THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Hair care isn’t enough. Your scalp also needs pampering

By RAQUEL LANERI T HERE’S a new salon at Bergdorf Goodman that is focused not on your hair, but on your scalp.

“Women get facials, they get their manicures, they get their hair done and their whole body scrubbed,” says Jay Ree, a stylist at the John Barrett “head spa,” which opened at the Fifth Avenue department store this fall. “The only thing that’s missing is their scalp.”

Scalp care is the new skin care. Beauty companies, such as R+Co, IGK and Briogeo have recently launched scalp scrubs, shampoos and treatments. And an increasing number of NYC spas, including Pierre Michel Salon and Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door, are adding scalp “facials” to their menus promising that scrubs and lengthy massages for around $50 to $75 will reduce dirt, debris and gunk that clog your follicles. John Barrett’s treatment, which includes a scalp steam and a blowout, goes for $250.

“I think, before, people only thought they had a scalp problem if they had dandruff or psoriasis and were going to a dermatologist,” says the NYC-based Nancy Twine, founder of Briogeo, whose natural, scalp-revival shampoo is currently the top-selling shampoo online at Sephora. “But now more people are realizing that scalp care is important.”

The hair follicle looks and acts very much like a pore on your face. Just as bacteria and dirt in the pores can cause acne and irritation, so, too, can it affect hair follicles. “There’s just build-up from using products, especially if they’re silicon-based, and over time they start to build up bad bacteria that can cause inflammation and itchiness and even hair loss,” says Twine.

Ree says that New Yorkers have it particularly bad.

“Pollution definitely plays a big part in scalp hygiene,” he says. Ree explains that at the head spa, the stylists take a picture of clients’ scalps using a magnifying lens and the results are horrifying. “They’ll see a big buildup of mucus, usually on the bottom of the hair follicle, or the scalp is very oily; it’s cracked, it’s dry. It’s gross.”

Another potential culprit, says Twine: dry shampoo, which is applied directly to the scalp to help users go longer between washes, but can clog follicles in the process.

Twine says that taking care of your scalp isn’t rocket science. She recommends washing one’s hair at least once a week and using a scalp-centric shampoo — one with essential oils, such as tea tree or peppermint, with anti-fungal properties and detoxifying ingredients such as clay or activated charcoal — once every one to two weeks. The most important thing to do is use your fingers to rigorously massage your head every time you shampoo. “It really does help loosen the dirt and oil,” she says.

Ree says he thinks the new shampoos and products will revolutionize the way we think about our hair and skin. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything that can combat scalp buildup before,” he says. “It’s quite fascinating.”