If you’re dealing with a dry scalp, itchy scalp, flaky scalp or other scalp issue, you’ve come to the right place. As a fully certified Trichologist since 1992, I’ve had extensive experience dealing with a variety of scalp issues, particularly with curly hair.
We recently did a Facebook Live session on the health of the scalp for curly girls, as it seems to come up regularly on the forums and chat groups. Some of the most common issues seem to be a scalp that is oily, flat and curls lacking volume. There may be some simple reasons why this is a common problem, especially for those who are dedicate co-washers.
Firstly I have observed that a lot of the information around co-washing seems to target those with thick curly hair; however, in my experience – and especially in New Zealand – we have a large demographic of people with medium to fine curly hair.
So – to get the best results from your co-wash, you first need to understand what your scalp and hair is like and what is it that telling you. Let’s dive deeper into the subject…
Common curly hair scalp problems
- Flat roots with frizzy ends
- Overly oily scalp and no volume at the roots
- A need to refresh more often as curls are lifeless and limp
- Scalp getting too much build up
If you have fine curly hair, then using a thick cream on the scalp will make it all the more flat – and you won’t get any volume or lift at the roots. To combat this, use only very light cleansing creams and avoid using heavy conditioners on the scalp.
I highly recommend using an apple cider vinegar rinse as a cowash, as because it is water based, it will cleanse the scalp due to its P.H. content and also help to remove any scale or product build up.
The use of a scalp brush, while helping to get rid of product build up, may overstimulate the oil gland of the scalp and may actually make the problem worse (especially if the hair is fine).
Washing and styling tips
Firstly, it’s best to treat the hair and scalp as two separate entities. It’s common for people to have a normal to oily scalp and dry ends, so you may need to keep the two products separate; use a lighter product on the scalp only, and then condition the “ends only”. Generally, the rule of thumb is:
- Wash just the scalp and do not take any of the cleanser (whether it’s a cowash or sulphate free shampoo) through the rest of the hair
- Wash the roots only then rinse thoroughly
- When conditioning, apply upside down through the ends and mid lengths, but nothing from the “ears up”
- When styling your curls you probably don’t need anything conditioning on the actual roots. Apply your holding products to the roots then any leave in conditioners to the ends.
Frequently asked questions
Are my styling products too heavy?
If you’re getting no volume, then it’s likely your styling products are too heavy. If you feel your hair is say around the type 2 level, or even beginning of type 3 (from wavy curly to medium curly), try swapping out your thick gel or cream for a mousse or super light curl gel.
Try to not layer too many products on top of each other. Pinning the hair will also help to give you volume and lift at the roots
What’s the best solution for refreshing?
For a good refresh, try a spritz of water with a little conditioner mixed into the bottle on the ends only. To refresh roots and add volume, try a natural sea salt or beach wave spray into the roots; the salt crystals will swell the cuticle just enough to give some lift and a little volume to tired 2/3 day old hair.
Alternatively, just tie your ends up on those days and apply conditioner to your ponytail.
How do I recognise certain scalp conditions?
There may be underlying problems that are causing scalp conditions, such as: excessive oiliness, itchy scalp, flaky scalp, dry and inflamed areas.
- An oily flaky scalp may just be from product build up, but it also could be a form of dandruff which is more common in winter as we are indoors more, we are in air conditioned environments often and there is a lack of U.V. from natural sunshine. Our eating habits also change in winter.
- A flaky, dry and inflamed scalp may be triggered by a contact allergen possibly, but there may be an underlying issue such as psoriasis. This is an autoimmune condition that can flare up when we are stressed or if our diet is too high in acid producing foods such as coffee, alcohol and dairy products.
For both these conditions a good place to start is with a reassessment of your diet, plus drinking lots of pure filtered water and treating your liver with lots of care too.
I hope this information has been helpful and of benefit to you. I urge you to keep experimenting with your washing, styling and drying techniques. Try not to get too confused with the information overload out there, just remember that what you use must suit your hair type and your lifestyle. I am happy to help whenever you need advice too.
Nigel
