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Photo: R. V. Moorthy

endorsing grace Sushmita Sen at the Pantene beauty meet in New Delhi

There’s bad news for your tresses. Summer is back, which means harsh sun, harmful ultraviolet rays, and hot winds are waiting to wreak havoc on your hair. But there is good news too. And that is, there are ways to protect your hair and keep it healthy and shinning, in summer too. In order to promote its new range of shampoos and conditioner, cosmetic brand Pantene organised an event in the Capital recently, where experts from the beauty industry got together to discuss hair hazards and suggest a few handy tips to own lustrous hair.

Actress Sushmita Sen asked celebrity stylist Dilshad Pastakia, beauty expert Blossom Kochchar, and Alison Roughley, senior scientist, P&G Beauty, what people in the glamour industry should do to have healthy hair, particularly because too often there are exposed to harsh lights, frequent blow dry, daily styling and harsh brushing.

“A good shampoo and a good conditioner is the first basic step towards strong hair. Conditioner forms a safety coat on hair that helps prevent damage. It also makes the hair more manageable. It is recommended that a person use shampoo twice or thrice a week depending on the length,” explained Dilshad who has styled the hair of Bollywood biggies like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Urmila Matondkar and Shahid Kapur. “Summer or otherwise, it is not advisable to use hot water on hair, as it opens the secretion gland and makes hair oily But in winter, your can rinse your hair with cold water only at the end. This will close the pores.”

The host Deepika Ganju too had some common questions to throw at the panel. What are the signs of damaged and unhealthy hair? Can one comb wet hair? “Bad hair can be easily seen and felt. The signs include dryness, roughness and brittleness. Shine, on the other hand, is a good indicator of healthy hair,” answered Alison.

“Never comb wet hair, as it will lead to breakage. If possible don’t use dryers. Let your hair dry naturally,” suggested Dilshad.For those women who need to get to work and cannot help but comb wet hair, Blossom had a way out. “Comb your hair from below and slowly move upwards. This will help untangle the hair and prevent it from breaking,” she said.

To protect your hair from ultraviolet rays, she had advice too: “Mix equal quantity of olive oil and tea water. Apply the mix to you hair and leave it for sometime, before washing it away. This acts as a good sun protection.”

MANGALA RAMAMOORTHY

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