Meet Kate
Meet Joe
Meet Megan
Meet John
Meet D'Arcy
Meet Danielle
Meet Lancer
Lease at Emerson
A dry scalp and dandruff are easily mistaken for one another when you don’t know the true difference between the two. I have a lot of people sit in my chair and say that they struggle with dandruff and have been self-medicating with Head & Shoulders or some equally horrible product, with no relief. You most likely don’t have dandruff, and medicated shampoos for dandruff are actually going to make dry scalp worse. The first step to treating dandruff or dry scalp is to know what they are!
A myth – some people think that their dandruff is caused by their scalp being too dry. They try to deal with this by not washing their hair with shampoo, or washing it less often, believing that washing worsens the problem. In fact, dandruff usually gets better when you shampoo more frequently with the right shampoo.
Dandruff occurs when your scalp produces extra oil, made by glands at the base of each hair, which holds the tiny flakes together to make bigger, more noticeable flakes.  A tiny fungus seems to be part of the reason some people get dandruff. This fungus is called Malassezia (mal-a-sea-zee-a) or sometimes Pityrosporum (pit-ee-rose-por-um). This fungus makes the skin cells grow much faster, so there are a lot more dead cells; these mix with the hair oils to make bigger flakes. To help the production of extra oil and fungus, it’s recommended to avoid citrus fruits, bananas, tinned fruits, strong tea/coffee, pickles and refined or processed foods, Keep hair and scalp clean to avoid accumulation of dead cells. Also, hair should be brushed daily to improve circulation and to distribute the oil throughout your hair. If those don’t help, talk to your doctor about getting on a medicated shampoo to kill the fungus.
Dry scalp is common and can be from a change in the weather, poor quality shampoo or a buildup of product on the scalp. The use of harsh shampoos is one of the most common reasons for dry scalp. The chemicals in the shampoos remove too much of the natural oil from the hair and scalp, and the end result is an itchy, flaky scalp and hair that lacks any type of luster or natural body. Hard water can also cause a dry scalp. Even if the shampoo product is recommended for dry hair and scalps, it will not work effectively if hard water is used to wash and rinse. Honestly, the best way to get rid of dry scalp is to use better quality shampoo. To get rid of the build-up from cheap shampoos I recommend using Kevin Murphy’s Maxi Wash shampoo. Once you get those layers of build-up off and want to keep your scalp feeling great and flake-free, use Alterna Life Solution Scalp Therapy Shampoo. This will keep your hair and scalp healthy and prevent the build-up from coming back! Another great option for a healthy scalp is to come in and get our Moroccan Oil Dry No More Professional Scalp Treatment.
As always, feel free to call or stop in and one of our stylists will be more than happy to help you figure out what products or treatments will be best for you!
Post by Ellen
