Why a healthy scalp is the key to stunning hair
FROM CLARIFYING SHAMPOOS TO HEAD MASSAGES, PRUDENCE WADE FINDS OUT HOW WE SHOULD BE CARING FOR OUR SCALP
MANY of us have been using the past year to fine-tune our skincare routines, but there’s a chance you’re missing out a major area: your scalp.
“Being in lockdown has helped highlight what we want to ‘fix’ with our skin and hair, and as the scalp is an extension of our skin, it’s increasingly becoming part of people’s haircare regimens,” explains Michael Shaun Corby, global creative director of Living Proof (livingproof.co.uk).
“Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, so scalp health is an essential component to having great hair,” explains Michael.
“The hair follicle is where the nutrients are passed through to the hair, not having enough nutrients will change your hair texture.
“It may lead to thinning or even fall out if there’s a deficiency in key nutrients. Your scalp’s hydration and condition are essential for healthy looking hair.”
The Ayurvedic approach to haircare has long championed scalp health. Inspired by hair oiling and massages from his grandmother growing up, Akash Mehta co-founded haircare brand Fable & Mane (fableandmane.com) with his sister Nikita. Akash says: “Your hair is the plant, your scalp is the soil. You can’t forget about the soil – you have to nurture it.”
“Like the skin on your face, pores can get clogged with excess sebum or dirt,” Michael says. Our heads need even more care as “the hair follicles are thicker, which means it produces more sebum. Dead skin cells can get trapped between the hairs on the scalp as well as dirt, dust, pollution and so on”.
This means proper hair washing is key. Michael suggests scalp scrubs and exfoliators can be “abrasive”, so recommends using a detoxifying shampoo once a week “to remove product build-up, hard water on hair and scalp and pollution”.
Akash is a big advocate of weekly massages, saying: “When you’re massaging your scalp, you’re increasing the blood circulation and therefore, you’re allowing more oxygen to reach your scalp, which is in turn, going to increase the hair production. A lot of clinical trials are needed, but it’s been tried and tested for centuries in India, with the 4,000-year-old science of Ayurveda, where Indian head massages were practiced daily.”
So, how can you give yourself a ‘crown chakra massage’? Akash says: “First, you want to be in the right mental state. I like to do it during my meditation period.
“Before you start with your scalp, if you have time, start with your shoulders and neck. Start putting some pressure and tugging it, so you start alleviating the tension... if you want your head to be relaxed, it has to start with your shoulders and neck.
“If you want to skip all that, the first step is to get an oil in your hand, activate it, breathe deeply and enjoy the aroma, then find your crown chakra point – usually at the top of your head” – around four fingers back from your hairline. “This is where you want to start your hair oiling and massage. Start massaging outwards... Make sure you’re focusing on the whole head and not just one part, because you want to circulate blood flow around the whole head.”
When choosing a hair oil, Akash suggests starting in your own kitchen. “From a holistic point of view, coconut oil is the best for scalp health, because it contains vitamins and fatty acids, which are really important to penetrate the hair follicles and nourish the scalp and the roots,” he explains. If you’re looking for a more specifically tailored product, think about your hair type: “If you have thin, frizzy hair, almond oil and sesame oil are really good for nourishing and moisturising your follicles,” says Akash.
“If you have very fine hair that’s prone to thinning, you can use coconut oil and argan oil, or if you have very thick or oily hair, olive oil is very good.”