What is Your Hair Type?

So you walk into a supermarket Store and ask the lady on the counter for a shampoo. The lady asks you “what kind of shampoo are you looking to use maam?”. And you reply in a very confident tone -“A well known brand of shampoo that is great for my hair?”. Guess what the next question comes out – “So what is your hair Type?”. You stand there wondering.

Often people use the wrong products for their hair as they are not aware what kind of hair they have. This leads to undesirable results and often damage to the hair. So its very important for anyone to know – what is your hair type? In this blog we will cover the different hair types that humans have and how one should look after each hair type in a natural way using ayurveda. We will classify hair according to the ayurveda imbalance type – Vata , Kapha and Pitta imbalance.

Vata Hair Type

Vata Hair types have typical characteristics of being Dry, Frizzy and Thin. They may exhibit Split-ends, could appear Unruly, suffer from Hair Thinning, Hair Loss etc. The vata dosha governs  movement and motion in our bodies. When in  balance, vata hair is naturally thin but it can grow quickly. Vata hair types are  harder to style and require extra help for eg. by use of gel.  As an example,  this type of hair may grow out straight initially but then becomes curly and unruly as it lengthens. An imbalance in vata can lead to dry hair that has very little oil for lubrication, causing split-ends and  frizzy frumpy look.

Vata imbalances are related with dryness and deficiency of nutrients. Vata imbalanced hair is also a clue that the skin may also have  vata imbalances. This implies that the skin may have flaking , dryness etc. When the skin has less oil production, the hair does not have as much of the skin’s oils for lubrication. This leads to hair that lack luster, have  frizz, and ends that are not as strong and can split.

Pitta Hair Type

The pitta drives the metabolic activity in hair. This involves production of the hair proteins and hair pigment. A healthy pitta type hair is typically medium in thickness and straight in character. However when it is out of balance, one will suffer from premature thinning of hair and a loss in color. In seer pitta imbalance one will see experience hair loss or balding. Pitta imbalances can also lead to inflammation along different parts of the hair and the root. This  eventually causes thinning of the hair.

Pitta imbalances in the hair can be also accompanied by redness, irritation, or scaling of the skin next to the hair.

Kapha Type Imbalance

The kapha dosha maintains  the strength, structure, and lubrication of hair. Kapha type hair is viewed as the most desirable of the hair types. A balanced kapha hair type  is lustrous, thick, full, and shiny. However, when it is out of balance the hair is too oily, too thick, and appears heavy. If the imbalance is more pronounced, there can be a sweaty and greasy look to it.

Based on your Hair types here are some of the Oils to be used for your Hair

 Vata Type Hair Oils

• Almond oil.
• Castor Oil.
• Coconut Oil.
• Olive Oil.
• Sesame oil processed with strengthening herbs.
• Shatavari Oil.
• Walnut Oil.
• Yashtimadhu Coconut Oil.
• Yashtimadhu Sesame Oil.

Oils Suitable for Pitta Type Hair

• Amla Coconut Oil.
• Amla Yashtimadhu Coconut Oil.
• Coconut oil.

Oils Suitable for Kapha Type Hair

• Amla Mustard Oil.
• Mustard Oil.
• Sesame oil processed with hot and dry herbs like Bhringraj Oil, Mahabhringraj Oil.