Solving a Dry Scalp Problem

It’s easy to forget that the scalp is also part of our skin and must be cared for in the same spirit that we use to care for the skin on the rest of our body. Our Winter Skin and Scalp series will give you all the tips needed to keep everything in good working order during the cold spell and we are particularly pleased and grateful to Fulham Scalp and Hair Clinic Trichologist Eleanore Richardson for her excellent advice on helping your scalp survive the cold snap.

A dry and flaky scalp is one of the most common issues patients with Afro and mixed race hair types report during the winter season and whilst the colder months play a role, driving increased numbers of patients to our clinic, they aren’t entirely to blame for causing this.

There are 3 classic triggers that cause a flaky, itchy scalp.

1.     Dehydration

2.     Irritant products

3.     Stress and poor diet

Knowing how these triggers affect the scalp and what you can do to combat them is key in preserving a healthy foundation for hair growth.

WATER INTAKE

As we head towards the winter months, we commonly creep into a bad habit of drinking less fluids during the day. Combined with the indoor heating being turned up, we lose a fair amount of water from our body. The lack of hydration can make the scalp feel flaky and tight and our hair can begin to feel crunchy and dry. This leaves naturally curly and tightly coiled hair vulnerable to breakages.

Hydration is crucial for scalp health, so counter this with plenty of drinks during the day. Water or herbal teas are great for a bit of extra flavour. My current favourite winter warmer is a Pukka Turmeric Active herbal tea.

Last year I also invested in a humidifier which I use in the evenings to help boost the moisture content in the air for the benefit of my skin, scalp and hair.

PRODUCTS OVERLOAD

Increased use of hair products is another typical cause of flaky, itchy scalps that has nothing necessarily to do with the seasonal change and more to do with the year round temptation to try everything and anything on our hair and scalp. Think about your bathroom cabinet, how many different products have you bought with high hopes but have delivered empty promises? Or have sat for the last 2 years, half used as you refuse to “waste” the rest of it?

“We ask our scalps to withstand layers and layers of product that often aren’t washed out before the next layer is applied. Soon enough you’re mixing a stale product layer with sweat, sebum, dust and dead skin cells.”

— Eleanore Richardson, Fulham Scalp & Health Clinic

Too much product debris can often leave your scalp feeling itchy, irritated and sensitive. The more we create this environment, the more likely we are to scratch and actually encourage the development of scalp scaling and infections.

Simplifying your hair care routine is crucial for scalp health so counter this by only using products with a particular purpose. See a professional to prescribe exactly what you need. Keep hair hydrated with water based products and make sure you cleanse your hair and scalp regularly with shampoo and conditioner at least once a week.

Yes, that means no oiling the scalp!

STRESS

Our scalp can be an illustration of what is going on internally in our bodies and stress is a big determinant of scalp health because of its ability to impact our immune function.

When I consult with my patients about how stress impacts their lives I want to know the classic things like “is work busier than usual?” and “are personal relationships stable?”. But I also want to explore with deeper questions,

Have they recently gone on or changed their medication?

Have they started a new diet?

Have there been any major life upheavals i.e. births/ deaths?

Have they been travelling a lot?

Are they sleeping well?

Are they dealing with any other illnesses?

All these things can be considered stressors on the body and can hinder our immune response and therefore our ability to absorb nutrients from our food and deal with changes to our scalps environment.

This is particularly important when our diet changes or is neglected. Increases in dietary sugars can encourage the fungal populations that are normally present on our skin and scalp to overgrow. At the same time pro-inflammatory foods such as alcohol can dampen our immune response and make it harder for our bodies to control those overgrowths. All of this can combine to make the perfect conditions for a flaky scalp.

“De-stressing” really is a personal journey and how you counter your stress will be different to that of another person. Yoga might do it for some people but for most it’s about being really aware of what is causing the stress in the first place and being honest about that. Trauma, anxiety and depression are a common complaints but so many of my patients have never spoken about it or admitted it might be playing a role until we sit down for our consultation.

These things we associate with being inside our head have a physical impact on our bodies and modern lifestyles aren’t conducive to healing or de-escalating that stress. However, taking stress seriously and managing it with therapy, “me-time”, exercise, meditation and whatever else helps to relax you is important.

There are some flaky scalp conditions that seem to never go away and may be more linked with genetics than lifestyle. To get to the bottom of a flaky or itchy scalp and/or unreasonably dry hair, book a scalp health consultation with an expert who can guide you through what is really going on, what the true causative factors are that keep triggering your condition and how best to manage it.

Book a consultation with the Fulham Scalp and Hair team >>>