Healthy Hair Starts With a Healthy Scalp

C’mon, let’s be frank about this, who doesn’t want be forever young? The thing is, the first thing that comes to people’s mind when we talk about youthful looks is often the face, then the body — but it’s rarely the hair. We tend to overlook the importance of hair in our multiple beauty rituals.

A head of lush, thick, shiny hair is able to minus a good few years from your look right away. And when it comes to hair care, the scalp care is the most overlooked. So many people out there are still thinking that our hair is growing from the ends; with misconceptions like that, it’s no wonder we don’t even know how to start on this scalp care ritual.

What are the signs of a healthy scalp?

The following are some general guidelines:

1. No visible dandruff
2. Scalp feels relaxed and not tight
3. No itchiness
4. Able to remain in a clean and refreshed state for a long time

Very few of us are actually able to check off more than one of the above signs, and most of us live with a sub-healthy scalp. The pace of modern life, our erratic work hours, and the even more erratic late weekend nights are just not the perfect recipe for a healthy scalp. Throw in some environmental pollution and poor air quality on top of these, the pores on the scalp are given the exact ingredients to be clogged. The hair makes contact and rolls in the dirt, the oily scalp makes sure they stick on, the dirt worsens the oiliness of the scalp and hair, and the vicious cycle continues on. As a result, you start experiencing dandruff, oiliness, itchy scalp, or dry hair. In the long term, these problems can give rise to bigger issues such as premature white hair and hair loss.

What is my scalp type?

The first thing is to understand the nature of your scalp. Generally speaking, if you wash your hair today, and it turns oily by tomorrow, then you have a case of oily scalp there. If the greasiness only develops after one or two days, then it is a normal scalp. If the scalp always feels tight and flaky, then it is a dry scalp.

So how to take care of our scalp? – The simplest things we can do for our scalp:

Choose the right shampoo for your scalp.

People are becoming increasingly aware that it is crucial for one to pick the right routine and product for their skin type. Apply that same logic to scalp, and you will see where it is going wrong right now. I grew up using one single bottle of shampoo shared by the entire family. It was a decision that we didn’t even think about back then. Using one bottle saves money, saves shopping time, and saves the limited bathroom shelf space. The only thing it is not saving is your scalp.

For oily scalp, it is recommended to use shampoo that focuses on oil-balancing. A mildly moisture-locking shampoo will be sufficient for the normal scalp, while the dry scalp will need a deeper one and properly to be capped off with a scalp mask.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of scalp massage.

The healthy scalp's stratum corneum cells are tightly arranged to form a natural barrier that effectively regulates the scalp’s hydration level. When the scalp is damaged, it is difficult to prevent the invasion of foreign substances. One way to stimulate the self-restoring property of scalp is by doing gentle scalp massages. When done correctly, it is able to enhance blood flow to our scalp, thus promoting detoxification and absorption of nutrients by hair follicles.

Adhere to a balanced healthy lifestyle.

Stay away from the tobacco and alcohol. Smoking can trigger shrinkage of the scalp’s capillaries, thereby hindering the growth of hair, while excessive drinking will make the scalp produce excessive heat and moisture, damaging the hair follicles. For the scalp to restore back to its optimum state, ensure that you always have a consistent dosage of exercise. If you exercise outdoors, make sure to wear a hat to prevent scalp sunburn, which can turn out pretty nasty and painful.