7 Things You Should Be Doing for a Healthy Scalp - REAL SIMPLE

Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.

Have you perfected an elaborate skin care routine? Fleshed out hair care? Well, what about your scalp?

Scalp care is a category that often goes overlooked (even by self-care enthusiasts), but the reality is that the root of healthy—or unhealthy—hair starts with your scalp. By adding some scalp care to your beauty routine, you can expect a thicker, shinier, and all-around healthier head of hair. You can even prevent scalp conditions such as dandruff, psoriasis, and more.

Read on to learn everything a healthy scalp needs, from which shampoo to use to at-home treatments you can implement yourself.

Why Is a Healthy Scalp Important?

The foundation of healthy hair starts with the skin on your scalp. “Skin and hair are all built by amino acids, so they’re all going to work the same,” says Davey Matthew, celebrity hairstylist. Expect shiny, healthy, and strong hair with minimal breakage when you prioritize your scalp health. “It is important to take care of the scalp to treat and prevent many scalp conditions like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, tinea capitis (fungal infection), folliculitis (bacterial), among others,” explains Lauren Penzi, MD, board-certified dermatologist.

Matthew explains that hair consists of three different phases: growing, resting, and shedding. “If we're increasing the nourishment of our scalp and keeping our scalp really healthy, our hairs are going to live in the growing phase and resting phase longer than it will be in the shedding phase,” says Matthew. In order to promote thicker hair growth, it's crucial to nourish and treat your scalp so it can live in the growing and resting phase longer.

Keep Reading: https://www.realsimple.com/healthy-scalp-8583170