Beauty > Hairstyles, Cuts & Color Trends

How Ayurveda Saved My Hair

Nothing seemed to help with my hair loss, until I turned to 3,000-year-old
beauty rituals.

BY MEEHIKA BARUA / PUBLISHED: AUG 26, 2022

RAHUL SETHI

M
y mother would look at pictures of me from when I was a kid or teenager
and sigh, lamenting about how I used to have a full head of jet-black,
fine, straight hair just like hers.

I first experienced severe hair loss when I moved from New Delhi to London in 2018.
The changes in environment—weather, food, water, et cetera—had taken a toll on
my scalp, and as such, I spent way too much money on hair products and
dermatologist appointments. Doctors asked me to count and keep a tab of the
number of loose hair strands after combing. Typically, I’d find 50, but sometimes it
was upward of 100. They prescribed scalp lotions and hair masks to help, but
nothing seemed to work.

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A year later, I visited New Delhi and found myself stuck there when borders closed
due to COVID-19. My mother noticed how much hair I lost and would point out
parts of my scalp where she could see the skin. (Thanks, Mom!) Once again, I started
asking everyone I knew about hair loss. That’s when friends and family suggested I
ditch all my hair products and try something new—or in this case, something quite
old: Ayurveda.

A Brief History of Ayurveda

Ayurveda has a long history in India. The traditional Hindu system of medicine is
based on the idea of balance in bodily systems, and uses diet, herbal treatment, and
yogic breathing to treat imbalances. It’s based upon three natural energies called
doshas: Kapha (water), Pitta (fire), and Vata (wind). The doshas, Ayurveda tells us,
are made up of unique combinations of the five elements: Kapha is water and earth,
Vata is air and space, while Pitta is fire and water.

“The concept of the five great elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth) helps us
understand and assess the root causes of health issues in Ayurveda,” Ananta Ripa
Ajmera, a certified Ayurvedic health practitioner, director of Ayurveda at The Well,
and CEO of The Ancient Way, says.

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The concept of the five great elements (space, air, fire, water,
and earth) helps us understand and assess the root causes of
health issues in Ayurveda.

According to Dr. Jay Apte, who has more than 40 years of experience teaching and
practicing Ayurveda, and is the founder of DFW Ayurveda in Dallas, the three doshas
are inborn in all of us in different proportions, making everybody unique. But we
have some control over them, too: The elements increase or decrease in the body
through diet or lifestyle, causing changes and imbalances. But again, the goal is to
keep the doshas in balance.

Although Ayurveda as a practice was developed more than 3,000 years ago, there is
recent research to support its ideas—including its effectiveness in treating hair loss in
particular. In Ayurveda, hair loss is believed to be caused by the buildup of the fire
element (Pitta) in your body, which leads to inflammation of the hair follicles. This,
in turn, results in hair loss. Therefore, my goal would be restoring that balance to
help reverse the hair loss.

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Assessing My Dosha
The first step in any Ayurvedic treatment is determining which dosha is most
dominant in a person. While there are many ways to determine this—such as with
the help of an Ayurvedic practitioner—the easiest way I found was by taking a few
quizzes on sites such as Aika Wellness, which then provides a personalized
assessment and product recommendations. You may have one dominant dosha or a
combination. I already suspected I had excess Pitta based on my main concern—that,
plus dermatologists used to tell me all the time that I have inflammation—hence I
wasn’t surprised when that’s what came up in my assessment.

My Treatment
I got into the practice of regularly oiling my hair and scalp to balance and calm down
the excessive fire dosha. According to Ajmera, oil can be an effective product for hair
loss, because it has water and earth elements in it that are both cooling and
strengthening for hair. Oiling the body (known as abhyanga) is a major concept in
Ayurveda, Apte says. She recommends oiling once a week during summer and twice
a week during winter, as the scalp tends to get drier in cold weather, which can cause
more inflammation.

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I used the famous-in-India Indulekha hair oil and would apply it to my hair three
hours before shampoo. Through word of mouth, I heard that Indulekha has helped
cure hair loss among my friends and family. It has Bringha (also spelled bhringraj) a
plant that is said to have miraculous properties for hair regrowth. “Bhringraj is an
Ayurvedic ingredient known as ‘the king of hair.’ It is excellent for preventing hair
fall, as well as for growing strong, healthy hair,” Ajmera says. For overnight, she
recommended Sahajan’s Nurture Hair Oil, which has amla, another ingredient said
to help restore hair growth.

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I wanted an extra dose of Bringha, so I ditched my regular shampoo and used
Indulekha’s cleanser as well. Then, I used Just Herbs’ Ayurvedic Silicone-Free
Conditioner, as silicone-based products can prevent moisture, air, and other nutrients
from entering the hair shaft, resulting in dry, frizzy, and brittle hair over time.
“Washing your hair with Ayurvedic products containing shikakai (a cooling
ingredient that promotes hair growth) is very helpful for naturally conditioning your
hair,” Ajmera says.

Apte also recommends using healing hair masks that are infused with natural herbs.
Leaving a hair mask on for 20 minutes before washing can do wonders; I love the
brand Shaz & Kiks, which has specific formulas for thin hair as well as frizz.

Other Ayurvedic Remedies

Although I did not use them, another common remedy in Ayurveda is supplements.
According to Apte, even if the problem is outside on the surface, its root cause is
inside the body. Herbs taken orally help hair growth—however, these ingredients can
vary widely based on the actual cause of hair loss for an individual, dermatologist
Annie Chiu, who is the founder and director of The Derm Institute in Los Angeles,
says.

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“It is also important to note that herbs and supplements are not regulated in the
U.S., so quality, dosing, and consistency in different formulations vary. I always
recommend consulting with your physician prior to herbal or supplementation.
However, when hair loss is due to generalized stress, good iron stores, biotin, overall
antioxidants, hydrolyzed collagen, and saw palmetto extract can potentially
encourage hair growth,” she says. Apte adds that drinkable herbal hair “tonics” are
popular among her clients.

What you eat can also make a huge difference for hair health, Ajmera adds. She
recommends avoiding spicy food such as red and green chilies, jalapeños, and hot
sauces, which can exacerbate the body’s Pitta.

Another remedy for people experiencing hair loss along with an oily scalp may be
aloe vera. In addition to being naturally cooling, it may help to remove excessive oil
with its naturally sticky nature, Ajmera explains.
The author before beginning Ayurvedic treatments for hair loss (left), and after.
COURTESY MEEHIKA MARUA
ANAIS ROSENTHAL

My Results
The consistent hair oiling and swapping to Ayurvedic products seemed to make a
huge difference. Within a few months, I went from having 50 to 100 loose hair
strands to just a few strands on my brush. Most notably, when I went back to
London, I brought my new haircare with me and was pleasantly surprised to notice
that the change in environment didn’t cause the excessive shedding it had just a
couple years prior. Balance, restored.