We’re well aware that exfoliation is the key to gorgeous skin. So wouldn’t the same concept apply to help us get healthy hair? We went to our experts to find out.
“It’s important to exfoliate your scalp, as you would the skin on your body and face, so that you can remove dead skin cells from the surface to allow your scalp to ‘breathe’ and be healthy,” says celebrity hairstylist and owner of The Private Room in Beverly Hills, CA, Tina Dizon.
Exfoliating the scalp can help remove hair product buildup, relieve itchiness and unclog pores. All of these things put together help your hair grow.
“Just by washing our hair we start a method of exfoliation of the scalp,” says Miami dermatologist Janice Lima-Maribona, MD. By gently washing and massaging your scalp with your fingertips as you apply shampoo, you increase circulation and exfoliation automatically, she says.
To properly exfoliate your scalp, wash your hair with a glycolic acid or salicylic acid shampoo no more than once a week. Try DCL Salicylic Acid Shampoo ($22). This is especially helpful if you tend to use a lot of styling products. If you’d rather exfoliate your scalp in the care of a salon professional, NIOXIN Scalp Renew in salon treatment may be a good option for you.
There are also at home remedies you can use to exfoliate the scalp. Mix together olive oil and brown sugar until it forms a paste. Then add tea tree, peppermint or vitamin E to act as an anti-bacterial.
Just be careful not to over exfoliate the scalp. “If you exfoliate your scalp too often, you can leave the scalp area irritated, dry and tender,” says Dizon.
