Is my scalp healthy?

Let me ask you this question: if you suddenly decided you wanted to reset to factory settings and shave your entire hair, would you like the scalp beneath?

Would it be fresh like tomato or scaly like a strawberry?

I got you didn't I?

You know, some of you are not proud of your hair and that is why you tend to cover it a lot, but does it solve your issue?

Some have so many scales and bumps I'm wondering if it's the federal government's fault there are bad roads on your head too.

It's funny, right? you are laughing, that is a good thing, but this is serious.

Let me tell you a story…are you interested?
Let's go.

While working on a client at a certain time, I noticed her scalp was dirty and I told her that she needs to get a wash, but she is like "I'm doing my hair next week so I will just wash then." Like the one she's making isn't hair?

We get to making and there are sores on her head and I'm like "Lord Jesus have mercy."

You think I'm exaggerating, but you do it, yes you!

I like to ask if you stayed a day without bathing… ok a day is too small, let's say three days without bathing, how would you feel?

Now imagine your scalp, remember it's part of your skin, right? We've established that good.

So what does a healthy scalp look like?

• Clean
• Hydrated and moisturized
• Free of flakes
• Free of irritation
• Free of itching
• Free of dryness
• Smooth

With the aforementioned points listed above, is your scalp healthy?

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But you can't tell me you want to have luscious locks of hair without a healthy scalp. Nigerians will say "Kole work" meaning "it can't work."

Scalp care is hair care, period.

Now, how do we get a healthy scalp or maintain an already existing healthy scalp?

Identify your scalp type!

We have three scalp types that are synonymous with our skin types; oily, dry, and normal.

These types are largely defined by how much sebum our scalp produces.

Also, an imbalance in our scalp's ph levels can affect the scalp types too
 
But let's discuss each and diagnose your scale type. Shall we?

Oily scalp.

This scalp produces a lot of sebum which in turn makes the strand look oily some days after wash day.

Oily scalps are prone to dandruff and buildup. As opposed to the popular belief that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp.

Therefore, those with oily scalps will benefit from shampooing frequently, at least once a week depending on how active your lifestyle is.

Shampoos containing salicylic acid, and zinc are mild exfoliating agents that help clarify the scalp without stripping it.

Exfoliating the scalp goes a long way to get rid of buildup on the scalp and breed a healthy and clean environment.

Oily scalps don't need to be supplemented with scalp oils, cause their scalp produces more than enough.

Dry scalp.

If your scalp is always irritated, flaky, and itchy then you most probably have a dry scalp.

If a dry scalp is flaky and an oily scalp has dandruff how can we differentiate the two? Simple, dandruff is oily.

A dry scalp is caused when the scalp doesn't produce enough sebum to moisturize the scalp.

If the weather is extremely cold, it further irritates the scalp, therefore, a dry scalp requires moisturizing oils and essential oils to supplement the scalp oil.

These oils help to soothe irritations, keep flakes at bay and keep the scalp moisturized in general.

Dry scalps would benefit greatly from shampoos with salicylic acid and anti-fungal ingredients.

It's best to wash a dry scalp with warm water and have lesser wash days which is also dependent on how active your lifestyle is.

Normal or balanced scalp.

Sebum is produced adequately on this scalp and only needs to maintain a healthy scalp routine.

In conclusion,
To maintain a healthy scalp routine…

• Understand your scalp type and work with it
• Maintain a clean environment for your hair by washing your scalp from time to time. A dirty scalp won’t grow your hair. I know I said you should imagine your hair as a plant and your scalp as soil, but in this scenario, your scalp doesn’t need manure, it needs TLC for your scalp to thrive
• If you have a build-up on your scalp use a clarifying shampoo containing ingredients like salicylic acid to effectively cleanse and unclog your pores.
• Learn to hydrate and moisturize your scalp.
• When you notice a skin condition alien to your scalp, it’s an indication your scalp isn’t healthy therefore, look into it and don’t be negligent.

And that’s a wrap… share with me your thoughts, from what we discussed is your scalp healthy or not.?

What new knowledge did you add to yours? If you loved this which I'm sure you did, give this 50 claps.

Till next time, thank you for being awesome.

Ethereal 🌹