Your Scalp Deserves Its Own Skincare Routine
Your scalp is skin too, and good hair days start there. Here's how to cleanse, exfoliate and soothe it without overdoing it.
We'll spend twenty minutes on a face routine and then scrub our scalps with whatever shampoo was on sale. But your scalp is skin — a particularly busy patch of it — and it responds to good care in much the same way your face does.
Signs your scalp needs attention
- Itchiness or tightness, especially after washing.
- Flakes on your shoulders or along the parting.
- Roots that look greasy a day after washing.
- Product build-up that leaves hair dull and limp.
Cleanse with intention
Wash as often as your scalp needs, not on a schedule borrowed from someone else's hair type. Oilier scalps and active lifestyles may need more frequent washes; drier, curlier hair often does better with fewer. Either way, massage shampoo into the scalp with your fingertips — never your nails — for a full minute.
Exfoliate, gently and occasionally
Once every week or two, a scalp scrub or a leave-on exfoliating treatment can lift away build-up. Think of it the way you'd think of exfoliating your face: helpful in moderation, irritating in excess.
If you'd never do it to your face, think twice before doing it to your scalp.
Massage every day
A two-minute fingertip massage — small circles from the hairline back to the crown — feels wonderful, and it's one of the most relaxing things you can build into a bedtime routine.
Protect it from the sun
Your parting burns too. A hat is the easiest fix; there are also sprays and powders made with SPF for the scalp.
This story is for general information and isn't a substitute for advice from a dermatologist, trichologist or doctor. Patch-test new products, and stop using anything that stings, burns or itches.
