6 Tips: To Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Scalp
Scalp care is more necessary than ever right now. Hair loss and other scalp issues are increasing due to stress and neglect. COVID-19 may have thrown us off our hair and scalp regimens, but it is never too late to form a new regimen; especially since we've entered a new year. In this article, The Kurldom is going to share 6 tips that will promote a healthier scalp.
1. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
This tip may be cliché, but your body needs water and without water you'll become dehydrated. When the body lacks hydration, your hair and scalp suffers too. A dehydrated scalp becomes flaky and dry which then leads to weak and brittle hair. The recommended amount of water intake varies from person to person; however, The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine states that women should drink approximately 11.5 cups and men should drink around 15.5 cups of water per day. That may be too much for you if you do not like water, but if your goal for 2021 is to achieve a healthier scalp and increase your overall health, you will find fun ways to up your water intake. Our recommendation is to add fruits like cucumber, lemon, oranges, or strawberries to your water.
2. PROTECT YOUR SCALP FROM THE ENVIRONMENT
Our scalps are sensitive and the outside elements can be brutal. Harsh sunlight and freezing wind can cause damage to the hair and scalp. Due to the flat and coiled nature of our hair strands, African American hair has greater risk of sun damage. UVB and UVA radiation are responsible for protein loss and changes in our natural hair color. In the winter months, your scalp is more susceptible to dehydration, especially if you live in areas that have colder climates. To combat the elements and protect your hair and scalp, it's best keep your head covered with headwraps, satin-lined caps or hats. If you prefer to expose your hair to the elements, oils such as avocado, coconut, sweet almond oil, moringa, argan oil, contain enough SPF to protect your hair and scalp from harsh sun rays. Lucky for you, our Lavender & Kukui Moisture-Locking Oil consists of oils such as moringa, green tea seed, rosehip seed, and sweet almond oil which are known to protect against sun damage, UV radiation, and free radicals from the environment. During the winter, gravitate towards thicker oils and butters such as, meadowfoam seed oil (found in our Lavender & Plum 2-N-1 Leave-In Styler), Jamaican black castor oil, glycerin, Shea butter and mango butter.
3. START DOING HOT OIL TREATMENTS
A lot of naturals complain about their wash-day routine taking forever or dread wash-day in its entirety. The best way to make wash-day an enjoyable experience is to think about wash-day as a form of self-care and be grateful in each step. When you dread moments like this, you're likely to skip steps that are imperative to prevent certain scalp and hair issues. With that being said, hot oil treatments are often skipped over on wash-day. Skipping a hot oil treatment, especially for those who struggle with dry, itchy, and flaky scalp is a big mistake. Hot oil treatments reduce scalp dryness, reduce breakage, eliminate dandruff, and promote hair growth. There are tons of oil recipes online, but The Kurldom has your back, our Lavender & Kukui Moisture-Locking Oil is formulated with strengthening and nourishing oils like lavender essential oil, kukui nut, babassu oil, green tea seed oil, and rosehip seed oil. When warmed up, our Moisture-Locking Oil turns into the perfect hot oil treatment. For best results, hot oil treatments should be done after shampooing and before deep conditioning. By doing this you're also adding moisture and strength to your strands that prevents breakage and prepares your hair for manipulation during deep conditioner or masque application.
4. SCALP MASSAGE REGULARLY
Another step that is often skipped during wash-day is scalp massages. The best way to work a product into your hair or stimulate the follicles is to massage it in. Scalp massages not only break up dirt, skin cells, and sebum, but they strengthen the roots and increase blood circulation. Massaging your scalp daily can improve hair growth and reduce stress. Incorporating oils into your scalp massages is recommended, by adding oils you'll reduce the amount of friction caused by constant rubbing; too much friction, can lead to breakage. Also, be mindful of the types of oils you are using. If you are using heavy oils like castor or Jamaican black castor oil, you may want to use them lightly by rubbing the oils into your hands and being cautious of not adding more oil. Although those oils have a low comedogenic rating, too much oil can cause build-up; try opting for lightweight oils instead. Of course, The Kurldom has a product recommendation. Our Lavender & Cucumber Scalp Serum is our newest product and was created to soothe dry, itchy, and inflamed scalp. Formulated with lavender, cucumber extract, peppermint, rosemary, cranberry, Ashwagandha root, arugula extract and much more. This product not only strengthens, hydrates, and soothes, but it also tingles with a mild cooling effect. Pair this product with our Lavender & Kukui Moisture-Locking Oil for extra nourishment, softness, and to seal in the hydrating and strengthening extracts.
5. CHANGE YOUR DIET
For those of you who love salty and sugary foods, this section is for you! Too much sodium can prevent the hair follicles from getting sufficient nutrients which can lead to hair loss. Also, too much sodium can cause dehydration and a dehydrated body effects the scalp as well. Sugary foods can trigger dandruff and excessive flakes, so be sure to decrease the amount of sweets you eat. The best way to determine if your sugar or salt intake is causing scalp problems, is to consume less sugar and salt and document any changes you may recognize. Of course, I am not a nutritionist, but you do not have to be one in order to know that certain foods are not beneficial for our health. Always consult your doctor before changing your diet or taking any supplements.
6. AVOID THESE DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS
Before returning natural, a lot of us used products that were not formulated for our hair, and these products often contained harmful ingredients. These ingredients are very common in haircare products today and have been linked to various internal and external health issues. The most important ingredients that naturals should refrain from using are sulfates, parabens, minerals, pthalates, silicones, harsh alcohols, and fragrances. These ingredients can cause dry, itchy, and irritated scalp. They also have been known to make hair dry, brittle, and fall out. Your best bet is to make sure these ingredients are not in your hair products by always reading product labels and researching ingredients that you are not familiar with to make sure that dangerous ingredients are not disguised under another name. The good news is, The Kurldom is very transparent and our Kurldom's Promise is to formulate products with carefully researched ingredients that protect, nourish, and strengthen Type 4 crowns. To provide transparency is our mission. Therefore we use clean and cruelty free ingredients in our products. Kultured Kurlz creates products that does not contain silicone's, bad alcohols, pthalates, minerals, sulfates, or parabens.
There are more tips and tricks to achieve and maintain a healthy scalp, but we've listed 6 to get you started on your healthy scalp journey. If you can think of any other helpful tips, leave your tips in the comment section below. We would love to read your feedback.