo sebaceous unit or pilo sebaceous ducts. The ducts out of which creatine and hair emerges, have sebaceous glands. These gland secrete oil like secretions called sebum. Due to sebum the dead cells accumulated in stratum corneum are unable to detach themselves from scalp. When we wash our hairs, they take the form of a layer. Still being wet, they are not detached. Once the scalp becomes dry, and we comb our scalp that is when the detachment happens and they fall in form of powder which we call as dandruff.
Q. Generally we see that the problem of dandruff happens more in dry or in oily hairs. Why is it so?
A. Of course, if we talk about dry hairs then I would say dryness will always lead to dandruff. You can notice it in the case of skin as well. Whenever we have dry skin we observe roughage and wearing out of white scales. In case of oily hairs, the dead cells get mixed with sebum. If you scratch your scalp with nail, you will find that wet powder get accumulated inside the nails. This is called wet dandruff. When this condition grows severe, it is called as sebbhoric dermatitis. Sebbhoric dermatitis is a form of wet dandruff. Here, there is increased secretion of sebum and a condition of sebbhorea is seen. Dry dandruff results because of shedding of dead cells.
Q. When does dandruff assume a complicated form?
A. As I told you, dandruff is accumulation of dead cells on upper layer of scalp. Since these are dead cells, there is a great possibility that microbial organisms like bacteria, fungi or viruses adhere to them. This is because the dead cells do not offer any sort of resistance to microbes. These dead cells which contain bacteria fall on our skin whenever we comb or scratch our scalp. Due to presence of bacteria they cause problem wherever they fall. They even become a reason for acne, lesions etc.. Sometimes we observe lesions and inflammation on our scalp as well. This is because of presence of pollutants, bacteria, fungus etc. in the dead cells. When we have acne-pimples, we consult senior dermatologists but let me tell you that there is a possibility that if we attend to our dandruff problem the problem of acne-pimples would resolve automatically. So, dandruff can be the sole reason for your acne-pimples. You would observe that many of us develop lesions or pimples on our back. This is also because of dandruff. When dandruff falls on eye-lashes, it creates itching, redness of eyes and our eyes look tired. Sometimes it may even become a reason for loss of vision. As you see, though dandruff seems like a small problem, it may have serious complications. If attended on time, we may escape these complications completely. There are very simple remedies available for controlling dandruff.
Q. Another problem faced by people is greying of hairs. If greying comes with aging then it is a normal process but it becomes a cause of great concern if happens in early age. What can be done to handle it?
A. Greying of hairs is termed as palitya rog in Ayurveda. Now, coming to the reasons for early greying of hairs then scientifically, melanocytes cells are associated with colour of hairs. Melanocytes secrete melanin which gives colour to hairs. Any circumstances which cause reduction in secretion of melanin can be a reason for greying of hairs. When there is less secretion of melanin, hairs lose their black colour. In the context of Ayurveda, pitta prakopa (or aggravated pitta) is a reason of reduced secretion of melanin. If we consume items which have properties of heat, then it affects the secretion of melanin. These items include spicy food, sour food, junk food, fried food. Apart from this, an aggressive attitude or irritable nature is also a factor for this situation. All these work against black hairs. So, if you want to retain black hairs, keep your aggression under check and stay away from sour, spicy and fried food items. As the Shastra says, pitta prakopa is directly responsible for palitya. So, if you manage the pitta you can have the black hairs for lifetime. If we put the diet aside, then nazala comes out to be a big reason for greying of hairs. These days, due to nutritional deficiencies, we generally have a low immunity. This causes various allergic reactions in our body. Nazala is also one allergic condition, which is a big reason for both hairfall and greying of hairs. To conclude, pitta prakopa, stressful situations, nazala are seen in the patients.
Apart from this, greying could also be because of genetic reasons. It is found to be running in the family especially in male members i.e. if father has the problem of early greying of hairs then children can also have it.
Q. Split-ends, which is a very common hair problem, bothers almost everyone. what could be the reasons for it?
A. I had named a term, pilo-sebaceous unit, earlier in the conversation. The duct from which hair emerges also have sebaceous gland which secretes sebum. This sebum is meant to provide nourishment and lubrication to hair. Sometimes, due to some reason the activity of sebaceous gland gets affected which results in reduced secretion of sebum. As a result, the lubrication does not cover the entire length of strand due to which the distant ends of hairs (away from scalp) becomes dry and splits. This is how we get split ends and the reason behind split ends is reduced secretion of sebum.
