You want longer, healthier hair ? Perhaps you should look into how well you have been treating your scalp. Getting gorgeous hair has so much to do with its roots because healthy hair starts at the scalp.
Your scalp is the location of your follicle. It is also the place where your blood vessels feed nutrients and oxygen to the follicle. Moreover, it is where the oil glands produce sebum – a natural hair conditioner of your body. Thus, if your scalp is not healthy, your hair cannot grow shiny and healthy at the best growth rate.
There are many factors that affect the health of our scalp, some which I have discussed in my previous blog posts. Some examples that I have touched upon include nutrition deficiency, using natural-oils, underlying medical conditions, auto-immune disease.
Today I will discuss the benefits of using a clarifying shampoo and a hair scrub weekly to promote a better and healthier scalp for hair growth.
What is a clarifying shampoo and when should I use it?
To put it simply , a clarifying shampoo gives your locks a much deeper cleanse than a normal shampoo ever could. Designed to remove stubborn build up from your hair, a weekly wash with a clarifying shampoo is just what is needed to provide a healthy scalp. For those who use a lot of styling products, this is a must. It removes remnants of hairsprays, wax and other regular use styling products , dry shampoo, hair oils, and other things you may not even thought were in your hair, like mineral deposits from hard-water, and chlorine from the swimming pool. It’s a good idea to incorporate clarifying shampoo as the first step into your hair care routine, alternating out your normal shampoo once a week for best results.
One of my favorite clarifying shampoo is AMETHYST shampoo by Meraki hair care. Purifying Amethyst Shampoo is sulfate free, vegan shampoo. Its formulated with extracts that clean and exfoliate scalp , hydrate hair with proteins that are easily absorbed and strengthens the hair. If you guys remember from my previous blog posts I also use Meraki glow oil for my hair and skin.
Exfoliation: It’s Not Just for the Skin You Can See
It’s important to exfoliate your scalp weekly, to get rid it of dead skin cells, dirt, and/or excess hair products. When the pores on your scalp stay clogged for too long, you’re more likely to develop issues like dandruff, itchiness, and irritation. Using a gentle exfoliant can prevent these problems from occurring and disrupting your healthy hair growth.
What's a hair-scrub ?
Just as you exfoliate your face and body to eliminate dead cells for clearer skin, you should be doing this on your scalp too. Like clarifying shampoo, the key here is moderate use- no more than twice a week, applied in place of your regular shampoo. This will help offer you a much deeper cleanse than a normal shampoo and help to remove dirt, oil, dead cells and pollution which can all make your hair feel weighed down and dull.
There are many hair scrubs out there, make sure you choose one that's gentle, organic, and easy to use. Right now, one of my favorite is by Briogeo Hair Care, which you can find at sephora or Nordstrom.
Other Steps to protecting your scalp:
1- When you are going to be exposed to a significant amount of sunlight, protect your scalp and hair with a hat of your choice!
2-Avoid showering in very hot water, or exposing your skin to excessively cold temperatures
3- Limit chemical treatments, or ask your stylist if an alternative hair treatments may yield similar results with less damage.
I hope these tips will lead you to healthier choices for keeping your scalp healthy. Always test patch a small area before starting any new product.
As usual, the content of my page is for informational/educational purposes only. Nothing should be constructed as medical advise.
Stay well and healthy. Dr. Naghmeh, pharm.D.
