The scalp: health and natural care (dandruff, oily hair, etc.)
The scalp is to the hair and land is to grass and garden flowers. Healthy, strong and beautiful hair speaks of a healthy and well-nourished scalp. That’s why you shouldn’t abandon its health, considering that beautiful hair depends on it.
How should I care for my scalp?
There are several things you could to to keep it healthy:
- Deep and very conscious hygiene is the first and most important step. You must wash your scalp by gently rubbing it with your fingertips, covering all areas on the surface so as to eliminate accumulated oil. This removes dead cells and provides good blood circulation. A lot of scalp problems arise from a lack of awareness while cleaning. These people could have problems later on like dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis.
- Diet is fundamental: you must avoid all foods that are processed, sugary and have coloring or preservatives added, etc., as well as excessive carbohydrates and refined flour. Your diet should consist of fresh vegetables, vegetable milks, seeds, fruit and fish, which nourish the delicate skin on the scalp and keep it healthy.
- Try to give yourself a daily massage in all areas that you grow hair. Do this with your head tilted back so the blood is irrigated well throughout all areas and so that nutrients can be effectively absorbed.
- Avoid prolonged or frequent stress, because this could tense the bead and prevent nutrients from being properly absorbed. This causes problems and deficiencies like dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.
- Drink two liters of water a day to keep your scalp well hydrated.
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, as well as exposing yourself to direct sunlight for long periods of time.
- Avoid swimming without a swim cap, because the chlorine in pools dries hair out a lot and damages the scalp.
- Avoid sleeping with moist hair.
- Don’t wash your head with strong soaps or shampoos. Choose a natural soap or shampoo made of honey, rosemary or calendula. Don’t wash your hair every day, but rather, every third day so that your scalp isn’t always wet or moist. Also, avoid using driers and products like gel. Whenever you can, let your hair air dry.
- Get good rest every day.
Sick scalp?
Some conditions are specific to the scalp, like dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, etc. A sick scalp generally isn’t very visible because it is covered by several layers of cells and filth that accumulate over time due to bad washing. Those layers could begin to flake off any day, and you therefore will find yourself with dandruff or some other problems like dermatitis, foliculitis (where the hair follicles become infected and cause white or pink bumps), etc.
But all this has a solution. It’s most important to remove filth from your head that could clog hair follicles and cause hair loss. It is absolutely necessary to become aware white washing your hair, and wash with an herbal product appropriate for dandruff. Don’t forget to massage your head well so as to oxygenate the scalp and circulate nutrients.
If you have dandruff, you could give yourself a massage twice a week, applying garlic oil with your fingertips throughout the entire scalp surface, consciously covering every area. Let the garlic oil set for a few minutes and then wash your head with rosemary shampoo. You could buy a propolis shampoo, which would be must better. Garlic oil is easy to prepare. Crush one or two cloves of garlic in two tablespoons of olive oil. Let steep for one or two hours, and then it’s ready. Apply to your head slowly, gently rubbing it all over.
A sick scalp causes bulbs that atrophy, which strangle hair and causes hair loss or thinning, and other aesthetic and health consequences, like:
- Weak or dry hair: the result of a very small bulb follicle that is poorly nourished and oxygenated.
- Dehydrated hair: easily breaks because the scalps lacks sufficient moisture, either from consuming too many sugar-sweetened drink or canned foods, and by lack of fresh water.
- Oily hair: sticks and feels oily and unclean. This type of hair is the product of a scalp with dilated bulbs that are surrounded by accumulated oil. This is caused by sebaceous glands that work in an unbalanced way due to poor nutrition or excessive contact with irritating products, as well as exaggerated stress.
If you have hair problems, do not hesitate to look at the cause of the problem. There are shampoos and medications on the market that just control it, but doesn’t truly cure. If you truly want healthy hair you need to have a healthy scalp, and for this to happen you need to follow the previously mentioned instruction and then, with patience and persistence, you will see very favorable results in your hair, quite quickly.