Q. Sometimes our hair become oily and sometimes they become dry. Why does it happen?
A. Sluggish activity of sebaceous glands which results into decreased secretion of sebum is a reason of dry hairs. Against this if the sebaceous glands become more active (this condition is called sebbhorea) and secrete more sebum than normal then our hair become oily.
Q. Sometimes our hairs become erect or we get goosebumps. What are these?
A. Skin has a muscle called erector pili muscles. This muscle is connected to sympathetic nervous system. Whenever there is activation of sympathetic nervous system, these muscles undergo contraction. Since these are attached to hairs, their contraction leads to erection of hairs. So basically erection of hairs in stressful situation is due to contraction of erector pili muscles because of sympathetic relationship.
Q. It happens in situations of excitement also. Is it the same process?
A. Situation of excitement, stress and fright stimulates our sympathetic nervous system. This causes contraction of erector pili muscles in skin. Since this muscle is attached with hairs, there is erection of hairs.
Q. Do you have a solution which can address all these problems together?
A. If we talk about treatment, whether it is hair-fall, greying of hairs or dandruff, we approach them in two ways. We approach them externally in the form of lepa (i.e. paste), in the form of shampoo, in the form of oil. Along with this, we also approach these problems internally. We give nutritional supplements like iron and calcium. We give iron in the form of abhrak bhasm (i.e. mica) which is the most absorbable form of iron. Along with this, if we want to include vitamin C and some anti-oxidant then I don’t need to tell you that you can use amla (i.e. gooseberry) and bhringraj. For improving blood circulation in the region, you can use arjuna. For calcium, there is nothing better than motipishti and prawalpishti, in the entire world. As I told you hair fall (i.e. khalitya) and greying (i.e. palitya) are due to pitta dosha. Motipishti and prawalpishti not only supplement the calcium requirements but also suppress pitta and brings it in harmony so that the problems of hair-fall and greying gets resolved. To provide the external solution to hair problems, we developed a shampoo, a paste and a oil and to provide internal solution we developed sukesham tablets. I don’t think we could even imagine anything better than this for hair care and hair nutrition. We have put together all our knowledge as well as the power of herbs to develop sukesham. To approach the problem externally, we created lepa (i.e. paste), oil and shampoo. Those who use these things get almost 50-70% relief in only one months time. The entire course is for three months after which one achieves the desire of having long beautiful black and voluminous hairs.
I think some people have already achieved their desires by using Sukesham. They are quite eager to share their experiences.
- My name is Ruby Ahuja and I run a beauty parlour. Many customers used to come to my parlour with problems of hair fall, greying of hairs and dandruff. Regarding the same problems, I met my family friend, Dr. Parmeshwar Arora. He asked me to recommend Sukesham, which is a herbal product, to my customers. After using Sukesham, my customers are so happy that they have started calling me doctor. *
- I was having severe problem of hair-fall for which I consulted Dr. Arora. He recommended me Sukesham. After using Sukesham, my problem is sorted and now I am all ok. *
- I had the problem of hair fall for last three years. I used the medicines recommended by Dr. Arora for two months. My problem is sorted now and I am completely fine.
- I consulted Dr. Arora for the problem of hairfall which I was suffering from sometime. He gave me Sukesham. Now my hairs are fine. I thank Dr. Arora for this. *
* Results may vary person to person
As you saw, all those who have ordered this kit and used it have gained beautiful long black hairs. I think I should get it for me as well.
Q. Doctor, please tell us about how to use the kit.
A. This kit includes quite a few things. So, once you get the kit, you will get the procedure of using the products. All the included products are natural and contain no chemicals. Even the oil that we provide is in powder form and you would need to prepare it at home. The procedure is quite simple and is explained very nicely. Those who do not have hair problems, can also use the kit and get benefited.
Sukesham, the name is as beautiful as its function. I am definitely going to order it today itself because I love my hairs very much. If use it for three months you will be able to get the beautiful hairs which you only dream for, till now.