Here in India, thick and shiny hair is a symbol of beauty. The practice of oiling our hair has long been part of Indian tradition and culture to nourish and take care of our hair. And you know what else is an ancient part of our culture? – Yoga. So what if we told you, the answer for healthy hair also lies on your yoga mat? Practicing yoga for hair loss isn’t just a myth, it’s a science-backed reality. Let’s explore how yoga and hair are connected and which yoga poses for hair growth truly work.
Role of Yoga in Hair Health
First, let’s understand why and how we experience hair fall. In India, it’s a combination of pollution and the environment, hormonal imbalance, inadequate diet, and stress and tension that leads to hair fall. Our daily foods don’t really cover all the best hair vitamins for faster hair growth and maintaining its health. Stress and hormonal imbalances are also direct contributors to hair fall.
Yoga, being central to wellness in India, aims to prevent hair loss caused by stress by calming the mind and relieving stress and tension (1). It naturally restores balance of the body and mind and improves circulation in the body.
So basically, yoga and hair health are connected in a simple way: yoga asanas (postures) increase blood circulation to the scalp, providing the hair follicles with more oxygen and nutrients, which can slow down hair loss and promote growth of healthy hair.
Benefits of Yoga for Hair Loss
• Improves Blood Circulation: Yoga poses for hair growth increase blood flow to the scalp, making essential nutrients and oxygen reach the hair follicles. So yoga helps keep our scalp adequately nourished for healthier hair.
• Reduces Stress: Practicing yoga and meditation can effectively lower stress levels, which is a major factor behind hair loss. By reducing stress, yoga helps control hair fall and promotes new hair growth.
• Hormone Balance: Yoga can help regulate hormones, which is beneficial for hair growth, because in some cases hormonal imbalance can also lead to hair loss.
The Best Yoga Poses for Hair Growth
Here are some practical yoga asanas for hair growth, perfectly suited for Indian homes and daily routines.
1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog Pose): Inverting your body with this pose increases blood flow to the head, providing hair follicles with nourishment and supporting hair regrowth.
How to: Get on all fours on your mat, then lift your hips towards the ceiling and straighten your legs, forming an inverted V-shape. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
2. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): This forward-bending yoga pose increases blood flow to the scalp, delivering essential nutrients that nourish the hair roots. It also enhances digestion, so we can better absorb nutrients for hair growth.
How to: Keeping your feet hip-wide apart, bend forward from your hips and try to touch your palms on the floor. You can just touch your toes or knees too, depending on your flexibility, and keep your knees slightly bent if needed. Hold for 30 seconds.
3. Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand): Apart from encouraging blood flow to the scalp, this pose is essential for balancing hormones, which is especially important for Indian women experiencing hair fall due to thyroid issues or PCOS.
How to: Lie on your back. Lift your legs, hips, and back towards the ceiling, supporting your back with your hands. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
4. Sirsasana (Headstand): Known as the “king of asanas”, the headstand in yogic culture is believed to be a cure for common cold, back pain, and depression (2). For hair health, it directly sends blood to the scalp, encourages hair growth, and increases nutrient delivery.
Tip: Practice against a wall until you have enough core and neck strength to balance yourself in a headstand without support.
5. Vajrasana (Thunderbolt or Diamond Pose): This is one of the few asanas that’s healthy to do after eating as it supports digestion. Thus, it helps your body better absorb the best hair vitamins for faster hair growth from your diet.
How to: Kneel down and sit on your heels, with your legs tucked underneath you. Keep your hands on your thighs and make sure your spine is straight. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing for about 10 minutes.
6. Balayam (Nail Rubbing Yoga): Rubbing fingernails together is believed to activate nerves that stimulate hair follicles (3). It’s a simple and easy-to-do technique for thick and healthy hair.
7. Pranayama (Breathwork Exercises): Yoga also uses several breathing exercises to lower stress and increase blood oxygenation, both of which are necessary for healthy hair and glowing skin.
Role of Nutrition for Healthy Hair
While yoga and hair care do go hand-in-hand, it shouldn’t be your only strategy for healthier hair. More than any external efforts, what happens inside your body is directly responsible for the quality and strength of your hair. And these are some of the most important vitamins and minerals that nourish your hair:
• Protein, specifically keratin, is what makes up our hair. So you must have a protein-rich diet to strengthen hair, prevent breakage and weakening, and support hair regrowth. Such a diet should include eggs, chicken, fatty fish, yogurt, dals, nuts, seeds, tofu, and spinach.
• Selenium maintains a healthy scalp by reducing inflammation and preventing dandruff. As an antioxidant, it also protects the hair follicles from damage, therefore strengthening the roots and strands. So it makes our hair less prone to breakage and split ends. Foods that include selenium are Brazil nuts, eggs, tuna, meats like chicken and turkey, brown rice, and sunflower seeds.
• Iron ensures oxygen supply to the scalp and hair follicles, supporting healthy growth and preventing hair fall. It’s found in red meats, poultry, fish, leafy veggies like spinach, dals, and seeds.
• Zinc is also involved in the production of keratin, thus encouraging hair growth and repair. Zinc-rich foods are shellfish like oysters, red meats, poultry, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds, and dals.
• Biotin (Vitamin B7) is crucial for keratin production, the primary protein that our hair is made of. Biotin is found in liver, eggs, nuts, sweet potatoes, and avocado.
• Vitamin D and E both stimulate hair growth and actively prevent hair loss. Make sure to get some sunlight and include foods like sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and vegetable oils in your diet.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids enhance scalp circulation, reduce inflammation, and deeply nourish hair follicles to support healthier hair. You can get it from fatty fish like salmon and sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds.
Final Thoughts
Now you know that apart from its popular function of achieving internal balance and peace, yoga also has benefits for our hair. Consistent yoga practice can possibly slow down hair loss by encouraging better blood circulation and reducing stress. But of course, it shouldn’t be your singular approach. Combine yoga with a wholesome Indian diet including all the necessary nutrients for your hair, and you’ll find that you’re not just caring for your hair – you’re nurturing your entire well-being.
FAQs
Q1. Can yoga improve scalp health?
Yoga does improve scalp health as the postures increase blood flow and nutrient supply to the scalp, reduce bodily and mental stress, and promote a healthy environment for hair follicles.
Q2. Which yoga is best for hair growth?
The best yoga poses for hair growth are inversion poses like Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog), Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand), and Sirsasana (Headstand), as they boost blood circulation to the scalp and nourish hair roots.
Q3. Which yoga helps to control hair fall?
Yoga includes a lot of breathing exercises that relieve stress to prevent stress-related hair loss. Scalp-boosting poses like Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) and Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) are also good for controlling hair fall as they provide a solution not only for stress but also for poor circulation.
Q4. What to eat for hair growth?
Foods rich in biotin, iron, zinc, vitamins D and E, and omega-3 fatty acids will encourage hair growth. So eat eggs, poultry, leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, and dals.