Keep Your Scalp and Hair Healthy with These 10 Simple Habits

Just like skin, the scalp requires diligent care year-round. If you frequently grapple with scalp issues and your hair appears dry and lackluster, it might be prudent to reevaluate your daily routines. Even seemingly minor habits can potentially wreak havoc on your scalp and hair. Once the health of your scalp starts to decline, the restoration process can be lengthy and arduous. Thus, it’s advisable to adopt preventive measures to sustain the well-being of your scalp.

 

Avoid Washing Hair with Hot Water

The ideal water temperature for washing hair is around 39-41 degrees Celcius (102-106 degrees Fahrenheit). Although shampoo with hot water might seem like a good idea as it can soften the scalp’s cuticles and generally feel good, it’s not so great for your scalp health. Hot water can stimulate the scalp, and since hair is made of protein, it can become stiff when exposed to high temperatures, reducing the effectiveness of treatments.

 

Choose the Right Shampoo for You

Even if a shampoo is universally praised, it’s crucial to consider your scalp condition. If you have a sensitive scalp, a hair care shampoo focused on nutrient supply could cause trouble. If you have a sensitive scalp, it’s effective to carefully check the ingredients and use a mild, natural shampoo, and if your hair lacks shine, using a protein shampoo that supplies active ingredients to the hair can be effective. For those who frequently bleach or dye their hair, not only is scalp health important, but maintaining the color is also crucial, so it’s good to use a color-preserving shampoo.

 

Use Less Shampoo

Using more shampoo doesn’t necessarily mean it will clean better or make your scalp and hair healthier. On the contrary, using too much shampoo increases the likelihood of not rinsing it thoroughly, which can harm your scalp health. It’s most important to use a moderate amount and create enough foam. Generally, you should use an amount about the size of a quarter, and if you have a lot of hair, use a little more to create foam in your hands and shampoo your scalp first, then massage the remaining foam into your hair.

 

Give Your Scalp a Massage

Giving your scalp a regular massage whenever you have time is also good. Start at the top of your forehead and press down along your hairline to the area around your temples. Then spread all your fingers and press evenly on your scalp, lightly stimulating it with the center of your head. Finish using your palms to sweep from the sides of your ears to the back of your head and neck. This stimulates blood circulation and helps remove waste from the sebaceous glands in your scalp.

 

Regular Scalp Scaling is Essential!

Scaling can be done at a hair salon, but many people hesitate to visit salons regularly due to the cost and inconvenience. In such cases, simple at-home scaling can also benefit your scalp. Jojoba oil is similar in composition to skin lipids and penetrates deep into the skin, helping remove cuticles and sebum on the scalp’s surface. For oily skin, jojoba oil can melt sebum deep in the pores, and for dry skin, it can help balance moisture and oil. When scaling, wrap a cotton gauze around your index finger, dampen it with jojoba oil, and rub every corner of your scalp as you change the direction of your hair parting. Wrapping a warm, damp steam towel around your head for about 15 minutes can enhance the effect.

 

Post-Wash Hair Care is Important!

After shampooing, some people rub their hair with a towel to dry it quickly. This is one of the harmful methods that damage the hair. The cuticle on the outermost part of the hair opens wide when it comes in contact with water. If you rub it in this state, it can easily fall off due to friction, reducing the shine and softness of the hair. Therefore, when drying, it’s best to remove as much moisture as possible from the scalp and hair by patting them with a towel.

 

Use Treatment Carefully

Treatments are divided into hair and scalp types, and many hair treatments contain silicone ingredients for a smooth effect. Applying this to your scalp can clog the scalp’s pores and cause scalp trouble. Therefore, it’s best to use treatments focusing on the hair, not touching the scalp, and apply treatments mainly to the ends of the hair where damage is greatest.

 

Keep Your Hat Clean When Wearing It

As the weather gets colder, more people start wearing hats. Wearing a hat is good when the sun is strong, and you’re doing outdoor activities, but if you wear a dirty hat for a long time, it can cause inflammation on the scalp due to bacteria, so you need to check its cleanliness regularly. Also, wearing a hat indoors for a long time or wearing something too tight can cause moisture to build up on the scalp and prevent air circulation, harming scalp health.

 

Don’t Tap Your Head with a Comb

A prevalent myth suggests that tapping one’s head with a comb can stimulate hair growth, but in reality, it may have the opposite effect by promoting hair loss. Understanding that blood circulation and hair growth are not inherently connected is important. Excessive tapping of the head with a comb can result in a thicker and more rigid scalp, potentially hindering its ability to protect hair follicles against external shocks adequately. Furthermore, this practice can cause inflammation if the scalp sustains any injuries during the process. Therefore, dispelling this myth and exercising caution regarding comb-related habits is wise.

 

Wash Your Hair in the Evening!

Hair on the scalp undergoes efficient regeneration between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.; dust or excess sebum during this critical period can impede this process. Consequently, to preserve a healthy scalp, it is advisable to schedule scalp cleansing in the evening instead of the morning hours. Over-frequent washing can have adverse effects, leading to scalp dryness and itching. Therefore, limiting scalp washing to once a day is generally considered appropriate to strike a balance between cleanliness and maintaining optimal scalp health.

 

By. Young Jeon Shin