To some of us, monsoon hair can pretty much be described as how Monica from ‘Friends’ had her hair in Barbados. Yepp, this season can be pretty rough on our hair. But if you take care of some bits in your routine then that can pretty much fix your hair. To make it easy for you, we’ve made a list of dos’ and don'ts’ to help you be monsoon-ready!

What does monsoon do to your hair?

Monsoon means humidity to hair. So what does humidity do to your hair except for making them frizzy? Humid air will lead to excessive sweating leading to an increased level of sebum (oil) on your scalp. Sweat and oil make the perfect red carpet for bacteria's to grow on. So in the end you get an itchy and greasy scalp that you will try to wash off. The catch is because of humidity, your scalp will be itchy sooner after your hair wash day and so you may end up washing more often than you usually do.

With your hair going through all of this, you might need to take some measures to keep your hair in place. Here’s the list of 'dos' and 'don'ts’ for it!

What are the ‘Dos’ for monsoon hair?

1. Let your hair breathe

When we are getting on with our day, we tend to bun up our hair which constantly tugs on our scalp with the weight of the bun. Let your scalp breathe by letting your hair down and tying them in a loose pony or half-pinned.

2. Trim your hair in regular intervals

Your hair is made up of a protein called Keratin. So from your roots to the tips, they need nourishment to stay the way they are. If the tip of your hair lacks nutrition, your whole hair strand will look lifeless since the tips will weigh down your natural bounce.

3. Use an SLS free Shampoo

SLS is Sodium Laureth Sulphate that helps wash away dirt and excess oil to keep your hair follicles healthy. However, they can end up washing off too much of the natural moisture that your scalp needs to maintain a healthy protective barrier. This can lead to dry and itchy scalp. Use a nourishing shampoo that can restore your pH balance and lock in moisture to keep your hair nourished and bouncy. The one that we’d suggest for the same would be Faith In Nature Jojoba Shampoo that has Jojoba Oil to prevent an itchy and dry scalp. Read on how to pick a shampoo suitable for your hair type here.

4. Say to no hairdryer

It is tempting to go right for the hairdryer after a shower but the heat is killing your scalp health. After washing your hair, gently press your towel on it to soak all the water and let it dry naturally. This is for the off-monsoon season too. Your hair is most vulnerable right after the shower. So do them a favor and ditch heating them at that time.

5. Timely wash and oil your hair

There is one school of people who don’t believe in oiling their hair and some of us do. We don’t believe in ditching oil. As we age, it becomes more and more important to nourish and protect our hair. It is necessary to oil and wash your hair twice a week to maintain your scalp health and hygiene. The oil that we swear by is Roots & Herbs 49 Herbs Hair Oil that has 49 herbs with active herbs like Bhringraj, Hibiscus Flower, Brahmi, Jatamansi, Triphala that are known to strengthen your roots and prevent hair breakage and dandruff.

6. Apply a hair mask once in a while

Every once in a while, your hair can do with some extra damage control and moisture. That is where the hair masks step in as your superhero. It is also a great rescuer a night before a function when you don’t want to end up with a bad hair day. (Nothing hurts more than a bad hair day on special occasions!) To see a transformative result of your hair, we’d recommend you use a hair mask in a week.

Our pick is Maui Moisture Revive & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask that has a creamy mix of Macadamia Oil, Coconut Milk, and Shea Butter to deeply nourish and repair your hair.

Not sure which is the right hair mask for you? Here’s how you can figure it out!

7. Stay hydrated and pay attention to your diet

A lot of what your hair looks like and behaves like depends on what goes in your body. If your diet is poor then the external stressors can harm your hair easily. So to make sure your guards are up to fight the external factors, stay hydrated and maintain a balanced diet. A balanced diet means enough macronutrients and micronutrients. It does get hard to check if you’ve had enough of all the nutrients and so supplements come in handy. We can’t get over Within Nutrition Flawless Hair Gummies that promote thick hair as well as protect your hair from damage.

We have a complete guide to know more about superfoods for hair!

8. Apply oil balancing products for the scalp

Due to an increase in dryness on your scalp, the scalp will turn itchy which further leads to an increase in sebum (oil). This makes your scalp a perfect medium to grow bacteria. Hence, it is important to balance the amount of hydration and oil on your scalp that maintains a healthy protective barrier. To do so, we recommend exfoliating your scalp with either a physical or posted chemical exfoliator. A physical exfoliating mask that doubles for nourishment that we'd pick is Flawsome Dense Intense Exfoliating & Deep Cleansing Hair Mask. However, if your main concern is cleansing on a daily basis, you must totally pick a gentle chemical exfoliator like Flawsome Mean Clean Pre Shampoo Exfoliating Treatment that exfoliates and absorbs excess oil from your scalp to give you a healthy scalp!

What are the ‘Don'ts’ for monsoon hair?

1. Don’t neglect itchy scalp

We often believe that an itchy scalp only needs one hair wash to be treated. Well, it takes more sometimes. An itchy scalp during monsoon is either because you went out while it was raining or because humidity has caught up with your scalp and made it greasy. In either case, you need to make sure your scalp’s protective barrier is healthy. So make sure to oil your hair after washing an itchy scalp. To know more about how to manage an oily scalp, click here.

2. Don’t use dry shampoo too frequently

After the third day of our hair wash, we may lean on dry shampoo to pass a few more days. Using it sometimes due to emergencies makes sense but if you have been using it almost every week then it will not help your hair follicles. If most of your days pass by hustling and leave you less time to wash your hair often, make it a point to use a natural dry shampoo. We love Bare Necessities Desert Dry Shampoo that is made up of Organic Cocoa powder and Cornstarch. This way you’re saving your hair and doing a bit for a sustainable environment!

3. Don’t use too many hair products

Using too many hair products and tools to style your hair will only further weaken your hair. Because doing so, leads to damaging the hair’s protective barrier. With that barrier weakened, it is easy for free radicals to damage your hair. The bottom line, avoid overwhelming your hair and scalp with too many products and tools. Learn more about free radicals here.

4. Don’t step out without drying your hair

When your hair is wet, they are vulnerable and easy to damage since the scalp skin is still soft due to water. When you go out with wet hair, it is easier for free radicals to damage your hair. So give your hair a good hour to dry off completely before stepping out.

Summary

Monsoon is a tricky season to deal with your hair and we all know the horror of frizzy and dry hair that it brings for us. To bring in your A-game this and every monsoon, note the points we’ve given and you’re pretty good to go deal with the humidity. And every time you think of going out in the rain, remember that that water is mixed with the pollutants in the air and can only further damage your hair and skin. So carry an umbrella to save the day!

- Divya Salvi