W

hen it comes to her hair-care regimen, Zaskia Adya Mecca washes her hair daily, uses hair vitamin tonics and also takes intensive hair creambaths. The 24-year-old actress, who has worn the headscarf since 2005, says she believes firmly in maintaining good hair hygiene.

“Just because a woman is covering her hair with a headscarf doesn’t mean she can skip hair treatments,” the mother of one told okezone.com.

Zaskia is only one of the many young Indonesian women who now wear the headscarf, once a rarity except among older women who had gone on the haj pilgrimage. Headscarf styles abound, in a diverse range of colors and decorations.

Headscarves help protect hair from ultraviolet rays and air pollution – two major problems in tropical, congested Jakarta. But like other women who frequently wear scarves or head coverings, and men who often wear hats and caps, wearers of headscarves must also be aware of potential problems, including hair loss, dandruff and other fungal infections or overly dry hair.

Here are some tips on keeping healthy hair when wearing head coverings.  

Do’s:
• Wash your hair regularly, at least every two or three days. Use a shampoo made from natural ingredients suitable for your hair type. Aloe vera shampoo is believed to have properties to reduce hair loss and improve hair growth. Always use a conditioner after shampooing for better results, or use a two-in-one shampoo-conditioner. Apply leave-on conditioner before going to bed, female.kompas.com reports.  
• Treat your hair with hair tonic every day and hair masker once a week. Use a hair treatment that is suitable for your hair type. For example, avocado is good for dry hair, while more astringent lemon is suitable for oily hair with dandruff. To strengthen the roots, select a treatment that contains ginseng.
• Comb your hair at least three times a day. It helps massage the scalp, which will boost blood circulation. Use a wide-toothed comb to prevent hair loss.
• Opt for a practical headscarf style. Currently there are many headscarf fashions, such as a layered headscarf style. For daily activity, it’s advised to wear two coverings; the inner headscarf and the headscarf itself. For women working in air-conditioned areas, pick a thicker material to protect hair from the machine’s drying effect. If you must, wear a maximum of four headscarf layers at one time. For very active women, it’s advised to stick with a simple style.
• Select a headscarf made from cotton or fabric with good absorption. Those types of fabrics are good for air circulation underneath the headscarf.
• Change your headscarf every day.


Don’ts:
• Do not wear an overly tight headscarf. Good air circulation underneath the headscarf is important to keep your hair and scalp in perfect condition.
• Do not wear a headscarf when your hair is wet. Covered wet hair can cause dandruff and other fungal problems that result in hair loss.
• Dark-colored headscarves absorb more heat compared to light-colored ones. More heat means more sweat, which can result in dandruff.
• Never tie the headscarf too tight. Use a fabric-covered hairband instead of rubber band to provide a more relaxed fit. JP/Tifa Asrianti