Hair Talk: What Your Scalp is Trying to Tell You

Hello! Welcome to the blog post based on the recording of our Instagram live from May 13, 2022.

In the video, @goodeatswmo and @angels.organics share tips regarding scalp health, identifying scalp triggers, and ways each creator remedy scalp dryness.

@goodeatswmo is a wellness enthusiast that features various plant-based recipes that are easy to make and delicious! Her special knowledge of nutrition through plant based eating & research, she will share some tips on recognizing scalp changes & managing!

Angel’s Organics is a beauty brand specializing in moisture retention products made from naturally derived ingredients. For three years, we've been creating plant-based body butters, oils, soaps, and more with a 100% satisfaction rate from our customers.

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angels.orga...

Goodeatswmo's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodeatswmo

Her Website: https://linktr.ee/moniqueh23

Scalp care is vital for the health of your hair. For us with natural hair, our scalp shows us the state of our hair! 

To notice changes in your scalp, one must understand their hair.  Take a moment to look in the mirror, part your hair in various places, take a good look at your scalp. Once you’ve done this, you can now begin to do the work to maintaining a healthy scalp and hair!

Ways to Maintain a Healthy Scalp:

• Maintain a clean hair and scalp
• Limit product use when styling & in between styles

I know this may seem like common sense, but many people are finding issues with their scalp due to not washing frequently enough. All hair needs a routine, which will help your hair to work well with the products you’re using.

Personally, I prefer to wash my hair once per week. I used to wash my hair bi-weekly, however this change was needed because of adding fitness into my lifestyle alongside the hot summer months. Washing my hair more frequently has given me the ability to understand what my scalp is telling me, the ingredients my hair likes, and boosts my mood. 

Many of us naturals go too long without washing our hair due to myths like: 

“My hair grows from the dirt.”

”Shampoos aren’t good for us.”

 However, it is scientifically proven that a clean scalp fosters a healthier environment for length retention. Based on a self-report questionnaire in the study, “The majority of African American women (60%) reported dry hair shafts while the majority of Caucasian women (67%) cited normal hair shafts. African American women were 8.2 times more likely to feel that they have dry hair than were Caucasian women. There were also differences in the responses regarding hair breakage. The majority of African American women (60%) described hair breakage as a problem and were 3.5 times more likely to self-report hair shaft breakage than were Caucasian women.”

This data essentially demonstrates how our demographic of African Americans view our hair, which psychologically impacts our perception of beauty and our treatment of our hair. Consequently, one may subconsciously believe their hair is difficult to deal with/manage and neglect it by not using the right techniques, being too rough, and not caring for it by skipping wash days, not detangling properly, and more. 

To reaffirm this, the study concludes, “African Americans had a higher level of baseline dissatisfaction with their hair. The majority of African American participants desired longer hair; they also felt that they had problems with dryness and breakage.” 

Therefore, if you share these sentiments and would like to see overall improvement of your scalp and hair health. I and the study recommend using a simple hair care routine alongside washing frequently. “Individuals with simple hair care practices (gentle combing, fewer products, fewer appliances, and infrequent or no use of chemical relaxers) had lower rates of hair breakage. Inadequate cleansing of the scalp may worsen seborrheic dermatitis or result in irritant dermatitis from product buildup.” (Lewallen, et. al, 2015)

Once your hair is washed, use a maximum of three products to style your hair and choose styles in moderation! Any more than three products lead to a higher chance of buildup and makes it harder to style your hair.

Some easy hairstyles include:

Plaits

Twists

Buns 

Ponytails

Braid/Twist Outs

Some intermediate hairstyles include:

Braids or Twists with extensions

Flat Twists

Cornrows

Types of Styling Products

Curl Cream/Twisting Butter - light to medium hold

Gel/Curl Custard - light to heavy hold

Mousse - light to medium hold

Let me know if these tips have helped you! Have you used any of these tips before and what’s your current wash day routine?

References:

Lewallen, R., Francis, S., Fisher, B., Richards, J., Li, J., Dawson, T., Swett, K., & McMichael, A. (2015). Hair care practices and structural evaluation of scalp and hair shaft parameters in African American and Caucasian women. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 14(3), 216–223. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12157

Watch the Recap: