Scalp health is essential to the general health and growth of your hair. “Consider your scalp because the soil in a garden,” Jen Atkin, celebrity hair guru and founding father of Ouai, told Dazed back in May. “You want to are inclined to the soil for every little thing to grow.” 

The scalp is the production centre for hair, with each strand growing from an individual follicle. The standard of those follicles depends on the underlying structures of blood vessels, tissue and cells. Aspects like vitamin deficiencies, health conditions and high cortisol levels from stress can all have a negative impact on the hair follicles, as can build-ups of sebum, dead skin or dandruff which block the follicles and hinder growth. Permanently blocked follicles may eventually stop producing hair altogether. 

Alongside hair thinning and loss, symptoms of an unhealthy scalp also include itchiness, pain and discharge, says Dr Mia Jing Gao, a consultant dermatologist who specialises in hair loss and scalp conditions. So it’s value your time maintaining a clean and healthy scalp. Luckily it’s becoming easier than ever. Previously missed, the subject is increasingly gaining popularity and traction each online and off. 

Over on TikTok, #scalp has almost 800 million views, while terms like #scalpcare and #scalptreatment have each racked up thousands and thousands more. Within the industry, scalp care – alongside targeted hair loss products – has turn into a category in its own right with brands including T.H.O.M, Ouai, Augustinus Bader, Dr Barbara Sturm, The Nue Co. and The Strange all entering the market with various scalp serums, scrubs and supplements.

It’s not surprising, considering the link between scalp health and hair loss. Through the pandemic, the number of individuals experiencing hair loss increased dramatically. COVID-19 itself has been linked to hair loss, while emotional stress consequently of monetary worries, the lack of jobs and other personal worries also contribute. “A whole lot of individuals who had COVID lost their hair,” says Hannah Gaboardi, trichologist and hair growth specialist, who’s busier than ever for the reason that pandemic. “Everyone seems to be also highly stressed. So with COVID and stress, everyone’s got hair loss issues.”  

To search out out the very best practices for maintaining a healthy and completely happy scalp, and keeping your hair strong and thick, we spoke to Dr Gao, Gaboardi and Paul Windle, hairdresser and founding father of Windle Lab. Below they share their best suggestions and tricks you can do at home. Remember, Gaboardi says, for those who see the signs of hair loss – act on them early. “Start using your supplements, start using a scalp serum and go see a trichologist or a dermatologist,” she says. “Fix the issue early on because for those who leave it and also you start going bald there’s nothing anyone can do except a surgeon.” 

DIET AND SUPPLEMENTS FOR A HEALTHY SCALP

In the case of keeping your scalp healthy, food plan is essential. In response to Gaboardi, high protein, zinc and iron are all essential for general hair health. She recommends fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, spinach, avocado, carrots and sweet potatoes. Oysters are high in zinc – “they’re such an excellent food for hair,” Gaboardi says – while meat is essential for protein and iron. “A whole lot of my clients that suffer from hair problems are normally not eating meat and are iron deficient,” she says. 

In addition to eating the suitable foods, for those who are deficient in iron, vitamin D or zinc, Dr Mia Jing Gao says supplementing them will be helpful for hair growth. Alongside targeted supplements, increasingly more hair brands are releasing combined supplements designed specifically for hair. “The Ouai complement has zinc, vitamin Bs, vitamin D and likewise pea extract which is one other ingredient that everybody’s talking about,” says Gaboardi.

The Nue Co’s Growth Phase accommodates vitamins including all eight B vitamins in addition to collagen-rich ingredients and ones which work to cut back stress like reishi mushroom and eleuthero root extracts. It also includes biotin which stimulates keratin production in hair, although it’s possible you’ll wish to keep clear of it if you’ve got skin concerns. “The downside of taking biotin is it causes pimples,” says Gaboardi. “A whole lot of clients have noticed that they’ve been getting skin flare-ups.” 

MASSAGING YOUR SCALP

What’s the primary thing you may do to maintain your scalp healthy in keeping with Paul Windle? Massage. “Don’t shampoo your hair too often, but whenever you do be certain that you give it a deep cleanse,” he says. “Use numerous friction together with your fingertips.” Gaboardi agrees on the advantages of massaging your scalp, which stimulates blood flow to the realm and encourages hair to grow. “I at all times tell my clients to massage or use a scalp massager,” she says. “Put shampoo on a scalp massager. This may take off the dead skin cells and stimulate blood flow.” 

In addition to whenever you’re washing your hair, you should use a scalp massager at night before bed. One other option to get your blood circulating to the scalp, says Windle, is exercise. “Your hair is a byproduct of your blood, so the more blood flow, the higher the scalp and hair.” A few of Gaboardi’s clients will even do handstands after treatments to rush blood to the realm. 

