It's easy to forget about looking after your scalp, and quite understandable as most people have a head of hair covering it. But scalp health shouldn't be underestimated. This health tip explains how to care for your scalp properly.
The scalp protects your skull and is covered with terminal hairs. Terminal hair is a type of body hair that can grow much longer than, for example, the hairs on your arm. Hairs grow out of the hair follicles in the skin and are moisturised with sebum from the sebaceous glands. How healthy your hair is depends on how well you nourish your scalp with nutrients. The scalp can be compared to the soil in a plant pot – the plant can only grow big and beautiful if the soil it grows in has sufficient nutrients and moisture.
If you don't look after your scalp properly, you can end up with problems such as hair loss, dandruff or dull hair. What should you do to keep your scalp healthy?
Tips for showering
- Avoid really hot showers: water that is too hot can dry out your scalp. To compensate, the sebaceous glands ramp up their production and your hair gets greasier more quickly.
- Don't wash your hair too often: ingredients in shampoos such as silicone can be quite aggressive and can irritate and dry out your scalp. Every second day is enough, but every third day is even better.
- Avoid blow drying your hair on too high a heat setting: the hot air from the hair dryer can also dry out the scalp and cause dandruff.
Tips for everyday life
Stimulate the circulation of the scalp by using your fingers or a hairbrush to give your scalp a massage. The gentle pressure stimulates the blood flow, and the hair roots receive more of the necessary nutrients from the blood. A head massage is also very relaxing, can reduce stress and calm your circulation. A head massage is a simple and effective way of integrating a relaxing break into your everyday life. The gentle exfoliating effect of a head massage can also prevent dandruff.
Healthy scalp prevents dandruff
Talking of dandruff: you should know that everyone produces it. Dandruff flakes are actually dead cells of the epidermis, the top layer of your scalp. These cells are constantly renewed and the old ones that are no longer needed die off. Dandruff only really becomes visible when a large number of cells clump together and are shed at the same time.
Dandruff is usually a purely aesthetic problem that can be taken care of easily. However, if it's persistent and scalp feels quite irritated, it could be due to a more serious problem, and it might be worth seeing a dermatologist. More information on dandruff can be found here.
