Dryness, Dandruff and Hair Loss are some of the most common issues today. Let’s understand why we may be facing some of these issues to find a personalized approach to aid us on our healthy hair journey.

This is going to be an overview of some causes of these issues and product recommendations that may help, but if you’d like an in depth discussion on each of these topics, let me know in the comments! Now, let’s begin!

Dryness

One of the most common problems, the dreaded dryness. This can usually be a quick fix with an ultra-hydrating hair mask

but if you notice that isn’t helping, your hair might need a detox. Sometimes our hair can’t absorb moisture anymore because of a build-up of products, so although you may not think you need a clarifying shampoo or detox to moisturize your hair, you might. A good rule of thumb is to include a clarifying shampoo in your routine around once a month (choose a schedule according to your hair’s needs of course) to allow any and all products to be stripped away so you can start with a fresh mane that is ready to suck up all the juicy nourishment from a hydrating mask.

What to do

If you are not experiencing buildup and don’t need the clarifying shampoo, consider doing an oil treatment about 30 minutes before your shower. Once that’s up, wash your hair normally and afterwards go straight in with a moisturizing deep conditioning mask. Put on a plastic cap for even better absorption. Leave this on your hair for the recommended time described on the label, as well as follow any steps the products recommends. Rinse with warm water afterwards and don’t forget any moisturizing styling products before going in with your harsher products like gels or mousse. And if you’re going to use heat, USE A HEAT PROTECTANT.

Now, if you are experiencing buildup or it’s that time of the month for a clarifying shampoo, let’s do that first. The reason we aren’t doing a hot oil treatment first is because we want to make sure our hair is actually able to soak up the benefits of our products, and if it’s full of buildup from the past several days or weeks, there wouldn’t be any penetration or absorption, making the oil treatment near useless. So first, let’s use a clarifying shampoo and/or an apple cider vinegar rinse to help clear away all our buildup. Your hair and scalp should feel squeaky clean after this, that’s how you know there is no more product in your hair.

NOW let’s go in with our super hydrating hair mask for the recommended amount of time. Put on a plastic cap for even deeper absorption. Rinse out afterwards and make sure to style with any moisturizing products before going in with harsher gels or heat.

Extra tips for Dryness

• Use a lightweight oil on your ends after styling to seal in all the moisture you’ve just worked really hard to get in there, like Jojoba or Argan oil.

• We need to sleep, so let’s make sure all that time spent sleeping is serving our hair goals. Use a cute bonnet or satin scarves and satin pillowcases to ensure you aren’t losing moisture while you sleep. This is a PRO tip, because using a satin pillowcase also aids in your skin health; when your hair products aren’t touching your pillowcase, they aren’t being transferred onto your face, leading to less potential breakouts 😉 .

• Cover your hair when you go out! I know this can be annoying because we want to show off our locks, but the sun, the wind, the pollution and many other factors have made me make this change. Now when I go outside I make it a point to put my hair up loosely with a satin scrunchie or claw clip. I noticed less breakage in the underside of my hair since it isn’t rubbing against my coat anymore, and it smells nicer longer. Once I get to my destination and I take it back down and smell my products instead of the outside pollution, I’m a happy camper.

Dandruff

If you suffer from a medical condition which causes your dandruff, please consult your medical provider. For those of us that experience dandruff and flaking from a dry or irritated scalp, let’s talk about it. Our scalp is skin, and we treat the skin on our face and body so well, we should do the same for our scalp. Once a week scalp and hair oiling has helped me so much, and I make sure to include at least one of these oils every week: coconut oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil and castor oil.

Investing in a scalp serum can also be super beneficial! I recommend something without the ingredient Dimethicone as this ingredient is similar to placing a plastic cap over the area you apply it to. Whatever you apply afterwards is going to be less likely to actually penetrate your hair and you’ll have to do a clarifying shampoo to remove it so you can apply products again. However, if you wash your hair often (like every 2 or 3 days) then maybe you’ll enjoy something with this ingredient as you’ll be washing it out and moisturizing again quickly. For those of us that wait 5-7 days in between hair washes, I notice my hair starts to flake and become so dry towards the end of the week if i use products with Dimethicone as I’m not able to continue to moisturize my hair after wash day.

Extra tips for Dandruff

• Using a scalp stimulating brush/ scalp exfoliating brush like these is great for removing anything sitting on top of your scalp. I LOVE these, and they even have ones that vibrate if you want an even more spa-like experience. I use these while I oil massage before my shower and while I shampoo to really work my shampoo throughout all areas of my scalp.
• Which brings me to another point, make sure you are thoroughly shampooing your scalp! If you have a dense head of hair, shampoo in two or more sections to ensure you’re really cleaning all of your scalp.
• Don’t be afraid to double cleanse. Use a normal shampoo first, then a moisturizing shampoo second to impart some extra moisture while you cleanse your scalp.
• Incorporate a clarifying shampoo at least once a month to make sure you aren’t walking around with product buildup on your scalp too, contributing to dandruff.

Hair Loss

If you are experiencing hair loss due to an underlying medical condition, please seek advice from your medical professional. Hair loss can be caused by a NUMBER of factors, some common ones are tight hairstyles, irritating products, lack of hair hygiene, poor diet and water intake, stress and aging. If you notice only a certain area being affected, think back on previous styles, have you been rocking tight ponytails lately? Did a tight braided hairstyle? Maybe you haven’t been on top of your water intake? Have you cooked healthy meals this past month or ordered takeout every night? Have you been double cleansing your scalp or used a clarifying shampoo in the last month? Have you incorporated a new product in your routine recently? Have there been any stressful situations or are you constantly stressed out? By asking ourselves these questions we can start to break down the cause of our problems, because then we can tackle it at the source, instead of just slapping on a hair mask and hoping for the best when you might have really needed a good clarifying scalp detox.

Extra tips for Hair Loss

• If you’ve been playing around with tight styles, switch it up and leave your hair down or in a loose style for some time to let it breath.
• Make sure your diet and water are in check, if you’re not healthy on the inside, your body won’t be able to grow healthy hair on the outside.
• Use scalp stimulating products, like peppermint and tea tree oil. We want to encourage blood flow to our scalp to nourish our follicles to produce strong hair.
• Use a scalp brush while oiling and shampooing.
• Flip your head upside down for that blood flow while you oil massage.
• Simplify your routine to your basic products, like a moisturizer, a lightweight oil, and one styling product. Try not to use heat or use a heat protectant.

Other Concerns?

If you have any other hair or beauty concerns that you’d like us to talk about, let us know in the comments! Thanks for trusting us with your beauty needs, here’s a link to our other posts so we can keep the conversation going!