SUN PROTECTION

As we undergo the new summer months, everyone seems to be talking about sunscreen and the way essential it’s to guard your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. What isn’t as widely discussed, nevertheless, is that we should always even be using SPF in your scalps. “Scalp is a standard location to develop skin cancer especially in individuals with hair loss because the hair does somewhat shield the scalp skin from sun,” says Dr Gao. 

“A burnt scalp is like burnt skin, it causes irritation, it makes your scalp flaky,” adds Gaboardi, who says the sun may even dry out your hair shafts. Using a hair SPF is great or wear a hat to supply sun protection.

REMEMBER STRESS AFFECTS HAIR LOSS

“Stress might be the primary trigger for hair loss without delay,” says Gaboardi, who cites “every little thing that’s occurring on the earth” as a significant source of stress for people, alongside the stress Covid itself puts on the body. She has seen numerous clients experiencing hair loss who’ve passed through Covid or lost their job due to the pandemic.  

“Physical and mental stress cause stress hormones Cortisol and adrenaline to rise in our bodies which drives changes in our skin and scalp, including oil production and inflammation,” explains Dr Gao. “This will flare and even trigger conditions akin to seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis. Women who experience high levels of stress are also 11 times more more likely to experience hair loss than those that don’t report high stress levels.”

Hair loss from stress will normally start with an initial shedding of hair, a phase called telogen effluvium which is when your growth phase is interrupted. Once this has began there isn’t a product that might help stop the shedding because it’s an internal process. Normally it should last for 3 to 6 months but the excellent news, says Dr Gao, is that it’s reversible. “But it might take as much as 18 months to completely regrow,” she says.

SILK PILLOWS: FOR AND AGAINST

In the case of silk pillowcases, opinion is split. We frequently hear that silk pillows and scrunchies are the important thing to smoother, healthier hair and Gaboardi is a proponent. “You need to be using every little thing silk,” she says. Windle, nevertheless, disagrees. “Silk pillowcases make no difference in any respect and cotton won’t damage your hair,” he says. “Hair may be very abrasive – it might in reality wear out your pillow case. In itself, the friction of hair rubbing against hair whilst sleeping is what causes damage during sleep.”

LEARN TO WASH YOUR HAIR

“For a healthy scalp, numerous people think that not washing their hair helps,” says Gaboardi. “Not washing your hair actually makes situations worse.” Washing your hair usually helps keep your scalp and subsequently hair healthy, she explains, recommending that you simply wash your hair every other day or every third day. 

Introducing a detox shampoo or a scalp scrub once every two week can be really helpful as it should help remove the buildup of dead skin cells and sebum and boost follicle growth. “A build-up will block the follicles,” she says. “You want to cleanse to get growth.” Detox shampoo may even help remove any product buildup that has occurred. In response to Gaboardi numerous people don’t rinse out their shampoo and conditioner properly, which may cause dandruff. Be sure that to rinse your hair rather well after which do a chilly rinse at the top.

SCALP SERUMS

One other product which could help with keeping your hair healthy and growing is scalp serum. Formulated to assist promote hair growth, boost recent follicles and put moisture into the scalp, brands like Ouai, Augustinus Bader, Dr Sturm and T.H.O.M have all recently released scalp serums. 

Depending in your age and hair health, how often you employ the serum will vary. If you happen to are fearful about hair loss, Gaboardi recommends using it every day or every other day. If you happen to are younger and usually completely happy together with your hair, a few times every week shall be enough.

CLINIC TREATMENTS 

While products are something that we are able to use at home, experts like Gaboardi may even offer in-clinic treatments to assist with scalp health. PRP is a plasma injection that you simply might need heard of known as the “Vampire facial”. It will possibly even be used for the scalp to treat hair loss as seen famously on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

PRP involves taking a small sample of the patient’s blood, spinning it in a centrifuge after which injecting the plasma back into the scalp. This helps rejuvenate the realm by promoting epidermal stimulation and hair follicles and the expansion of collagen. It will possibly be used on people who find themselves experiencing hair loss in addition to those that are only eager about keeping the scalp more generally healthy and their hair thick.  

“The clients I’m seeing for PRP are people who find themselves experiencing thinning on their hairline, on the crown area, men who’re experiencing male pattern hair loss,” says Gaboardi. “But everyone must catch hair loss very early on. While you leave it too late, there’s not much I can do.” Signs that you simply are losing your hair include a receding hairline or balding on the crown area, for men, and a widening of the parting in women. 

Other treatments available include hair injectables which involve biotin, hyaluronic acid and amino acids which help with growth; scalp facials which have peptides; red light therapy and micro-needling.