How to Exfoliate Your Scalp to Keep It Scales Free This Winter
Winter can be quite rough on our skin, especially for those who live somewhere with forced heating . This applies not only to the skin of the face, hands and arms, but also to the head. That’s right: scalp. And up there, dry skin = dandruff. If you are not a fan of regular anti-dandruff shampoos or they just don’t cut them, you can try a different scalp exfoliation method. Here’s what you need to know.
Who may benefit from scalp exfoliation
Everyone’s skin, including the scalp, is different, so exfoliating may not work for you. In fact, just like exfoliating your skin, your scalp can be unresponsive to it. But for others, it might be something to help clean up dirt, oil, food, and other debris that can build up in your hair and scalp.
So how can you tell if exfoliating your scalp might be beneficial? Of course, the most obvious sign is dandruff: either dry flakes that fall off on their own, or larger, sticky flakes that remain on your hair and / or scalp. Another reason is that your hair is “sore” at the root – this is caused by inflammation from dirt, oil and food deposits.
How to exfoliate your scalp
Unsurprisingly, there are tons of tools and products out there to help you keep your scalp healthy. But this does not mean that they all work or are necessary (more on this below). MindBodyGreen broke several options.
Shampoos and scrubs
The classic dandruff remedy is a tea tree oil or salicylic acid shampoo that gets rid of oil deposits and debris. There are also scalp scrubs that work in the same way as the ones you use on your face and body, loosen up dead areas of your scalp so they can be washed off.
But be sure to get a scalp-safe (and small granular) scrub and be careful. And no matter what you use to exfoliate, use your fingertips, not your nails, as they can scratch your scalp and cause additional problems.
Cleaning
Finally, Marcia Brady brushed her hair to something: This is another way to get rid of dead skin and other debris from your hair (although it won’t get rid of the oil). If you don’t normally brush your teeth, you can start at least occasionally.
And of course, there are many dedicated scalp brushes (also called “scalp massagers”) if you want to go that route. They are usually smaller, round (with a handle at the top) and have silicone or plastic bristles. MindBodyGreen has a dedicated guide to using scalp brushes if you need any guidance.
Quick reminder
Having said all that, not everyone needs to exfoliate their scalp as hard as they can. And either way, you don’t need to (and shouldn’t) go out and buy a bunch of new hair care products and feel disgusting if you don’t. As with most other similar health / beauty treatments, do what works best for you and don’t waste money on unnecessary things.