DHAKA: Oiling your hair is a practice that is probably something your grandmother used to stress on and wanted you to do. But in this day and age when we have absolutely no time to take care of our tresses, oiling is often missed out. But, this regime has a number of health benefits for your hair and body. Here are 10 you probably didn’t know about, reports thehealthsite.com.

1. Oil acts as a barrier and protects your hair: According to Jawed Habib, celebrity hair stylist, oiling your hair is an absolutely essential step as it helps protect your hair against damage from dust, pollution and UV rays.

2. Retains moisture and prevents dehydration of the scalp: The Indian climate, that is largely hot and humid, oiling your hair is perfect as it helps retain the moisture content of your hair. According to Jawed Habib the warm and moist climate actually helps the essential components of hair oils penetrate your hair shaft and scalp, which then helps prevent dehydration of the scalp.

3. Relaxes, releases tense muscles: In Ayurveda massaging the head is the best way to keep your entire body healthy, especially your nervous system. Considered to be one of the most important parts of the body, an oil massage or Champi activates the vital points in and around the head and face helps relax your body, release tense muscles and calms the mind.

4. Relieves headache: Thought to be one of the best natural remedies for relief from a headache, an oil massage, especially if done with warm oil, can be an instant cure. This is because when you suffer from a headache the muscles around your head transmit pain signals to your brain. Massaging these muscles helps relieve a headache. Apart from that, pressing certain acupressure points on your head, neck,ears and face helps relieve stress, increases blood circulation and eases muscle strain, which can also help relieve a headache.

5. Increases blood circulation on the scalp: Another benefit of a head massage is increased blood circulation in and around your head. Caused due to the rubbing and pressing motion of a massage, increased circulation of blood around your head helps in better hair growth, stronger hair follicles and better circulation to the face — making it brighter. Apart from that, during a Champi, the points corresponding to your throat, eyes, ears and nose are also massaged. All this helps relieve symptoms of a cold, headache, eye strain and stress.

6. Prevents bacterial and fungal infections: Oiling your hair is also a perfect way to prevent fungal and bacterial infections of the scalp since the components of the oil form a barrier against organisms colonizing your scalp. Apart from that, oil also helps get rid of dirt and clogged pores which can be potent breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi.But it is important to note that washing your hair after oiling it is an important step to prevent the onset of bacterial infections since stale oil combined with dirt and warmth can help bacteria thrive.

7. Rejuvenates your hair after all those treatments: If you are someone who gets a lot of hair treatments like straightening and colouring done, then oiling your hair is a must. This is because applying oil on your hair helps repair the damage the treatments have done. It permeates your hair strands and helps restore their moisture content. It also helps calm an irritated scalp and can help repair split ends and weak hair. The best way to ensure that your oiling regimen works is to apply warm oil on your scalp and massage it well. You could also wrap a warm towel around your hair to intensify the treatment.

9. Helps balance your doshas: According to Ayurveda, a champi is a very effective way to balance out all three doshas in your body. This is because in Ayurveda the head is considered to be the most important organ of the body and massaging it helps calm the nervous system, help the organs of the body function optimally, brings the seven chakras of the body into alignment and calms the mind.

10. Gives your hair a natural shine and luster: Our hair is a porous structure and when warm oil is massaged into your scalp and hair shaft, it absorbs the nutrients of the oil. This helps the hair retain its moisture and gives it a beautiful and healthy shine. One important fact to remember here is that when you wash off the oil, make sure you do not over shampoo your hair as this strips it of all its moisture making it dry and dull.

BDST: 2202 HRS, JAN 07, 2015