A healthy scalp forms the foundation for strong, beautiful hair. Yet, it's often overlooked in our hair care routines. Just like skincare for your face, caring for your scalp is essential for maintaining overall hair health. From preventing dandruff to promoting hair growth, the habits you adopt can make a significant difference. In this blog, we'll explore five effective habits that can help you achieve and maintain a healthy scalp, ensuring your hair not only looks good but feels good too.
1. Do not over wash your hair
Even with a mild shampoo, washing your hair too often can cause scalp problems and affect the overall health of your scalp. Sadly, this is a very common mistake. Many people get into the habit of washing their hair every X days, even if their hair doesn't actually need washing.
In the long run, this will dry out your scalp. This can lead to a variety of problems. In some cases, dryness leads to dehydration and flaking, while in others, oil production increases, which means that the hair becomes greasier.
So how often should you wash your hair?
Ideally, wait as long as possible between washes. If your scalp is already oily, this may mean washing every other day rather than every day. However, if your hair is dry or damaged, try not to wash it more than once or twice a week.
2. Protects scalp from sunlight
You may already be aware of how dangerous the sun's UV rays can be to your skin. Perhaps you're taking steps to prevent sun damage, such as having your skin covered with sunscreen. But what about the skin on your scalp? Your scalp is actually part of your skin, and your scalp needs protection from UV rays as well.
Of course, your hair provides a degree of protection. However, areas where your hair is separated may be exposed to the sun, and if your hair is thinning or tied up in a certain way, other parts of your scalp are also exposed to the sun. The hairline can also be a problem area.
What can you do about it? Just like your skin, your scalp has a specialized sunscreen. You can use SPF products for the scalp and hair, or even easier, simply hide your scalp under a hat or scarf for physical sun protection.
3. Exfoliate your scalp regularly
Every dermatologist will tell you that exfoliation is vital to keeping your skin healthy. Of course, the same goes for the skin on your scalp.
How do you exfoliate your scalp?
The easiest way is scalp scrubs. They are just like face scrubs, but designed specifically for scalp skin. All you need to do is massage some of the scrub into your scalp the next time you wash your hair.
The act of massaging the scalp has other benefits as well. The increased blood circulation it brings will do wonders for the health of your scalp!
4. Avoid oiling your scalp
Oiling the scalp is a common practice in many cultures. It is believed to moisturize and nourish the scalp, which in turn benefits the hair.
However, recent studies have shown that oiling the scalp may actually be detrimental to scalp health. Aside from the fact that oil can easily clog the pores of the scalp and cause many problems, there is even a fungus that relies on oil to multiply and flourish, which can then cause dandruff, dermatitis and other problems. Oiling the scalp provides the perfect environment for this fungus to grow.
That said, there is nothing wrong with oiling the scalp before shampooing. Pre-wash oils treat the hair well, and since they are quickly washed away, the fungus doesn't have enough time to grow in them. However, avoid applying oil to the scalp after washing your hair. It may feel like a hard habit to break, but you'll find that your scalp feels healthier.
5. Eat a scalp-friendly diet
Of course, caring for your scalp from the outside is only part of the equation. For optimal scalp health, you need to make sure you're providing your scalp with the nutrients it needs from the inside.
This means turning your attention to your diet. A fresh, balanced diet is always the best way to go, but there are some foods that are particularly good for the scalp and hair, such as:
- Eggs - rich in protein, biotin and other scalp-friendly nutrients
- Berries - rich in antioxidants that protect against free radical damage
- Spinach - a great source of vitamins and iron
- Oily fish - salmon, herring and mackerel contain omega fatty acids that keep hair and scalp strong and resilient
- Nuts and seeds - rich in vitamin E and minerals
- Fresh fruits and vegetables - rich in vitamins to keep your hair feeling strong and supple
- Beans - another important source of protein, which also provides other important nutrients
If you want to have beautiful hair, then you need a healthy scalp first. Maintain these five habits that can lead to a healthy scalp, and you won't be far from success.