the final piece of the puzzle

does your scalp and hair feel like this dry bark from a palm tree this winter? read on to see how to turn your scalp from dry and dull to healthy and shiny.

For a while now, stylists have been educating clients on how to take care of their hair. Beginning as far back as Cleopatra with her amazing bangs and black henna. You know she had an awesome stylist!!! What wonderful style!! Lately it’s been using gentle, sulfate free shampoo, or even no sulfate (no lather) shampoos and not shampooing everyday. This allows not only your natural oils to balance out, meaning not over produce and cause oily hair, but also the oils to work their way down a bit and naturally condition your hair. It also means your not breaking down your hairs naturally occurring keratin and hence causing breakage. I have seen a great improvement in my clients hair because of this. It has allowed many people to grow out their hair to lengths that they hadn’t have been able to in the past. It has cut down on frizz in curly and coarse hair. It has allowed people to color their hair who otherwise were limited by the fragility of their hair. But, I am noticing something else. Their scalps are suffering.

Who knew that poor scalp health would be the outcome of this. I think like most things, some people like to take things to the extreme. Like, just how long can I not shampoo and not have gross hair. And surprisingly you can go for a while without it. Some people have resorted to just rinsing and then conditioning. This is something that guys are infamous for. Don’t lie! We know who you are. ;) Yes, these things may help your hair become stronger and shinier and less frizzy. But, it causes your scalp to become coated and suffocated. Potentially leading to hair loss or finer and thinner hair. The same things you may be trying to avoid in the first place. It can even cause flaking. Sometimes people think this is dandruff. Not necessarily so. Dandruff is yellow, flaky, and waxy. Dandruff is also caused by a fungus and prefers oily hair as it linked to yeast that grows in oil. At this point lots of people think that they need a dandruff shampoo. Dandruff shampoos may kill the fungus, but if you are taking good care of your scalp in the first place, fungus shouldn’t be growing there. This is where good care of your scalp come into play.

So what’s a girl, or guy, to do? Friction! When you do shampoo give your scalp some lovin’. Take a minute and give yourself a really great scalp massage while shampooing. Of course using a sulfate free or no sulfate shampoo right? Think of it like you do cleanser for you face. If you are using a crème cleanser you take a minute and really massage it in and around and you’ll notice that it does exfoliate from the friction from your fingers, not from just a sudsy foamy cleanser. While I am shampooing my clients at the shampoo bowls, I have a system. I start on the sides working in a figure 8 pattern. Then working towards the back on the sides. Then I go to the front and the top and on to the back, all in figure 8s. You don’t have to do it like that, but I recommend you invent a system and that way if you zone out in the shower you will be less likely to forget to really massage your scalp. Another good idea is to use an alpha-hydroxy clarifying shampoo, like Kevin Murphy’s Maxi Wash. It will pull off the dead skin from your scalp and any build up on your hair, without damaging or drying your hair and scalp. This would be something good to do every 4 or 5 shampoos. Another treatment is to massage your scalp with warm jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is the same size molecularly as your natural sebum so it doesn’t coat or build up on your scalp. While you are at it, pull it through your hair and give your hair a hot oil treatment the way Indian women do. You ever wonder why they have such wonderful, lush, think, and amazing hair. Then either sleeping on it, with you hair pulled in a top knot, or going to yoga or working out. Then shampooing with Maxi Wash. And yet another treatment would be to massage your scalp with a tea tree oil and jojoba blend, 5% tea tree oil. Tea tree oil acts as an antiseptic and will heal your scalp if you do have dandruff or even acne on your scalp, which could occur due to lack of shampooing. I would only say don’t do it before bed. The scent will keep you up at night, personal experience speaking here.

So here we are at yet another stage in how to better take care of our hair and look even more fabulous. Who knows what will be next, but now is the time to start taking care of your scalp. A healthy scalp means healthy hair. So, Lets do it!