6 Tips For A Healthy, Strong Scalp

Scalp care is needed, since hair loss and other scalp issues are a growing problem because of stress and neglect. In today’s blog post we’ll be giving you 6 tips for a healthy and strong scalp.

Drink Plenty of Water

I know this isn’t the first time you’re hearing this advice, but it’s worth mentioning that you need to stay hydrated at all times. When you’re dehydrated it will have consequences on your hair and your scalp. Your scalp will become flaky and dry when you’re dehydrated, which is going to cause weak and brittle hair. The amount of water you should be drinking every day can vary on many factors. But the US National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medical states that you should drink about 11.5 cups if you are a female, but if you are a man you should increase it to 15.5 cups.

Of course it’s not going to be easy at beginning to drink that much water, we all get distracted, we are all busy. But if your goal is to have a healthier scalp you need to find a way to drink more water throughout the day. The 2 best things you can do to increase your water intake is to keep some kind of bottle near you to constantly remind you to drink water, and the other advice is to add some fruits like oranges, lemon or strawberries to your water.

Protect Your Scalp From The Environment

Since our scalps are sensitive, the outside elements can be very detrimental. The biggest thing that damage our scalp are harsh sunlight and freezing wind. Because of the flat and coiled nature of our hair strands, African Americans will suffer from sun damage the most. UVB and UVA radiation are causing protein loss and other changes in our natural hair color. When it’s winter your scalp is more susceptible to dehydration, mainly for those people who are living in countries with colder climates.

In order to protect your hair and scalp from outside elements, make sure to have your head covered with headwraps, satin-lined caps or hats. But if you don’t want to wear anything on your head, then use oils like avocado, coconut, sweet almond, or argan, because they contain enough SPF to protect your hair from harsh sunlights. But since it’s winter now, you should use some thicker oils like meadowfoam seed oil, Jamaican black castor oil or glycerin.

Start Doing Hot Oil Treatments

Everyone complains about their wash day, i know it can take long, you’re not the only one. In order to make wash day more enjoyable for you, is to think of a wash day like a form of self care that you need to do. When you’re not having fun, you’ll be less motivated to do the steps that are needed to avoid certain scalp and hair issues. Most people skip hot oil treatments on a wash day, but skipping hot oil treatment can be a very bad decision, especially for those who have dry, itchy or flaky scalp.

With hot oil treatments you reduce scalp dryness, reduce breakage, get rid of dandruff, and improve hair growth. You can find oil recipes online. If you want the best results, then hot oil treatments should be done after shampooing and before deep conditioning. When you do it this way, you’re adding moisture and strength to your strands, which will help you avoid breakage and prepares your hair for manipulation during deep conditioner or masque application. 

Scalp Massage Every Day

Another important step which is very often avoided or just forgotten about during wash day is scalp massages. With scalp massage not only do you break up dirt, skin cells and sebum, but you also strengthen the roots and increase the blood circulation. Incorporating oils into your scalp massages is a great idea, with added oils you’ll reduce the friction caused by constant rubbing, as too much friction can cause breakage.

When you’re doing this you should be aware of oils that you’re using. If you use oils like castor or Jamaican black castor oil, you’ll need to be careful and use them lightly by rubbing the oils into your hands, and not add more oil. Even though these oils have a low comedogenic rating, too much oil can lead to build up, you should consider lightweight oils instead. If dandruff is a big problem of yours, then you should consider peptide complex like AHK-cu, as it has shown to calm irritations that causes dandruff.

Change Your Diet

Don’t skip this step if you love salty and sugary foods. Too much sodium can prevent the hair follicles from getting enough nutrients, which then leads to hair loss. If you consume too much sodium it will lead to dehydration, and when you’re dehydrated it will have consequences on your scalp. While sugary foods can trigger dandruff and excessive flakes, make sure to decrease the amount of sugary foods you eat, it will benefit you.

If you’re worried that your sugar intake might be causing scalp problems, just reduce the amount of sugary and salty food that you eat, and see if there’s any difference. I think you’ll see many changes after sorting out your diet, and sticking to a plan.

Avoid These Dangerous Ingredients

There are many products that promises us many benefits, but they are actually more harmful then helpful. The ingredients in haircare products have been linked with many many health issues. The kind of ingredients that you should avoid are: sulfates, parabens, minerals, phthalates, silicones, harsh alcohols, and fragrances. These ingredients can be very dangerous and cause dry, itchy and irritated scalp. The best thing you should do is to read the ingredient list of every product you’re using, and researching those ingredients that might be suspicious to you.