You may already know, but in Ayurveda, our bodies and personalities are divided into three different doshas types: pitta, vata, and kapha. Each one of them has unique qualities that affect how we behave, and how our body reacts. We can enhance and optimize our functions by following an appropriate diet and a set of good practices focused on our particular dosha type. An example would be applying this knowledge when talking about haircare. Let’s learn more about it! Keep reading below if you want to have shiny and healthy hair!
A typical vata type usually has thin, straight hair with higher porosity. It's commonly dry, thin in density, slightly rough and sometimes curly. The imbalance in this dosha results in excessive dryness, flaky dandruff, frizzy and brittle hair. It can cause hair thinning and split ends too.
It is recommended that you oil your hair two to three times a week using hair oil infused with hair strengthening herbs like bhringraj, liquorice, shatavari, ashwagandha.
A good diet solution for Vata is warming, grounding, and nourishing foods like nuts and seeds, with moderately heavy texture, and with healthy fats (like Omega 3 fatty acids). Choose salty, sour, and sweet tastes as well as soothing and satisfying foods.
Pitta hair is usually slightly wavy with a medium thickness and hair density, medium strength, and length. Aggravated pitta often leads to excess heat in the hair follicles, which may be damaging. This causes thinning and early greying.
You can use coconut oil infused with cooling herbs like hibiscus, amla and kalonji seeds. Include weekly masking with ingredients that repair such as hibiscus and brahmi.
Some diet options for those with predominant pitta should refrain from spicy and astringent foods, and look for foods that are more alkaline, in order to cool and soothe the digestive fire.
Kapha hair type is usually thick, smooth, lustrous, well-hydrated, straight, and strong. Imbalance in the kapha dosha may result in excess oil secretion that blocks the follicles of your scalp, which leads to wet and sticky flakes.
The Ayurvedic kapha hair care regime focusses on hair and scalp cleansing two to three times a week with natural hair cleansing herbs like reetha, shikakai and triphala powder. Since the focus is on purification, those with a kapha prakriti can opt for oiling with neem oil.
A diet suggestion for those with the kapha dosha is to focus on warm, light, foods made with dry cooking methods like baking, broiling, grilling and sautéing.
We hope you liked it. Check out our hair oils! They are all rich in nutrients to help keep your scalp happy and healthy. After reading this article you can select the best fit for your dosha. Click here and learn more about them!