How To Fix Your Dry Scalp And Improve Overall Hair Health (Day 11)

#30dayglowup - Day 11

Eliminating dandruff and increasing the rate of hair growth at the same time? Count me in...

Ever since I’ve decided to grow my hair out after my big chop last year, I’ve committed myself to learning as much as possible about hair health and how to grow it quickly. Not surprisingly, it turns out that having a healthy scalp is an integral part of your hair health being maintained. I have struggled with a dry scalp in the past which has been a cause of insecurity for me, but I’ve managed to experiment with different products and techniques and feel that I’m now in a good place to share what has made a significant difference to me, and hopefully will for you to.

 

Why is scalp health important

For me the main thing I disliked about having an unhealthy scalp was the unfortunate side-effect that can with it: dandruff. It was never awful for me but seeing the little white specks on a black top did make me self-conscious. Also, the itching and irritation of my scalp made it very uncomfortable, especially when my hair needed washing.  

Unfortunately, the side-effects of an unhealthy scalp aren’t just limited to these inconveniences. The follicles on your scalp need to be clear for the quality of the hair growth, and for me wanting to grow my hair out it was important that I addressed my scalp concerns. I needed to remove the dead skin flakes (Gross I know) from the surface of my scalp in order to increase my overall hair health and thickness.

 

What is dandruff

Dandruff is a non-harmful skin condition that appears as white, loose skin flakes on your scalp. It is caused by the excess of dead skin cells which build up on the surface on the scalp and clump together to form these flakes.

 

How to treat it

Treating my dry scalp like I would any other dry patch on my body is what has worked for me. Your scalp health doesn’t have anything to do with your haircare routine or products that go in the lengths of your hair, but you can treat it in other ways. Exfoliating (Chemical and physical) and moisturizing the dry areas are the best ways to deal with dry skin. Exfoliating removes the extra layers of skin cells, removing pre-existing skin flakes and preventing new ones from forming. Moisturizing ensures that your scalp is soothed and stops it from becoming more dry than usual.

 

What has worked for me

Salicylic acid

If you take one thing away from this post, it’s that salicylic acid is a GOD SEND for dry scalp. I already use it daily in my skincare routine for a mild exfoliant. It is a form of chemical exfoliation that works by penetrating into the pores of the skin and dissolving the gunk that’s clogging it up.

 

A couple of months ago I was doing an order on Cult Beauty and wanted to get something else to add up to free postage, so I decided to go for the ‘Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment’, as I knew how well salicylic acid does on my skin. I really couldn’t recommend this enough for your scalp, although there are probably other salicylic acid treatments you can get for cheaper as this one is very small. You use it as a pre shampoo treatment to unclog your pores and loosen the dead skin so that it’s rinsed out upon washing. It has worked so well for me and I incorporate it into every other hair wash to keep my scalp happy and healthy.

 

Aloe Vera

This tip is going to be a bit of a weird one but I promise you it works. I’ve use aloe in hair masks for ages because as a humectant it’s very good at drawing in moisture to the hair shaft. Despite applying it to my scalp before washing it didn’t make much difference and only caused a hard cast that was difficult to wash it.

 

But here’s the thing, I once tried it during my hair wash routine because I’d seen it recommended online and it really did change the game. All I do is as I’m applying conditioner to the ends of my hair, after shampooing, I take a couple of globs of aloe and apply it to my scalp while it’s still wet. I then leave it on for a few minutes whilst I do other stuff in the shower to let it and my conditioner soak in, and then rinse it off. For some reason this just works so much better for moisturizing your scalp than applying it as a pre-shampoo hair wash. I assume the moisture on your scalp due to being in the shower works well with the humectant properties with the aloe to moisturize your scalp.

 

I’ve been using this method for about a year now and even before using it in coalition with salicylic acid I’ve seen a significant difference to my scalp health because of it. Adapting it slightly to use is a part of my wash routine I think has been key, and I really do notice the difference when I forget to do it.

 

Using oils

I have some mixed feelings when it comes to oiling my scalp. I do recognize that it has great benefits to hair health and thickness, but I do find it a pain to wash it. Oiling your scalp does help to prevent dryness by trapping in that layer of moisture, however you don’t want to overdo it as having an oily scalp can be the cause of dandruff in the first place. I personally use it very sparingly, only really when I do it in coalition with the inversion method or a scalp massage to stimulate blood flow, and I would really recommend following it with an exfoliating scalp treatment such as a clarifying shampoo or a salicylic acid treatment.

 

Clarifying shampoo

Clarifying shampoos are basically very strong shampoos with stripping ingredients designed to combat the build up of products and oils that have built up on the scalp over time, leaving your hair super clean. I wouldn’t recommend using them frequently as they can be overly stripping and leave your hair damaged, however with the occasionally use they can be very beneficial for overall scalp health. If you think the dryness or build up on your scalp is caused by a product build up then definitely give one of these a go – I use the Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo which is a lot cheaper than many on the market. I tend to use this around once a month or when I feel like there’s a build up of product at my scalp.

 

If you use silicones in your haircare routine then this is more likely to be a beneficial solution to a dry scalp. Silicones coat the hair to give the appearance of a smooth texture, but they can build up over time, which is the reason why the very popular Curly Girl Method recommends eliminating them from your routine. Sulfates are the only ingredients that can really penetrate through this and break down the buildup, but these can be too stripping and are ingredients in many clarifying shampoos. Whilst I choose to cut both out of my haircare routine to eliminate this vicious cycle, I do make one exception, and this is the occasionally use of a clarifying shampoo to prevent build up.

 

Scalp stimulation

I wouldn’t say this is my number 1 recommendation for curing a dry scalp as I more use it to stimulate blood flow and increase hair growth, however using scalp massages or shampoo brushes can be a form of physical exfoliation that lifts the dead skin off of the scalp so it’s easier to wash out. You can give it a try if a dry scalp is an issue for you, but I’d recommend trying out the previously suggested methods first. If you want to use it to grow your hair more quickly however then 100% I’d recommend some form of stimulation – it’s whatever works for you.

 

In conclusion

Having a dry scalp sucks, there’s no question about that, but there are solutions and everything I’ve recommended I can vouch for and has worked for me personally, as this used to be a really big struggle for me. In terms of my glow up journey eliminating a big insecurity of mine has been hugely impactful on my overall confidence and I hope it will benefit you too. Also, by extension taking care of my scalp has positively impacted my rate of hair growth which I appreciate as I’m currently wanting my hair to be longer. I would also recommend a lot of what I said about even if you don’t suffer with a dry scalp as looking after it more could have an additionally positive impact on your hair.

 

I hope this article was useful for you – if you have any questions contact me through my social media networks or leave a comment, and also I’d appreciate any recommendations as I’m always looking for ways to increase the overall health of my hair and scalp.