The appearance of our skin and hair plays a pivotal role in the way we make our- selves presentable to others. Enhancing your looks can go a long way in creating a positive frame of mind, which in turn empowers you towards positive health. In the current fast-paced era, these two vital parts of our body can get affected adversely by several factors including pollution, inadvertent exposure to sunlight, toxic chemicals as well as psychological factors like emotional stress. All these can lead to problems like premature greying of hair, hair loss, pigmentation issues as well as diseases like dermatitis. This is where our traditional system of healthcare Ayurveda, can aid us in tackling these cosmetic issues both in preventive as well as curative aspects.
What is unique about the ayurvedic approach?
As per Ayurvedic concepts, human physiology is reg- ulated by the three doshas namely Vata, Pitha, and Kapha. Equilibrium of these three is vital for health, whereas abnormal functioning of doshas secondary to dietary, seasonal, or other external factors can lead to disease states. Moreover, Ayurveda has a personalized approach in disease prevention and management, wherein the human body is classified into different Prakriti or body types based on the dosha predominance. Accordingly, the diet, lifestyle, or even medications are to be customized as per the needs of these body types, so that these measures advised for one individual may not be ideal for an- other.
Ayurvedic concepts on skin
Ayurveda emphasizes health as a balance of physical, mental as well as spiritual well being. Twak or skin plays a vital role in enhancing our physical appearance and being the largest organ in our body, it can be a good indicator of our general health status. The same is said about our hair, which also can re- flect the underlying changes in body physiology.
As per ayurvedic concepts, the characteristics of skin and hair can vary among different body types as explained below.
Vata type skin - here the skin is generally dry, thin, cool to touch, easily gets dehydrated, and vulnerable to dry, windy weather. Hair also will be scarce and brittle, requiring frequent moisturizing.
Pitha type skin - In this body type, the skin is more pinkish, radiant, warm to touch, has a tendency to develop pigmentation disorders, is photosensitive, and gets easily ulcerated. The hair in such individu- als will usually be brownish-yellow and can develop premature greying.
Kapha type skin - Here the skin will be oily, lustrous, and soft to touch. The hair will be abundant, strong, and lustrous and have less tendency for premature greying. Various permutations can also happen be- tween these dosha types such that only an expert Ayurveda physician will be able to identify these in an individual.
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