Hair is our pride and joy. And if there’s an issue with its length or thickness, we want to deal with our hair.
But have you ever thought about your scalp?
We definitely have been neglecting it. What if we told you that all of our problems could be solved at the root of the issue – no pun intended.
VIP Magazine spoke to Emma King, celebrated bridal hair stylist and founder of Cascata Hair, about the importance of scalp care and why it should be high on our list of beauty priorities.
How important is scalp care?
“The foundation of healthy hair is your scalp. A lot of people don’t even realize that. We have loads of common scalp issues. A dry scalp, an oily scalp, dandruff, scalp sensitivity, and irritation. The list is endless,” Emma tells us.
“And then I suppose the big one is hair thinning and shedding. To maintain a healthy scalp, the first thing is you need to be using the right shampoo and conditioner. And I think so many people aren’t on the correct ones. It’s like for your skin; not everybody’s skin is the same.
“And so they really, really need to be on the right shampoo and conditioner. I would always say to try and go with sulphur-free shampoo to avoid stripping natural oils. I’d be big into ingredients like salicylic acid, exfoliation, T3, antibacterial and stuff like that.”
She adds: “Another massive thing that is so important to maintain your scalp is exfoliation. I go back to the basics. I kind of ask them, well, do you exfoliate your skin? And, you know, it’s no different for your scalp. You have to exfoliate your scalp. It’s so important to remove the dead skin, the buildup, everything that’s sitting on your hair.”
How do you exfoliate your scalp?
Emma recommends: “First of all, you need to get an exfoliation shampoo. So that is key. Or a scalp scrub. That would be something with AHA in it. It helps remove everything. Imagine your day-to-day basics. I would have a lot of brunettes would say to me, oh, that’s only blondes that will get buildups. And I’m like, absolutely not.
“There’s lime in water. There are minerals. There are sulfates. Even the product, in the shampoos and conditioners you’re using regularly, can clog your follicles. It’s a must to exfoliate your scalp one to two times a week. Like, it’s crucial. It’s like crucial, crucial, crucial.”
She adds: “We all have Malassezia. It’s a naturally occurring yeast, I suppose a type of fungus. And it’s found on human skin. You can get it anywhere, but the scalp is a common place for it in oily areas. It’s part of our normal scalp microbiome. But when that becomes problematic, it will cause stuff like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, it can cause folliculitis, hair thinning. It’s unreal.”
How can you take care of your scalp at home?
Emma explains: “This can be sorted so easily from home, and it can be prevented. The very first product I always say to my clients is having your kit for your hair is an exfoliation scrub. So a shampooing scrub, which will take absolutely everything out of your hair, keep your scalp and your follicles healthy. You need to do that once or twice a week. It’s just a must.
“And then after that, I would say a nice sulphate free shampoo and conditioner suited to colored hair, bleached hair, whatever type of hair. And then you go into your dry shampoos. That’s another big thing for scalp health is I’m sure you see it everywhere. They have to be removed every week with a scrub or you will get a build up.”