Maharishi Ayurveda Newsletter Archive

With Maharishi Ayurveda, You Can Have Beautiful Hair

How many times have you admired someone’s thick, glossy hair and wondered how she does it? In this interview,The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians explains how to put the shine back in your hair and improve your health at the same time.

Q: What is the key to healthy hair and nails?

A: According to Maharishi Ayurveda, hair and nails are the by-product of bone metabolism, so your diet must nourish the bone tissue. At the same time, your diet must also purify the fat tissue, because healthy bone tissue depends on healthy fat tissue. Thus, taking care of the fat tissue and simultaneously nourishing the bone is the key to hair and nail health. People are often told to take lots of calcium to strengthen their nails and bones, but calcium will not help if the fat tissue is filled with ama, the toxic waste-product of incorrect digestion. Impurities in the fat tissue cause weakened bone production, and that is reflected in dull hair, weak nails and problem skin.

Q: What kinds of foods does Maharishi Ayurveda recommend for strengthening hair and nails?

A: Eating more sweet, juicy fruits, cooked greens, and leafy green vegetables with a bitter taste will help. Seasoning the vegetables with equal parts of fenugreek, cumin, turmeric and coriander, sauteed in Ghee, will also help purify fat tissue and strengthen bone tissue. Adding fresh shredded coconut to your diet and always using healthy fats -- such as olive oil or Ghee -- in cooking is also recommended. At the same time, it’s important to avoid foods that are difficult to digest and create ama (digestive impurities). Stay away from excessive amounts of refined sugars, ice-cold drinks, cold foods straight from the refrigerator, leftovers, processed and packaged foods, unhealthy fats and heavy, deep-fried foods. It’s also important to follow the diet that provides balance for you as an individual. You can our recipes section for the guidelines for the Vata, Pitta, or Kapha- pacifying diet. Exercising regularly with yogasanas (yoga postures) will also help balance fat metabolism.

Q: What herbal products do you recommend?

A: Avoid using harsh commercial shampoos and conditioners that contain DEA, sodium lauryl sulfate, or other such chemicals, as these can strip the luster from your hair and cause deeper imbalances. The Maharishi Ayurveda Herbal Shampoos and Herbal Conditioners are botanical-based, gentle formulations that can help keep your hair healthy and shining. Natural hair products, rich in plant extracts that are good for the hair, provide nourishment, moisture and balance to the hair in addition to cleaning it.

It also helps to massage the hair with warm oil. If your hair is dry, massage your head at least twice a week, otherwise, once a week is enough. A warm oil massage stimulates the scalp and helps moisturize the hair and scalp. The Healthy Hair & Nails herbal formula helps balance the system internally to produce shiny hair and strong nails. The formula contains Eclipta alba, Heart-leaved Moonseed and Phyllanthus Niruri, which are known as keshya herbs in ayurveda -- they provide powerful nourishment for the hair. Amla-Berry herbal tablets contain the Indian Gooseberry, which is famous in the ayurvedic literature for improving hair and nail strength. Finally, the Calcium Support formula supports the metabolism of bone tissue and helps eliminate ama (impurities inside the body).

“I am 65 years old and most of my life I had nice nails. But for the past three years they were splitting very easily. After taking the Healthy Hair and Nails herbal tablets for just one month, my nails stopped breaking. I had tried many other products that didn’t work at all. I don’t have to keep my nails hidden now. Thank you for making a product that works.”
—Twyla H. Oliver, Seattle, Washington