From excess heat to braids and relaxers, our scalps go through too much
There’s no doubt that scalp care has gotten a lot of airtime over the last couple of years. As the skinification of hair has become more popular, attention has turned to our sometimes itchy and at times flaky, scalps. As a beauty director who’s completely obsessed with all things hair I have an awful confession; over the years, I have completely neglected the skin on my head and it’s had an awful impact on the health of my hair. *hangs head in shame*
The joke is, as I’ve learnt more about products, applications and techniques, my hair care and styling routine has been thriving, but at a recent work event when I had the opportunity to have a microscope put on my scalp, I was genuinely horrified. The scientist manning the machine gave me the option to save the images. ‘Is she joking?’ I thought. I might throw up.
A super close-up image of your slick and very much alive scalp is never going to be a portrait you want to frame, but this was bad. Around my ever-strong middle parting, my hair density was sparser (due to shedding via over-styling), the colour of my scalp was flushed red (irritation) and there were so many flakes it looked like Salt Bae had had a little sprinkle (dead skin and product build-up). I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty but this was a mess. The scalp is just as alive as facial skin so why the flagrant disregard for its health? If my face was red and dry and had so much old product on it that it was balling up and flaking off, I would be horrified.
Far from protective styles
While the need to treat our scalps better is universal, as a Black woman it’s a need I’ve noticed particularly in our community. Our scalps go through so much because of our styling and care choices from a young age – sometimes the choice wasn’t even yours. I remember sitting between my sister’s legs as she’d cornrowed my hair for school wincing as she pulled tightly on my scalp for the neatest braid possible. Yes, it hurt to raise my eyebrows and smiling was not an option but at least my hair stayed neat for a week. I would get these raised bumps on each follicle around my temple from the tugging; I can remember tracing my finger over them when I was bored.
It’s the same thing that happens when I get braids now, although I’m better at asserting myself when it feels like my hair is going to be ripped from the root and I wear styles like weaves and braids infrequently to reduce the impact they have on my scalp. I’ve seen IRL examples of the traction alopecia that can come from excessive pulling from styles that are favoured by the Black community, especially in older generations; this doesn’t need to be our fate.
Let it burn?
I cannot tell you the number of times my scalp was burnt during my relaxing days (which were far from relaxing) and I would have to wait for my scabs to heal, gently avoiding combing my hair from the root. “Chemical hair services have a drying effect on the scalp since their formulations remove what is protecting the skin on the scalp including sebum, fatty acids, ceramides etc,” says Angela Onuoha, Rhyme & Reason Expert Advisor and Certified Trichologist. “This not only causes dryness but could even lead to irritation or scalp burns if the products are not used properly during the hair service.”
It wasn’t just chemical burns that my scalp had to endure, oh no, from hot comb to straighteners and dryers as my hair was fried within an inch of its life, my scalp did not miss out on the sizzle which has a massive impact on hair growth. “When you apply heat to your hair and scalp, the water starts to evaporate,” notes Rob Smith, Senior Principal Scientist at Dyson. “At higher temperatures the rate of evaporation increases, and this makes it much easier to over-dry your scalp. When your scalp is too dry, the barrier function protecting your skin is reduced and you will be more prone to irritation and itchiness. If you burn your scalp, it could affect hair growth, and if burnt seriously it results in hair-producing follicles becoming damaged.” Far from ideal when Afro-texture hair naturally grows slower than other hair types and our scalps have lower hair follicle density than people of European origin.
A new wash-day ritual
Along with this, there’s a narrative on how often we folk with Afro-textured hair should be washing our hair and scalps. Now, we all have routines that work for our schedules, but when it comes to our scalps, leaving them longer than two weeks without cleansing can impede scalp health and hair growth. I used to sit firmly in the two-week camp, but now I wash my hair once a week without fail and my hair and scalp have never felt healthy or grown thicker or quicker.
I switch things up when it comes to a scalp-focused washday and a hair-focused washday chopping and changing my pre-cleanse product and the mask I opt for. Yes, I have to carve out twice as many days a month for hair maintenance but if this means my scalp is thriving, I’m happy to make the commitment. “The most important thing is to rehydrate and moisturise the scalp and to soothe it,” says Onuoha. “The easiest way to do this is to invest in products that do not only have benefits for the hair but also have the scalp in mind.” If you’re experiencing irritation at the moment, she has the following advice; “Opt for soothing products, as mentioned above and try to not shower with hot water, opt for lukewarm to prevent further irritation and drying out of the scalp. Also don't overdo anything. It needs time to heal.”
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