10 Hair Care Lessons We Learnt From Hair Stylist Meher Najeeb

We all know the true beauty of hair lies in its health. Unless your hair is healthy from the inside, any other effort to beautify it is useless. To cut a long story short, hair care is a necessity. To uncover the secrets of healthy hair, we had an ace hair stylist and L’Oreal Pro’s official hair expert, Meher Najeeb over at Mashion HQ. While she answered your hair care queries, we carefully jotted all her tips down. In case you missed the session — we’ve got you covered with all the lessons below.

The Secret To Voluminous Hair

Bouncy, voluminous hair never come easy. Even if you have a good natural volume, your hair can appear flat due to a number of reasons. Sometimes it’s the genetics, but mostly it’s the wrong products that are to be blamed. To get your natural volume back, the first and foremost thing to do is change your shampoo. Look for shampoos labelled as volumising and you’d be surprised at the difference it can make. Meher also believes that the right shampoo can do wonders and suggests using Density Advanced Shampoo by L’Oreal Pro.

Oiling Is Not Necessary

Our mothers and grandmothers have forever recommended hair oil as a blanket solution for all problems — thinning hair, rough hair, split ends, dandruff and the list goes on. But does oiling hair really has tremendous benefits or it does more harm than good? While it may have tons of benefits but there are a number of drawbacks that shouldn’t be ignored either. Putting oil directly on the scalp can block the follicles and reduce the scalp’s natural pH level. This makes the hair drier and eventually, leads to more hair loss. Our expert also doesn’t advocate oiling. According to her, it isn’t necessary before washing. She says, “It (oiling) can make your hair drier, as with oil in the hair, you’ll end up shampooing it even more and this will rip away of natural oils. Oiling is just good for better stimulation and has nothing to do with your hair.”

Dandruff Is The Root Cause Of Hair Fall

There are many factors that lead to hair loss, but one of the most common ones is dandruff. Dandruff usually doesn’t cause hair loss directly. In fact, it causes itchiness which can lead to constant and aggressive scratching. This can damage the hair follicles and result in hair loss. Using an anti-dandruff shampoo should be the best bet in combating dandruff and hair fall occurring due to it. Meher also agrees that dandruff can make your hair fall. To get rid of it, she suggests buying a metallic shampoo from a reliable brand immediately. She also recommends consulting a doctor as they can prescribe some medicines for it too.

The Hack To Cover Frontal Hair Loss

Hair loss can be hereditary as well as it can occur due to hormonal changes, medical conditions or medications. But in women, it’s usually a result of the ageing process. Most women over 40, especially during the menopause phase face severe hair loss. This happens because of the body’s inability to renew and regenerate cells as quickly as it did before. Our expert also believes that as women age they tend to lose hair from the front. According to her, the best way to deal with it is to go for a nice layered, fringy cut. Furthermore, she advises not to tie or pull your hair back, just leave them loose.

Fight Hair Thinning With The Right Diet

Your diet has a huge impact on the health of your hair. Therefore, the effects of your daily nutrition on the growth and appearance of your hair shouldn’t be ignored. A number of hair and scalp problems can arise from either, a deficiency or an excess of nutrients in your diet, and in some cases, your diet alone can be the cause of hair loss. Hair loss due to poor nutrition can be prevented with a balanced diet. To promote hair growth, Meher suggests adding more proteins, milk and vitamins to your diet.

Invest In A Professional Shampoo For Oily Scalp

An oily scalp is the result of excess sebum — the natural oil that is produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands. And while Sebum provides a layer of protection that keeps the skin from losing moisture and drying out too quickly, too much sebum can leave the scalp and hair greasy. An oily scalp, in turn, can lead to uncomfortable itching, dandruff and tons of other problems. According to our expert, either you’re born with an oily scalp or it could be a result of hormonal problems. Whatever the cause, the solution is to use a good shampoo. She says, “The best way to deal with it is to go to your hairstylist and use a professional shampoo, instead of grabbing one from a supermarket.”

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Split Ends

Do split ends get in the way of achieving long, luscious hair? We’ve all been there. Your ends are the most exposed and vulnerable part of your hair and so they are the first to get damaged with chemicals, dyes, styling tools and fabrics. Once you get split ends, you cannot cure it. According to Meher, the only way to get rid of them is to chop them off. She says, “You’ll have to cut your split ends once and for all. It’s not fresh.” She also recommends using L’Oreal’s lipidium serum. “It’s a very nice serum and is available at all good salons. Just take a few drops of it and apply it on your ends.”

The Safest Multivitamin For Hair Fall

A diet rich of vitamins, minerals and proteins can greatly prevent hair fall. However, all these must-have nutrients are usually absent from our everyday meals. This is why most people switch to multivitamins to meet their nutrient requirement. When it comes to multivitamins, one of the safest and most popular options is biotin. This widely used supplement plays a key role in keeping the hair healthy. Our expert also recommends biotin for hair fall. “Have it every day with the heaviest meal you eat — breakfast, lunch or dinner. It will really help, but make sure to focus on your diet as well,” she says.

Hair Gloss — The Ideal Treatment For Premature Greying

While some people start spotting silver hair strands in their 40s, others may go grey as early as in their teenage years or 20s. In both cases, there’s nothing to worry about. Contrary to popular beliefs, premature greying of hair is not always caused by stress. In fact, there are several other factors that could lead to it. Genetics, heavy smoking, a vitamin B-12 deficiency and medical conditions such as thyroid can also cause grey hair. To cover your grey hair, Meher recommends getting a gloss treatment done. It is ammonia free and can give 50 per cent coverage.

The Hair Colour Range For Damage Free Dye

Everybody wishes to colour their hair a gorgeous shade. However, what stops many is the fear of damaging their hair. It is no secret that dye damages hair and rips their natural shine. But worry no more, as our expert has the perfect solution for it. For those who want to colour their hair yet are afraid of its side effects, Meher recommends using L’Oreal Pro’s INOA hair colour. “It’s a complete, beautiful range of dye. It’s ammonia free and will not damage your hair,” she ensures.