Our scalps are usually neglected even though it is the foundation of where and how our hair grows. If it’s not healthy, the hair won’t be healthy either. Maintaining a healthy scalp will attribute to healthy hair.
If you are suffering from a flakey, dry, or itchy, irritated scalp, there might be a simple fix or you might need to visit a dermatologist to get your concern diagnosed and treated.
Assessing the condition of your scalp with help when determining how to either keep it healthy or how to treat the issue.
The scalp is like the skin on our faces and if we don’t properly take care of it, it won’t look or feel its best. If it isn’t properly cleansed, the scalp can develop clogged hair follicles, like clogged pores, and the hair that is supposed to be growing out of it isn’t getting all the proper nutrition and nourishment that it needs to be healthy and strong to grow.
A permanently blocked follicle can eventually lead to hair loss and not produce hair out of that follicle anymore. It makes sense when you hear it put like that, right?
What does a healthy scalp look like?
Examine your scalp.
Flakes
Check for flakes. If you have flakes, you probably have noticed it before now. But exactly what type of flakes do you have? Not all flakes equal dandruff. Sometimes you just have a dry scalp that needs some exfoliation and moisture.
If the flakes are small, dry in texture and your scalp is pretty normal to a little dry, you most likely just have a dry scalp that is lacking natural oils.
If the flakes are larger, feel oily or waxy, and your scalp is oily, scaly, or red, this is a sign of dandruff. Depending on how bad your dandruff is, you might want to see a doctor to help.
If you have light dandruff, you can try some shampoos to help with the problem.
Head & Shoulders is a great ‘everyday’ shampoo option as it has oils that help moisturize the scalp to help with dry scalp. It also has anti-fungal properties if you truly have a dandruff problem.
Selsun Blue is a little more ‘harsh’ treatment so you wouldn’t want to use this as often as Head & Shoulders. This one is great because it has aloe to help soothe the scalp and is dandruff approved.
Oil
By an oily scalp, I mean you must wash your hair after 12-24 hours because it feels and looks greasy aka slicked to your head.
If you have to wash your hair every day because of all the oil production, you might want to start training your hair. Washing your hair every day isn’t good for hair strands and can actually make the problem worse. Your hair tries to replace the oil once you essentially strip it with shampoo to condition the hair and scalp.
Note: Oily scalps can look more ‘oily’ in thinner hair because there is less hair to absorb all the oil.
Itch
Itchy scalps can be tricky because they can just be a product that is irritating to the scalp or something that you need to see a dermatologist for.
If you are experiencing an itchy scalp, try to stop using the product that you introduced into your routine when you noticed the itch in the first place. Remove products one at a time if you aren’t sure so you can identify which one it is.
You can also try a tea tree oil shampoo as it has proven studies that it helps with soothing the itchiness, reducing mild cases of dandruff, and lowering oil production. So it’s great if you are going to be training your hair to go longer in between washes. It’s a great dry scalp shampoo option.
For a dry scalp or itchy scalp, try this tea tree oil shampoo. It does have other essential oils that could irritate your scalp if you are super sensitive. However, it’s from Amazon so you can try it and if it doesn’t work for you, you can always return it or get a refund.
What causes an unhealthy scalp?
Of course, diet, hydration, and stress play a big part in scalp and hair health, but so does the hygiene of your hair.
The product build-up is a major contributor. If you aren’t properly cleaning your hair from dry shampoo, your natural hair oils, and other hair products they are building up and clogging your hair follicles.
While not washing your hair every day is good to maintain healthy oil production that helps condition your scalp and hair, not washing your hair enough is just as bad.
If you go too long without washing your hair, you aren’t washing the oils and products away from your follicles. You have to find what works for your lifestyle and hair, but once you do, stick to it to help maintain healthy hair and scalp.
Silicone in hair products
We hear all the time that silicone in any product is bad. Whether it’s from the media or marketing, that’s what we are told, to avoid anything with silicones.
BUT silicones are actually designed to protect your hair from humidity and keep in moisture. Some silicones are ok but if ALL your products contain silicones, you will need to wash your hair more often and with a more clarifying shampoo to remove the build-up.
They can weigh your hair down if you have thin or curly hair and prevent moisture from entering your hair.
The ‘bad’ silicones that are not water-soluble are dimethicone, cetyl dimethicone, cetearyl methicone, dimethiconol, stearyl dimethicone, cyclomethicone, amodimethicone, trimethylsilylamodimethicone, and cyclopentasiloxane.
Once again, if you use them, just use a good clarifying shampoo and you will be able to wash them out.
How to Fix an unhealthy scalp or maintain your healthy scalp
- Find products that work for you
- Have a healthy diet and fatty acids
- Have a wash routine
- Exfoliate, with a brush and scrubs
- Massage your scalp with shampoo, add shampoo brush if needed
- Have a clarifying shampoo on deck
Find products that work for you
First, know what is in your products and what works for your hair.
If you have hair that is fine, look for products designed for thin hair. Same for an oily scalp, look for products that help with that. This will be on you to try products and do your research. What works for one person isn’t going to always work for you.
I’m loving the Olaplex shampoo and conditioner to help with my more damaged hair. But I have a pretty healthy scalp but do suffer from product build-up and dry flakes now that it’s winter.
If you find out there is an ingredient that irritates your scalp or makes you itchy, avoid products with it. Simple.
Have a healthy diet and fatty acids
Also, one of the important factors for a healthy scalp and hair is your diet. Make sure you have a well-balanced diet and fatty acids. Fatty acids like omega-3 are great for hair growth, shine, and help avoid a dry scalp.
Have a wash routine
Next, have a wash routine. Like above, we don’t want to wash our hair every day but we do want to make sure we are cleansing our scalp and hair on the reg. We want to keep it clean and free of excess oil and product build-up.
Only use dry shampoo once between washes. They have drying ingredients for your oil that can dry out your hair and scalp. I have a whole blog post about my favorite dry shampoos you can check out here.
Once again, work on training your hair to go longer between washes so you also don’t have to rely on dry shampoo.
Exfoliate, with a brush and scrubs
Now, exfoliate your scalp with your brush. I do this usually in the morning before I am styling my hair or if I’m just pulling it back into a ponytail.
To exfoliate your scalp, just brush it. Brush all around the hairline in the front and underneath at the base of your neck.
Do a few passes to also help distribute the oil throughout your hair instead of letting it just sit there on your scalp clogging your pores. It will also help with removing dead skin cells on your scalp.
If I feel like my scalp needs a little more help, I use a scalp scrub. This is the one I use and it really helps with extra exfoliation and clarifying my hair.
Massage your scalp with shampoo, add shampoo brush if needed
In the shower, massage the shampoo really good at the roots of your hair and on your scalp. Just use your fingertips and use circular motions to help suds up the shampoo all along your scalp.
If you want a little more, you can use a shampoo brush or sometimes called a scalp massager Try to get one that is rubber and not plastic, it’s just more comfortable. These work great if you have a skin condition like seborrheic dermatitis where it’s really itchy and flakey on your body. It just feels really good.
Have a clarifying shampoo on deck
Lastly, have a clarifying shampoo in your rotation. You should only use a clarifying shampoo about twice a month or if you want to add a little bit with your normal shampoo, you can do that like once a week.
Here is an affordable one at the drugstore from Kristen Ess or even the Neutrogena Anti Residue is a good one.
Over clarifying your scalp, like your skin, can cause more problems so use it sparingly.
I hope that this helped you understand why it’s so important to have a healthy scalp and how to maintain or get there. If you want long, strong, shiny, and healthy hair, it all starts with the scalp.
XO, Annie
