Benefits Of Ancient Practice Of Hair Oiling

A 5,000-year-old hair ritual is still thriving in modern India. Vasudha Rai deep dives into the ancient practice of hair oiling

- Vasudha Rai

Mу first memory of fragrance was the smell of camphor and coconut oil. Like home, ours too had a tradition of oiling our hair with my mother's infusion of amla, curry leaves, camphor and hibiscus flowers, cooked in coconut oil. Over the years, the oil was replaced with styling products and later, when I developed seborrhoeic dermatitis, I avoided it completely. But things changed when I cleaned up my diet and decided to give hair oil another chance. I applied the sesame-based bhringaraj oil twice a week, for short periods, and removed it with anti-dandruff shampoo. Six years later, I've completely eliminated the dermatitis and weaned myself off the anti-dandruff shampoo. Though my lifestyle changes helped clarify my scalp, my hair is thicker and longer with regular application of Ayurvedic oil.

THE BENEFITS

The human body is like an upside-down tree. The head is the root, which needs to be nourished with hair oil, says Dr Gunvant Hari Yeola, Ayurvedic physician and principal of the DY Patil College of Ayurved & Research Centre, Pune. The benefits go far beyond the realm of beauty.