Dry Scalp Treatment

Even as a teenager I suffered from dry scalp…. My dermatologist swore it wasn’t actually dandruff and I didn’t need prescription medication but it was always embarrassing to me to see those little flakes in my hair. I really had just learned to accept it as part of my life and I was so careful when I wore black. I cringed whenever people standing next to me started dusting off my shoulder because I knew they were wiping away flakes.

About 3 months into my hair journey, I realized that I had the power to “change” certain things about my hair. I didn’t have to suffer from dry scalp any more than I had to live with the excessive shedding. So I decided to see what I could do to fix it.

There are quite a few things that could be causing your dry scalp. Pollution in the air contributes to the development of dry scalp as well as hard water. And of course the problems can start from the inside and your dry scalp may be directly related to your bad diet and failure to drink enough water. Another leading cause of dry scalp is the harsh cleaning agents used in most shampoos and other hair products.

The human scalp moisturizes itself by secreting oils known as sebum which is supposed to waterproof the skin and keep it from drying out. For some of the reasons listed above, people who suffer from dry scalp do not secrete enough sebum or was so much sebum away that it is not able to sufficiently protect the skin/scalp.


So how do you remedy your dry scalp?

First, increase your intake of water and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Check the ingredient lists on the back of your hair products. Mineral Oil and Petrolatum, often found in Black hair care products, actually coat the scalp and keep moisture from penetrating your hair. Ironically, these two ingredients usually appear in products that are labeled as moisturizing. SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, the detergent used in most major brand shampoos, can also dry out the scalp by stripping it of its natural oils.

Don’t scratch your scalp with your nails (don’t worry we’ll talk about other ways to tame that itch in the Tips section)

Invest in oils that do not clog the pores and apply them twice a week
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Tips that worked for me:

Drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day

I threw out all of my products which contained mineral oil and/or petrolatum.
I do an oil treatment before every wash. I have not thrown away all of my SLS shampoos. Eventually I would like to but most of the SLS free shampoos contain Coco-Betaine (supposedly a milder detergent) and I think it is as stripping as SLS and even worse it makes my hair feel like straw.

I bought a scalp massager and use it 2 to 3 times a week. Some days I utilize a process called Scritching (there will be an article on scritching soon). Scalp massages and Scritching actually encourages blood circulation in the scalp which result in increased sebum production


Hope that Helps !!

Ke Ke