Is your hair more frizzy than usual? Is it feeling rough to the touch? Do you think you are losing more than the 60 hair strands a day? Are your locks looking limp and lack lustre? If your answer is yes to any of the above, chances are that your hair might be suffering from post-festival tress syndrome. Each strand may feel like a lone unarmed soldier on the battlefield of beauty as it is attacked by everything from colour to shampoos to styling aids and hair accessories.

So before it sends you a distress call in the form of severe hair loss and split ends, treat it to a detox programme. The silicone and sodium derivatives in shampoos add sheen to the hair but coat it and cause a product build-up that allows for less breathing space within the cuticles. Here are a few handy recipes for cleaning the hair of all impurities. Don’t be anxious if the hair looks drier than usual post these washes. This is a deep cleansing process that leaves your hair and scalp thoroughly prepared to absorb all the nutrients and care you will now shower on it.

Recipe 1: Detox bath
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2tsp baking soda
2 cups of water
Mix and apply on hair and massage gently onto scalp. Rinse with clay shampoo.
Note: For a milder detox rinse, just wash your hair with a cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with shampoo. Rinse after 10 minutes.

Recipe 2: Detox shampoo
Add 1tbsp baking soda to your shampoo. Apply on damp hair for five minutes. Wash.
Note: Your hair may look coarse after the above processes but the shaft of the hair is now clear and emptied of all products, leaving it open to absorb the nutrients you now choose to apply.

THE SCALP
The scalp is often given the bypass when it comes to our beauty regimen. It’s only when it starts rebelling in the form of falling hair and dandruff that we take note of it. The scalp, like skin everywhere else on the body, needs to breathe, get nutrients from the blood and anywhere else it can. The pollution and chemicals that make its way onto it slowly builds up barrier-like deposits, hindering its breathing and leading to its slow poisoning. Masks and lotions, especially ones made from the blue, yellow, white and red clay, applied on the scalp are ideal ways to rehabilitate it. Their antiseptic and soothing capabilities nurture it back from all damage done. Here are three recipes that might help:

Recipe 1: Deep conditioning
Juice of two lemon
1tbsp mayonnaise
Mix it together and massage into washed, damp hair. Cover with a shower cap, then heated towel and finally wash out.

Recipe 2: Deep cleansing and purifying
1 tsp of green clay
4 tbsp of water
1 tbsp rose water
Mix into a smooth liquid-like paste, apply on scalp, massaging gently. Leave on for 15 minutes, rinse and shampoo.

Recipe 3: For hair fall
1 drop of rosemary essential oil
30 drops of almond oil
4 drops of honey
Massage gently onto scalp twice a week and leave overnight.

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• Moisturised hair is less likely to suffer from static conditions, so deep condition about once a week. You can leave the conditioner on for anywhere between 10 minutes to all night long!

• Blot dry with a thin absorbent towel. Rubbing the hair can cause breakage and damage.

• Stop washing your hair every day. The scalp’s natural oils keep your hair smooth, warding off both frizz and knots.

• Split ends and breakage need regular trimming. A salon visit once every six weeks is recommended.

• Brush your hair with a plastic-bristled hairbrush, preferably one with a rubber base — it creates less static and helps the follicles to lie flat.

If you have overdone the make-up and feel the lustre of your skin all gone, here are simple ways to detoxify your skin and restore its healthy glow…

Clean: Cleansing your skin regularly helps rid the accumulated toxins on the surface. Use natural products and mild soaps. Steam or sauna sessions at regular intervals (weekly or fortnightly) further helps to excrete the accumulated toxins in the pores.

Exercise: Rigorous exercise stimulates the excretion of sweat and through it, toxins from the skin. Regular exercise detoxifies our skin and gives it a vibrant look. It is a well-known fact that people who exercise regularly are more likely to have young, bright-looking skin even in old age.

Massage: Massage helps increase skin circulation and elimination of the metabolic waste accumulated in the body. It also stimulates lymphatic drainage.

Skin Brushing: According to Peter Bennett, N.D., co-author of the 7-Day Detox Miracle, dry skin brushing is an easy way to stimulate the lymph system that enhances the body’s natural detoxification processes. It also reduces the appearance of cellulite. Skin brushing is very easy, all you need is a natural, long-bristle brush that does not scratch the surface of the skin. Otherwise use a loofah sponge. Brushing should be done in upward motion on legs and arms and in circular motion on the abdomen for best results. Dry skin is best brushed on wet skin. But avoid the face, sensitive areas and raw surfaces.

Exfoliation: Exfoliate your face and body with scrubs available in the market. It helps shed dead skin cells and generates new cells, thus improving skin texture and glow.

Sunscreen: Using sunscreen will prevent further damage by harmful UV rays.

Meditation: Meditation helps to mentally relax and regulate your breathing, thus helping in the excretion of toxins through your lungs. Meditation also cools down and soothes your nerves.

Medical and cosmetic treatment: Doctors have not been far behind in devising treatments that make use of the above principles to increase skin glow and produce anti-ageing effects. Treatments like hydrotherapy, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and lasers help exfoliate damaged cells to reveal a vibrant look.