All though out the year, we take utmost care to maintain healthy and luscious mane. But the season of Holi will ebb away all your efforts. The harsh chemicals in colours during Holi can do more damage to your locks than all the measures you’d adopted to protect them. Although a little extra care can go a long way. Do not let the excitement of playing with the colours shift your focus from taking care of your hair. To avoid worrying about your hair getting dry and frizzy, pre- and post-hair care will prevent your hair from adverse effects of chemicals. It is essential to protect your hair and skin during Holi. Below are some tips to follow to safeguard your hair. Along with your hair, your skin is also sensitive and prone to damage. Protect your skin from the side-effects of colours.

Here are some tips to follow during the festival of colours

Pre-Hair Care Tips

Use hair oil: Before you dive into the hues, make sure your hair is perfectly oiled. Coconut, mustard or almond oil works wonders on your hair. Avoid using medicated or specialised oils. Choose any normal oil. The oil will act as a protective layer to your hair and scalp. It will help clean your hair easily when you wash off the colours.

Add lemon juice to the oil: Adding a few drops of lemon to the oil will prevent in keeping the toxins from the colours from damaging your hair. Lemon and oil mix is highly recommended for people who have sensitive scalp or are prone to dandruff.

Cover it up: Everyone likes to keep it stylish during festivals. But to minimise the exposure, cover your hair with a scarf or a bandana. People with long locks can tie a fashionable braid or a bun. The more you expose your hair, it will further lead to deposition of colours in your scalp. Also avoid any sort of fancy hair accessories. If the hair is wet, pulling the accessories out will lead to breakage of hair.

Post-Hair Care Tips

Dry-combing: Once the fun is over, softly comb your hair. Dry-combing will help in partial removal of the colours. But it is important to note that this will only work if your hair is dry.

Shampoo and conditioning: First rinse out all the colour with plain water. Once you see that the water is clear, then rinse it with mild shampoo. When washing your hair, make sure that you avoid rinsing your hair with hot water. Your hair is already exposed to dryness from the colours, hot water will further increase the dryness. Massage your scalp and hair gently with shampoo and deep-condition your hair. Don’t try to scrub your scalp hard, it may take a few days to get completely rid of the colour. Apply serum post hair wash, it will help in retaining moisture and make your hair soft.

Extra care: Your hair will continue to require that TLC. Apply oil on your hair on alternate days to keep it soft and eventually to get rid of the dryness. Limit the exposure of your hair to the sun and skip blow-drying your hair for at least a week. If you find the ends of your hair dry, go for a trim and cut off the split ends.

A spa treatment will also help in regaining the strength of your hair post the damage. Don’t let the fun quotient dip because of these worries. Instead swear by these methods, tips and tricks, and you are all set to get smeared in colour. After all, bura na mano Holi hain! Wishing you all a safe and colourful Holi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 26, 2018 02:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).