Do you get depressed after seeing huge amounts of hair blocking your drain after a shower or seeing loads of hair on your hairbrush? Seeing this is a very depressing sight.

Hair fall or hair loss is a common problem most of us face Dr. Sandeep Suttar - Hair Restoration and Skin Rejuvenation surgeon at Hairrevive, Mumbai, helps you to come out of this hair fall dilemma by sharing some easy ways and measures that you can implement to reduce hair fall.

Care for your hair
One of the basic steps you need to take in the process of saving your luscious locks is, taking care of your hair. You can prevent hair fall to a great extent, if you pamper your hair and avoid damaging it, unless you have genetics factors, which cause hair loss.

Give protein to your hair
You hair is made up of protein. So, it is important to add an adequate amount of protein to your diet. Include protein rich food to your plate like meat, diary or protein shakes. The reason for hair loss is protein deficiency, so never let your hair starve due to lack of this important nutrient in your diet.

Avoid junk food
If you don't want to see your hair from shredding, then say 'no' to junk food. Include a healthy protein rich diet. Junk food is nothing other than 'free calories'. It does no good to your food, so avoid it as far as possible.

Never over wash your hair
Yes, your hair needs washing, in order to get rid of the dirt and pollution, but the thumb rule is; never over do it. Excess washing of hair will not only strip the dirt but also take away the natural oils and damage the hair.

Maintain a healthy scalp
To prevent hair loss, maintain a healthy scalp. Excessive dandruff or a flaky scalp is the prime reasons for hair loss, thus make sure you are free of all these scalp problems. Use a good quality shampoo to clean your scalp of all the dirt.

Avoid excessive heating
In this fashionable world, all of us like to style our hair to look our best, but do remember that excessive or constant heating and drying, can weaken the hairs protein, and make it more brittle and fragile, leading to hair loss. Thus, minimise the usage of hair dryers, curlers and hair straightners.

Vitamin C is important
If you want healthy and strong hair, then add sufficient amount of vitamin C to your diet. Vitamin C is needed for hair, to maintain its strength and lustre. Include vitamin C rich foods like oranges, lemons and green peppers. Make sure to get approximately 1,000 to 3,000 mg of vitamin C in your diet on a daily basis.

Massage your hair
Try to get a nice hot oil massage at least once a week. Rub the oil in your scalp and every part of your hair and leave it overnight, so that the oil can help restore the moisture of your locks and replenish the hair roots and provide sufficient nourishment. You can use any type of oil, depending on your choice.

Avoid stress
Stress is the biggest culprit for all the problems including hair loss. Extreme stress can cause hair loss in the form of alopecia areata. If you come across a stressful situation, combat it with yoga and meditation, but never allow it to take a toll on your hair's health.

Avoid combing wet hair
Avoid combing your wet tresses, as this can lead to greater chances of hair breakage and fall. Comb you hair, when it is dry or semi-dry.

Dyeing is not a good option
Colouring your hair very often can damage it, by stripping away hair protein and nutrients. If you want to get rid of gray hair, then try applying mehandi rather than opting for an artificial colour.
Keep yourself hydrated

If you want healthy hair, then drink sufficient water, as one quarter of your hair shaft comprises of water. Sufficient water not only helps grow your hair but also keeps it hydrated.

Avoid a hot water bath
In the process of cleaning your hair, make sure to wash it only with cold water. Avoid taking hot water baths as hot water opens the pores, making your hair follicles brittle leading to hair fall.
Iron is important

Want to fight hair loss, then load yourself with sufficient iron. Iron in the body, helps to maximise hair growth and prevent hair shedding.

Wipe your hair gently
After rinsing your hair with a good shampoo, wipe the excess water from your hair gently. Do not rub your hair vigorously with your towel. This will only lead to unwanted hair breakage.

Style your hair with caution
Be very careful on how you style your hair, because styling is another major cause of hair loss. Be careful while using elastic bands, rubber clip etc. Avoid tying a tight ponytail, as all these can cause traction alopecia and lead to hair loss.

Avoid smoking
Smoking even one cigarette a day can reduce the blood flow to the scalp, which can cause reduction in hair growth. Stop smoking to avoid hair fall.

Clean your hair
Maintain a habit of washing your hair at least every 3 days with a gentle hair shampoo to remove all accumulated dust, dirt, oil and bacterial build up. Maintain good scalp hygiene to avoid hair fall due to unclean scalp and scalp infections.

Use hair pack
Apply some coconut milk all over the scalp and massage into the hair roots. Leave it on for 1-2 hours and then wash it off thoroughly.

BDST: 1733 HRS, FEB- 04, 2016
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor