Understanding Your Scalp: The Way to Lustrous & Healthy Hair

Who doesn’t dream of thick and shiny hair? If your hair’s health is still declining after using so many products, it’s time to understand the underlying cause and take your hair care routine more seriously now. When it comes to achieving healthy and lustrous hair, understanding your scalp in addition to product knowledge is crucial. If you are unsure about your scalp and hair health, this blog is for you. With this blog, we are discussing the importance of scalp health and key points you have to keep in check to achieve healthy hair.

The health of your scalp is directly proportional to your hair’s health. The root cause of hair thinning, breakage, dullness, dryness, etc is none other than an unhealthy scalp. Hence, understanding and addressing the root cause is very crucial for healthy and strong hair.

Why a Healthy Scalp Is Important?

Did you know that the length of hair extends up to 4mm within the scalp in addition to what is visible outside? Since the scalp is the base of the hair and plays an important role in defining a person’s look, maintaining a healthy scalp is an important step. A healthy scalp is just as important to healthy hair as it is to its appearance. When we experience issues like frizziness, thinning, etc we often attribute the problem to our hair, but a few people attempt to identify the underlying issue, which is anchored in the scalp. The scalp is the skin area that contains hair follicles, sebaceous glands, blood arteries, and other structures. Hair health likewise deteriorates when these aren't functioning properly.

The Role of Nutrients in Scalp and Hair Health

An unhealthy scalp leads to several problems like dandruff, dryness, flaking, acne, inflammation, etc. These are related to the sebaceous glands and blood circulation inside the scalp as well.  Sebum, natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands combines with lipids in the hair to form a barrier over the scalp that protects hair. This protective barrier prevents pathogens including bacteria and fungi from entering and thriving in the scalp. Irregular or excessive sebum production can lead to dryness that leads to dermatitis-like issues that are chronic. The sebum production and scalp moisture can be managed with the help of Omega 3 fatty acids. These are found in fish, nuts, seeds, plant oils, and fortified foods, etc.

The transportation of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and nutrients to the hair roots is facilitated by the blood circulation within the scalp. If the required ingredients don’t reach the scalp, hair will be poorly nourished causing problems like hair thinning and breakage. A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, D, and E improves scalp health significantly.

Tailoring Scalp Care: Identify and Nourish Your Scalp Type

The first and foremost step towards nourishing your hair is understanding your scalp type. A hydrated and well-nourished scalp is always a sign of healthy hair. There are 3 common types of scalps, Dry, sensitive, and oily scalp. Let's take a look at how it affects your hair.

1. Sensitive Scalp: Gentle Care for Delicate Skin: Prone to several skin issues like dryness, inflammation, itching, acne, pain, and redness, a sensitive scalp is nothing but a severe discomfort. If you have a sensitive scalp, make sure that you choose gentle products. This will retain the microbiomes in the scalp shielding it from damage. Adding oatmeal or clay-based, fragrance-free, chem-free, hypoallergenic products to your hair care routine can improve the health of your sensitive scalp.
2. Dry Scalp: Hydration Tips for Moisture-Rich Hair: Dryness is an indication that your scalp lacks moisture. Age, weather, skin disorders, and even excessive use of hair styling tools and products contribute to this.  Do not use any regular shampoo but switch to a shampoo prepared specially for dry scalp that reduces flakiness. Keep your scalp hydrated by washing your hair less frequently and using hair oils beforehand. This will retain the moisture in your scalp.
3. Oily Scalp: Managing Sebum for Balanced Hair: Hormonal fluctuation and irregular sebum production can interrupt the scalp's natural balance leading to an oily scalp. Lack of Vitamin B is also a reason behind oily scalp. A greasy scalp results in unnecessary irritation, itching, and dandruff flakes. One simple way to avoid becoming oily is to wash your hair more frequently using a mild shampoo that does not strip away natural oils from the scalp. Market-available products like dry shampoo can serve as a temporary solution. However, they do not remove dirt from the scalp and may accumulate in your hair if not washed properly.

What Defines a Healthy Scalp?

A scalp that is free of irritation, inflammation, flakiness, dryness, acne, pain, sun damage, hair loss, etc is a sign of a healthy scalp. A clean, clear, and moisturized scalp can be maintained by regular cleansing, preventing clogged pores with gentle exfoliation, etc. This will help you achieve a nourished scalp that benefits you in numerous ways including thick and glossy hair texture.

So, here are the steps to achieve healthy scalp and hair:

1. Boosting Blood Circulation for Optimal Hair Growth: A healthy blood flow throughout the scalp is much needed to retain a healthy scalp and hair. Poor blood flow may lead to hair fall, breakage, roughness, dryness, and split ends. Blood circulation can be boosted by methods like:
   • Massaging the scalp gently with fingertips for 5-10 minutes regularly enhances the blood circulation. 
   • Trying the inversion method can work well. For this, all you have to do is lie down on the bed with your upper body towards the ground. If you feel blood rush into your head, that's a sign that you are doing it right.
   • Cleansing the scalp will remove the unwanted buildup that clogs pores from the scalp. Hence, this should be done once every two to three days for oily scalp and once every four days for dry scalp. 
   • Breathing exercises like pranayama are effective in improving the oxygen supply to the head and promoting better blood circulation.
   • Cold showers, also a great stress relief, help the blood to circulate faster. 
2. The Importance of Balanced pH for Scalp Health: A balanced scalp pH is essential for preventing scalp issues like dryness, flakiness, and irritation. The ideal pH of the scalp is slightly higher than 5.5 and hair is 3.6. This slightly acidic pH helps in cuticle contraction and preserves the scalp’s natural barrier. An itchy scalp occurs when the pH balance is fluctuated making it alkaline. It is important to use a low-pH conditioner to counteract the effects of using a shampoo with a pH greater than 5.5.
3. Hydration: Keeping Your Scalp Moisturized: Select hair care products that will leave your hair and scalp feeling hydrated. This will restore the moisture that is lost from the hair due to several reasons such as sun exposure, heat, chemicals, etc. Applying natural oils to hair has significant effects as well.
4. Choosing Scalp-Friendly Products for Healthy Hair: Choosing the right products for the scalp is crucial to maintaining excellent scalp health. Choose products containing aloe vera, chamomile, or green tea extracts instead of ones that include silicones, sulfates, parabens, alcohol, or fragrances. These ingredients calm the scalp and provide essential nutrients for healthy hair growth.
   The health of your scalp and hair can also be troubled by consuming too much dairy, sugar, refined carbohydrates, nuts, fatty foods, fizzy beverages, and other items. Thus, maintaining a healthy diet is just as important as selecting the right product.

Creating a Comprehensive Scalp Care Routine

Along with incorporating scalp massages and exfoliation with washing your hair, the consistent use of the appropriate products is also necessary. Fixderma offers the right and efficient products to treat your hair gently but efficiently without disturbing the equilibrium of the scalp. The ingredients compiled for the formulations are dermatologically-approved and scientifically proven. The application of these formulations will promote scalp health and strengthen hair. Check out the below routine to effectively manage your hair.

• Step 1: Shampooing
  Gentle massage to your scalp with shampoo can help you exfoliate and get rid of excess oil and dirt attached to the scalp.
  Fixderma Kairfoll Bond Repair Shampoo is designed to restore and strengthen damaged hair, improve texture, and preserve hair colour. With 15% Onion Bulb Extract, it enhances overall hair health by reducing breakage, making hair more manageable, and providing a protective barrier to any future damage with the help of HDS technology.
• Step 2: Conditioning
  To control frizz and make your hair shiny and bouncy, a crucial step needs to be followed after shampooing i.e., conditioning. Applying conditioner to your hair on wet hair and leaving it for 2-3 minutes will bring back the resilience and elasticity of your hair.
  Fixderma Kairfoll Bond Repair Conditioner offers an effective solution to enhance hair strength and flexibility. This fortifying formula with red onion bulb extract, keratin, procapil, trichogen, and capilia longa is designed for smoothening the frizzy and fragile hair susceptible to breakage.

The Kairfoll range of Fixderma offers solutions for each hair type and helps in strengthening the hair from roots to tip. Look at the table and understand the type of products you need for your haircare routine:

These dermatologically-approved formulations are free from harmful and harsh chemicals like sulfates, parabens, alcohol, silicones, and artificial fragrances. So, nourishing your hair is no longer a daunting task for you with Fixderma.

Scalp Health Myths: What’s True and What’s Not

Many myths exist about scalp health, and most of us have probably heard at least one of the common ones listed below.

1. It is best not to treat the scalp with products.
   DEBUNK: The scalp is a part of the skin and is no different from it when it comes to taking care of it. Your hair and scalp will benefit greatly from cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing the scalp. They clean the scalp of accumulated debris, dead skin cells, and excess sebum.
2. You should exfoliate the scalp every day
   DEBUNK: Your scalp need not be exfoliated every day to keep it clean. Scalp exfoliation can be done once every week with a gentle exfoliator. Daily exfoliation may aggravate sebum production and can irritate your scalp.
3. Dandruff shampoo works well for all kinds of flaking
   DEBUNK: Not true because all kinds of dryness and flakiness are not caused by dandruff. Dryness can cause smaller and whiter flaking which is to be treated with products that lock in moisture on the scalp. Dandruff flakes are larger and oily which require anti-dandruff products to cure them.

The Path to Healthy, Lustrous Hair Starts with Scalp Care

Achieving lustrous and healthy hair begins with understanding your scalp. Understanding your scalp and underlying problems will make your hair care more comfortable. Make sure to practice proper cleansing, exfoliation, conditioning, and massaging using products formulated especially for your scalp and hair type. To bring out the best results, give your scalp the attention it deserves to embrace thick, shinier, and healthier hair.

Remember, your everyday habits do affect your hair’s health. Smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, stress, etc are a few things to avoid from your lifestyle if you are looking for healthier hair. Last but not least, stay hydrated!