Holi is one such festival where people literally let their hair down! Heralding the arrival of spring and marked with celebrations, Holi is marked with lots of excitement in the air. While people are now acquainted with the right way to dress up, there is usually a lot of concern around keeping your hair safe from the Holi colours, even with the use of organic colours.
When you play with colours – be it in the dry or water form, the chemicals in the colours are bound to dry your hair and skin. While you can dispose of your clothes and footwear, your hair and skin need utmost care to avoid any permanent damage.
This Holi, Ms. Heena Dalvi - National Technical Head, Godrej Professional - a professional brand with products across hair colour, care, styling and keratin, shares a few tips on things to keep in mind to protect your hair from damage, before and after the festival.
Our hair is made up of multiple layers, when you step out to play Holi the colours tend to deposit themselves in these layers of your hair making it extremely dry. The chemicals in the Holi colours block the production of sebum oil on your scalp which makes your hair loose its moisture leaving it without a shine. To ensure your hair are well-protected before D-Day, below are three must-dos on the day of Holi:
1.Oil Your Hair
Oiling your hair right before you step out helps in keeping your hair nourished and acts as a lamination reducing direct damage to your hair. Oil also helps in preventing your hair from getting stained from the Holi colours. You can use oil serum, argan oil or acai oil.
2.Tie Your Hair
After oiling your hair, it is often suggested to tie your hair in a plait followed by a high/low knot or a bun to ensure your hair are intact
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3.Cover Your Hair
Use a bandana or a scarf to cover your hair. Not only does it make for an attractive style statement, it also protects your hair from being in direct contact with Holi colours.
Once you are home and ready to hit the shower, no matter how exhausted you feel, below are five easy but important steps to follow to keep your hair healthy:
1.Never Comb Your Hair
Holi colours give you dry and grippy hair. One common mistake that people usually make is to comb or brush their hair. This often leads to hair breakage increasing the damage to your hair
2.Rinse Well
It is often felt that a warm or hot hair shower will help remove the colours from your hair and make your hair softer. However, this is a misconception – warm/hot water activates the colour in your hair and increases the chances of hair staining. Always rinse your hair with cold water first to remove excess colour off the hair & scalp
3.Use The Right Type Of Shampoo
Another common misconception is that a strong shampoo will help remove colour faster, however, this is not true. One should use a mild shampoo which is free of paraben and sulphate and helps with the reproduction of natural oils in your scalp making your hair nourished and moisturized again
4.Condition Well
After all the colour and dust that has gone into your hair, you need to use an effective conditioner/mask to help retain the smoothness & shine in your hair. Apply a conditioner and leave it for 5 minutes. Wash it off and towel dry your hair immediately
5.Leave-in Products
Lastly, use a cream-based leave in product after your wash so your hair doesn’t get frizzy
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After following these immediate home remedies, we recommend visiting a salon for professional care to ensure your hair retain its moisture. A good hot oil head massage helps with the production of natural oils and increase the blood flow in your scalp. This can be done using almond or olive oil. Post this, you can opt for a relaxing hair spa – you can also go in for an oil based spa treatment such as acai and argan oil mixed well with the hair mask.
One key thing to note is that Holi is usually during the onset of summers in most parts of the country which also means that your scalp is naturally emitting a lot of heat. It is important to use a sulphate and paraben-free shampoo and a defrizz leave in cream regularly. Maintaining a strict homecare regimen for your hair will prevent your hair from damage and dryness.
So, freely enjoy the vibrant colours during Holi this year but remember to take extreme care of your lovely hair.
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