By Aroona Reejhsinghani

If you want to prepare your own shampoo, then dry and powder the seeds of custard apple and mix with equal quantities of powder of whole green mung dal. Make into a paste with buttermilk or skimmed milk and used on the hair as shampoo.

This makes an excellent shampoo which makes the hair healthy and strong. Instead of butter milk use coconut milk or plain water. The last rinse should be of plain water mixed with white vinegar or cider vinegar to add a bounce and lights in your hair. To one cup of vinegar add eight cups of water and always keep this handy on your bathroom shelf to use as required. Custard apple seed powder is an excellent remedy for removing dandruff in the head.

We lose and gain hair. However, old age brings about a relentless loss of hair. This brings about a gradual loss in the number of hair follicles (the active metabolising roots located in the scalp from which the new hair grows) .

Sometimes the hair may not fall, but the hair begins to thin out, it becomes soft and pigmented. Sometimes baldness is inherited. Sometimes baldness involves testosterone - the male hormone. Testosterone is converted into a metabolite which acts on the hair follicle and reduces its metabolite so that new hair growth gets thinner and thinner. The onset of this type of baldness sometimes starts in men at the young age of 20 or sometimes as late as 30 to 40 years.

At times baldness occurs due to exposure to thallium and bismuth or chemicals like boric acid, these are mostly found in rubber manufacturing units Baldness also occurs due to your lifestyle or job which is marked by stress or faulty eating habits.

Sometimes it is due to anaemia and chronic stomach infection. Before going in for other treatment first find out whether the baldness is due to physical or mental sickness, this can be easily redressed if you introduce leisure breaks into your fast lane living.

But if you have eliminated all the obvious causes for your baldness then you need to seek professional advice and help for your condition. For treating baldness the only options left are hair transplantation, scalp reduction, skin flap method which should be done by leading cosmetic surgeons.