9 Essential Monsoon Hair Care Tips For You!

Introduction

After the long hot summer passes, the refreshing monsoon welcomes us, making us feel alive and bringing relief from the scorching heat of the summer season. However, this is also the season in which our body needs some extra care. We probably do take excellent care of our body and skin, but our hair is often neglected, leading to issues like frizziness, hair fall etc. In short, monsoon hair care is essential!  

In this blog, we’ll share some simple tips that you can follow to keep your tresses healthy and shiny even during the rainy season. 

Care For Your Hair

It is known that monsoons can cause hair damage as the climate is sticky due to excessive humidity¹. This increases the probability of dandruff, hair fall, and other problems too. So, your hair needs utmost care. 

Follow the below-mentioned tips to keep your hair problems to a minimum this monsoon. 

1. Protect Your Hair from Rainwater

One of the most useful and straightforward hair care tips is to protect your hair and scalp from getting drenched in the rain. If this happens, dry your hair well and wash it when possible. Use a soft microfiber towel that absorbs water rapidly and reduces friction between the hair and the towel, decreasing hair fall. 

2. Apply Coconut Oil

Applying coconut oil 15 minutes before shampoo helps in preconditioning your hair. A pre-shampoo treatment with coconut oil reduces hair porosity and lessens the water your hair soaks up during washing². It also helps deal with scalp problems in men and women, although these could be due to several reasons and may need a dermatologist’s consultation. 

3. Consume a Nutritious Diet

Diet plays a significant role in keeping your hair healthy. Nutrients protect your hair from damage and help promote hair growth³. Add protein-rich foods like eggs, walnuts, dairy products, and whole grains, along with green vegetables, to your regular diet as they provide shine to your hair. And berries, nuts, spinach, and sweet potatoes are some of the best food for hair growth. 

It’s important not to Shampoo hair daily, as there are some oils produced by scalp itself which should not be washed away daily.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)

4. Smart Comb Hacks

Hair is weaker when wet and more prone to breakage. To protect your strands, avoid rough combing on wet hair; instead, opt for tapered cuts that reduce snapping at the ends, and gently detangle after drying. The key hack: check how your hair breaks during both wet and dry combing to truly understand its strength⁴.  

Choose the right comb (wide-tooth), so it can easily detangle your hair. Make sure the teeth of the comb have enough space in between so that the hair does not break while combing. Also, sharing of combs must be avoided to prevent fungal infections. Clean your comb frequently to avoid hair and scalp infections. 

5. Watch For Any Signs of Dandruff

Low ultraviolet index and low humidity might lead to a higher prevalence of dandruff⁵. Dandruff is a very common cause of hair fall in men and women. Thus, to get rid of dandruff  in the monsoon season, try using over-the-counter antifungal shampoos. You can also try some natural ways to get rid of dandruff. If these don’t work, consult a dermatologist as dandruff can occur due to several scalp issues.  

6. Short Hair Helps

One of the simple tips to stop hair breaking during this season is to keep your hair short. This will reduce your hair fall problems by a lot since you won’t be exerting on your roots by pulling down on longer hair. Short hair also reduces the hassle of maintaining it. 

7. Proper Shampoo, Conditioner and Serum

During the monsoon season, our hair turns dry, brittle, and frizzy. Due to the extra humidity, hair loses its lustre and volume. Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner, depending on your hair type, will help a great deal to keep your mane manageable⁶. After shampoo, it is pertinent that you use conditioner to give an added volume and bounce to your hair. Conditioner will also keep your hair shinier and bouncier for a longer time. To finish it all off, use a good hair serum on damp hair that will protect your hair from frizz and roughness. 

Monsoon usually causes the scalp to produce more oil and hair may appear oilier than usual, and you may experience more hair fall, washing 3 times per week usually helps.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D. in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology.

8. Ponytails and Buns to the Rescue

When stepping outside, always tie your hair in a ponytail or a bun to protect it from getting drenched. This will also prevent frizz and rule out all the additional hair and scalp problems, like itching and bacterial accumulation on the scalp, that may happen if rainwater keeps getting settled on your hair repeatedly. 

9. Exercise Caution while Hair Colouring and Hairstyling

If your hair is prone to breakage, being dry and brittle, steer clear of colouring your hair during the monsoons. Getting your hair coloured or highlighted can make it even drier and lifeless. Colouring and hairstyling expose your hair to a lot of heating, chemicals, and other treatments that tend to make your hair look dull^7,8. However, if you plan on taking good post-colouring hair care, you may consider colouring. Also, minimise the use of hair styling products and heat. 

Conclusion

The monsoon season may bring relief from heat, but it also brings unique challenges for your hair. The above hair care tips can be followed during monsoons to keep your hair healthy, safe and lustrous even during the rains. With a little extra care and consistency, you can enjoy the rain with your hair at its best. 

References

1. Engebretsen KA, Johansen JD, Kezic S, Linneberg A, Thyssen JP. The effect of environmental humidity and temperature on skin barrier function and dermatitis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Feb;30(2):223-49. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26449379/ 
2. Kaushik V, Kumar A, Gosvami NN, Gode V, Mhaskar S, Kamath Y. Benefit of coconut-based hair oil via hair porosity quantification. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2022 Jun;44(3):289-298. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35377477/ 
3. Rajput RJ. Influence of Nutrition, Food Supplements and Lifestyle in Hair Disorders. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2022 Oct 21;13(6):721-724. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9650738/ 
4. Robbins C, Kamath Y. Hair breakage during combing. III. The effects of bleaching and conditioning on short and long segment breakage by wet and dry combing of tresses. J Cosmet Sci. 2007 Jul-Aug;58(4):477-84. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17728947/ 
5. Akbulut TO, Suslu H, Atci T. Is the Frequency of Seborrheic Dermatitis Related to Climate Parameters? Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul. 2022 Mar 28;56(1):91-95. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9040311/ 
6. D’Souza P, Rathi SK. Shampoo and Conditioners: What a Dermatologist Should Know? Indian J Dermatol. 2015 May-Jun;60(3):248-54. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4458934/ 
7. He Y, Cao Y, Nie B, Wang J. Mechanisms of impairment in hair and scalp induced by hair dyeing and perming and potential interventions. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 May 18;10:1139607. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10232955/ 
8. Dias MFRG, Loures AF, Ekelem C. Hair Cosmetics for the Hair Loss Patient. Indian J Plast Surg. 2021 Dec 27;54(4):507-513. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8719955/ 

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