Those of us with curly hair can sometimes have a love-hate relationship with it. Trying to maintain glossy, bouncy locks is often easier said than done. Although it might appear challenging, it is possible to meet your mane goals. The key? Maintaining a healthy scalp. If your curls have lost their bounce, it’s time to find out why a healthy scalp should be your new hair goal.
Why Scalp Health Matters
Although using the right hair care products helps keep locks healthy, natural sebum is a vital part of preventing moisture loss. Sebum is the oily substance the scalp secretes hair follicles, where it then travels down the length of your strands. Think of it as your hair’s natural lubricant.
Unfortunately, the twist and turns in curly hair makes that journey difficult, which can result in hair that feels dry at the ends and oily at the roots. Do you add moisture or address the greasy feeling? Your hair care habits affect sebum balance and scalp health, so it’s important to think of these conditions as symptoms rather than the, well, root of the problem.
How to Maintain a Healthy Scalp
Controlling sebum balance is necessary to keeping your scalp healthy. You don’t want to deplete your scalp of its natural lubricant, but at the same time, too much acts as a magnet that attracts dirt and additional grime. The following tips will make maintaining the right sebum balance (and moisture in general) for a healthy scalp easier.
Adjust to a New Shampoo Schedule
Although shampooing washes away grime, it also removes sebum that your scalp and hair need to stay healthy. Instead of shampooing daily or every other day, shampoo once a week. If dandruff is a concern, use dandruff shampoo on your scalp. After washing it out, switch to a moisturizing shampoo.
When you stock up on shampoo, don’t forget to read the ingredient labels. Stay clear of products that contain sulfates, as the chemicals strip sebum from your hair and scalp. Use warm water when you shampoo and rinse, as piping hot water dries out the hair and scalp. The heat also keeps hair cuticles open, which can cause frizz.
Deliver Moisture to the Scalp
A curly hair scalp treatment will minimize dryness to keep scalp skin (and your hair) hydrated. Incorporate a deep conditioner into your current hair care routine once a week. Coat your scalp and hair in a deep conditioner and let it sit for up to 30 minutes to reduce irritation and inflammation. The moisturizing ingredients also help restore hair's lipid layer, which can be depleted if you have a dry scalp. As a bonus, the added moisture keeps frizz at bay and gives curls definition.
Reduce Hard Water Contamination
Showering with hard water—which contains high concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and iron—dries out and irritates skin, including the scalp. It doesn’t do your hair any favors, either.
Shampooing and conditioning with hard water can make curly hair, which is already prone to dryness, even drier. The mineral deposits make it difficult for shampoo to lather for a proper cleanse and rinse out. The shampoo coats the strands, creating a membrane that hydrating ingredients can’t penetrate. Parched strands become frizzy and prone to breakage. The minerals also lift hair cuticles and make them feel rougher, which can cause curly locks to tangle easily.
To prevent these problems, use a filtered showerhead. The device filters out hard minerals, keeping them from damaging and drying out your hair.
Maintaining scalp and curly hair health is a lot easier with help from the Canopy filtered showerhead. It's designed to remove hard minerals and calcium from the water, so you can kiss scalp irritation and dried-out locks goodbye.