An expert’s guide to scalp care 101 – Times of India

Scalp issues differ from person to person and vary with seasonal changes. Some common issues faced are scalp dryness, flakiness, irritation and itching. The scalp houses approx. 1.5 lac hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. Therefore, the health of the scalp is critical for healthy, beautiful hair. The four key scalp concerns are oiliness, sensitivity, dandruff and hair loss. Reasons for these concerns range from being hereditary to being caused by hormonal imbalances or dietary or medically induced.

Apart from these, there could be environmental factors or aging factors or even incorrect product usage that could lead to an imbalance in the scalp environment leading up to symptoms such as flaking, itching, redness & progressive thinning of hair.

While some of these concerns can be addressed by a scalp expert in a salon, severe cases must be attended to by a dermatologist.

A healthy scalp should be clear of flakes and irritation or redness, and it should be free of dryness, or any signs of infection, or disruption of the skin on the scalp.Use of the right home care products can greatly address the majority of these concerns if and when used regularly as per the advised regime.

Some important steps to follow include:

●Get a professional consultation to identify any scalp concerns

●Treat your scalp with an intense scalp treatment in-salon and follow it with a customized product range & regime

●Visit the salon for a scalp treatment once every 15 days or once a month – depending on the severity of the concern

●Regular and thorough cleansing of the scalp

●Keep the scalp dry

●Apply actives (scalp treatments/serums) preferably at night time as cell regeneration is at its highest while one sleeps

●Change from a scalp related shampoo to a hair shampoo once the scalp is rebalanced.

With inputs from Melissa Hughe, National Technical head, Schwarzkopf Professional.