Having fine and healthy-looking hair can not only help you feel good but look good too. For some people, keeping their hair looking great seems to take the absolute minimum effort. For others, perhaps like you and me, it can be a lot harder. Do you suffer from a dry scalp? As irritating, frustrating and embarrassing as having a dry scalp is, it is a lot easier to treat and manage than you may have thought. If a dry scalp is something you suffer from regularly, look at some of the great tips we have in this post.
Learn to Recognize the Signs that Your Scalp Is Too Dry
The first step to treating and preventing dry scalp involves being aware when you have the condition in the first place. It has relatively easy signs to spot. You could feel a tightness and dryness that is uncomfortable on the surface of your scalp and you could notice some flakes of skin starting to appear too. There are other signs of having a dry scalp but there are usually the first to manifest themselves.
Don’t Mistake Your Dry Scalp for Dandruff
Although they are often put together in the same category and even considered to be one and the same thing by many, dry scalp and dandruff are two separate conditions. Dandruff normally is formed by microorganisms that are like tiny particles of yeast that start to grow on the oily parts of your scalp. If the natural protection that your scalp should have is unhealthy or otherwise weak, these microorganisms are able to start producing irritants that make your skin cells shed a lot faster than they normally would, leaving what we all recognize as dandruff – white flakes of skin.
However, a dry scalp is caused generally by the scalp losing too much of the natural moisture it needs to stay healthy. This is often the result of dehydration, using too many hair products full of chemicals or simply cold weather conditions. The difference is that having a dry scalp doesn’t necessarily mean you will get dandruff, but it does cause flakes. The flakes caused by dry scalp are notably smaller than those produced by dandruff and fall away from the scalp a lot easier.
Now that we know exactly what we are looking for and understand what is and is not dandruff or dry scalp, there are some things you can do to prevent dry scalp or reduce the effects.
Limit the Number of Times you Wash Your Hair
By far the simplest way to prevent or reduce dry scalp from occurring is by washing your less than you normally do. When you clean your hair, you remove the naturally-produced oils that moisture the follicles and your scalp. To stop too many of these oils being washed away, try to limit washing your hair to around two to three times over the course of a week, and you will notice that your scalp feels healthier and your hair feels and looks more radiant.
Change the Shampoo You Use
If you tend to develop dry scalp and other similar conditions, the shampoo you are using could be doing bad rather than good. Therefore, the best shampoo for a dry scalp is one that is a lot gentler and won’t remove too much of the natural moisture your scalp and hair needs. Β One with more natural ingredients is also recommended, as too many harsh chemicals can also affect the health of your scalp and hair.
Try a Cooler Temperature
Sometimes, we use too much heat in the shower or baths, which can have detrimental effects. This is particularly true with regards to your hair and scalp. So, another way to prevent dry scalp from occurring is by turning the temperature down on the taps in your bath and on your shower. Furthermore, hairdryers, curling tongs and straighteners can also cause similar problems and damage your scalp and cause it to dry out.
Stay Hydrated
You have probably heard it time after time after time, about how important it is to drink as much water as you can throughout the day. the interesting thing is that although this advice generally applies to your kidneys and internal organs, staying hydrated also greatly benefits and contributes to your skin staying healthy. So, it follows that if you want to avoid having a dry scalp or prevent it in future, one of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is by staying hydrated.
We recommend drinking around eight to 10 glasses of water throughout the day as this will enable your body to easily replenish any moisture your skin loses.
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