We're partnering with some of the hair industry's top talents to bring you answers to your hair questions. Up today? Justine Piecuch, a stylist at Boston's renowned Jeffrey Lyle Salon, is showing us how to care for a flaky scalp.
Your questions answered!
Your question
"What are some easy ways to cure my flaky scalp besides shampoo and conditioner?"
Justine's answer!
To get this correctly fixed, it's important to understand that a "flaky scalp" can be caused by a trillion different things. There are a couple of things that you can change in your daily life to see if these are causing the problem. If you go through this list and are still having an issue, I would recommend seeing a dermatologist. It could more likely be a skin condition than a product induced problem.
- If you're someone who shampoos every day, try switching to every other day to avoid drying out the scalp.
- Make sure if you're using lots of products, you're scrubbing your scalp well when shampooing to remove any product build up. This usually occurs in the crown and the front of the head where people sometimes over distribute products.
- Make sure you're not having an allergic reaction to the product. Surprisingly, people don't realize that something so seemingly small as this could have such a big impact. Lay off all products you're using and slowly try to bring them back into your regimen to see if you notice a difference.
- Very hot showers can cause the scalp to be very itchy and sometimes flaky, so as tough as this may be in the cold months, try to use lukewarm water.
- Try brushing your scalp with a boar's hair brush . This will help to loosen up anything hanging on to the scalp.
- Understand that adding conditioner all over your root will only make you look oily. Dry ends do not cause a dry scalp.
- Proper eating habits and water intake are huge. Make sure you always take good care of your health.
- Over the counter products for dry scalp or dandruff will only make matters worse. They'll cause more issues and the scalp will start to over produce. If you should need this type of product, it's best to just go see a doctor. There's a special regime they'll have you follow to clear this all away.
Make a note
All these will help with light flaking. If you see lots of flakes on your clothes, or every time you run your fingers through you hair some come out, see a doctor. If it's worse than this and you have larger "wet flake" also, go see a doctor. There are many skin conditions that come out in your scalp that need special medication. Many people have these issues and it's absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.
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