Five Tips for a Healthy Scalp
March 28, 2024
An often overlooked portion of our skin barrier, the scalp is actually an essential part of our protective shield to the outside world. Consider it an extension of your complexion, with its own microbiome and hair follicles to be taken care of. A healthy scalp can be characterized by strong blood circulation, no flakiness, redness, or irritation, and a clean and balanced amount of oil.
As Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, founder of Epionce, states, “Scalp care is important. When it is abnormal, it can dramatically impact how people perceive themselves – just like other skin concerns can.”
So how exactly can we make sure our scalp is working optimally for peak skin barrier health and hair growth? Let’s dive into our five key recommendations:
Understand Your Scalp
Did you know that the microbiome of your scalp is much thicker than your skin barrier on other parts of your body? Consider how strong it must be to support the weight and upright position of over 100,000 hair follicles! “These follicles are the second fastest dividing cells in the body, so blood flow is significantly higher than other anatomic sites of similar size,” says Dr. Thornfeldt. Because of the size and depth of the hair follicles which can end up trapping much higher amounts of microbes and pollutants, it’s no wonder the scalp can be prone to various diseases that can be a bit challenging to treat.
Exfoliate Your Scalp
While exfoliation alone might not be effective as the sole way to attain scalp health, it is an essential component of cell turnover. If you have issues with your scalp already, such as flaking, “exfoliation may be helpful when combined with other treatments of the underlying abnormal condition,” notes Dr. Thornfeldt. The goal is to help clean out the hair follicles, and normalize cell turnover so it is not excessive nor too little.
Use Appropriate Products For Your Scalp
The specific products you’ll want to use on a problem scalp will depend on the specific issue you’re managing. But as a general rule, you should use products that can help sustain your scalp’s skin barrier and help deter redness, tenderness, and flakiness. Like the skin barrier on your face and the rest of your body, it’s the outermost layer of your skin that will come in contact with the outside world, so keeping it safe from harsh chemicals, pollutants, and the sun is essential!
That means staying away from shampoos and other hair products with strong perfumes and harsh chemicals that will cause irritation and dryness, as well as avoiding over-washing your hair to let the natural oils build up a bit.
Our number one recommended Epionce product for a healthy scalp? Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser! As a trusted leader in barrier-nurturing skincare, we carefully formulate products to care for all areas of your skin without doing harm to the barrier. Our Lytic Gel Cleanser is an amazing cleanser, having won the NewBeauty Beauty Choice Award multiple times, the New Beauty Reader’s Choice Award and the Shape Beauty Award. It effectively removes impurities and calms problem skin without causing unnecessary irritation or dryness, which makes it a must-have for oily and problem skin types. While it’s a favorite cleanser for the face, Lytic Gel Cleanser also works wonders for the scalp.
Its key ingredients help to cleanse and refresh, as well as remove stubborn dirt, oil, and other impurities:
- Thanks to botanically-based menthol, it has a mild, cooling tingle that will leave your scalp feeling clean and refreshed after every wash.
- Willow bark extract is a botanical form of salicylic acid that helps clean out the hair follicles.
- Marsh mallow root extract has been shown to help soothe irritated skin. High in omega-3s, it contains more monounsaturated fatty acid than olive oil and it helps calm the visible appearance of redness of the skin.
- Soothing lavender extract, a rich botanical source of flavonoids and antioxidants can help calm irritation.
Dr. Thornfeldt’s recommendation is to massage the scalp for one to two minutes after applying any scalp product in order to improve its effectiveness.
Protect Your Scalp
Like your face and body’s skin barrier, the scalp’s barrier is also vulnerable to the sun’s harsh rays. A flaking scalp, thinning hair, and irritation and redness are potential signs of a scalp negatively impacted by the sun.
It’s important to protect from both UVA and UVB by wearing hats with documented UVA and UVB ray protection as well as staying in the shade. “Sunscreen sport gels with SPF above 30 and UVA protection are also very helpful,” says Dr. Thornfeldt. “These preventions also help protect against hair loss because certain types of microbes, combined with UVA, can trigger irritation that starves the growing hair follicles.”
Seek a Professional’s Opinion
If any type of irritation or scaling is associated with persistent itching, pain, and visible redness, we recommend seeing your primary care physician for a prescription medication. Dr. Thornfeldt’s recommendation for treatment after this initial appointment is clear. “If there is less than 50% improvement after one month of treatment, then you need to visit a dermatologist.”
It’s important to keep the delicate microbiome of your scalp in balance in order to have healthy hair growth and an uncompromised barrier. Exfoliation, mitigating irritation, and protection, can all help you attain the lifelong healthy, youthful skin and hair you desire.
Ready to prioritize your scalp care? Contact one of our Epionce Pros — trained skincare professionals who will provide in-person guidance tailored to your needs.
