Celebrity Hairstylist Reveals What Happens To Your Hair If You Neglect Your Scalp – Exclusive
Beautiful hair begins at the root, literally. When we have dry, damaged hair, we get treatments and products focusing on the length of the hair. But our scalp, where the hair follicles grow, doesn't get more attention than a few seconds we spend while shampooing. Yet, most of us spend hundreds of dollars on hair products that only treat the strands.
Regarding scalp care in 2021, Spate reported a 169% increase in the Google search trends for amla oil, which is considered the best for hair growth (via Cosmetic Executive Women). The Ayurvedic tradition of using amla oil on the scalp for hair health is thousands of years old in India. Akash Mehta, the co-founder of haircare brand Fable & Mane, told Wise Living Magazine, "Your hair is the plant, your scalp is the soil. You can't forget about the soil — you have to nurture and take care of it because that's going to lead to healthier hair growth." Mehta grew up watching his grandmother give herself regular oil massages focusing on her scalp.
We spoke with West Hollywood-based celebrity hair stylist Marco Pelusi about the topic. Pelusi shared the most important tip to nourish the scalp and told us, "Find a way that works for you to care for your scalp. We need to consistently bring much-needed circulation to the scalp." However, the scalp often goes left out in our hair care routine, and he told us what can happen to your scalp if it keeps getting ignored.
Marco Pelusi tells us why scalp care shouldn't be neglected
Marco Pelusi is an award-winning celebrity hairstylist with decades of experience under his belt and he values the importance of scalp care — as he told us, it shouldn't be left out in your hair care routine.
Pelusi told The List, "All of us want healthy hair, but it's important to focus on your scalp first. Nurture your scalp because a healthy scalp will help foster the right environment for hair growth." He added that creating a healthy place for our hair to grow is essential because the scalp is the foundation for hair health.
"The state of your scalp directly affects your hair," he continued. "An unhealthy scalp can lead to flaking, itchiness, and other dermatological issues. This can happen with buildup from the wrong products, or possibly be a sign of an underlying health issue." Pelusi recommends using a scalp product; however, if it isn't helping your scalp condition, you might require a trip to the dermatologist as it might be a medical issue.
A study published in the International Journal of Trichology showed that students with dandruff-free healthy scalp had fewer split ends and hair breakage. Guy Parsons, a certified trichologist, told Harper's Bazaar, "Dandruff usually describes the flaking of the scalp and there are a number of variants, ranging from very mild to very severe." Parsons added that the combination of dandruff and sebum could lead to a scalp infection and excessive hair fall.
Here are signs of an unhealthy scalp
Treat your scalp skin like the skin on your face. Certified trichologist Angela Onuoha describes a healthy scalp as a "non-inflamed scalp that has the right balance appearance-wise and has an overall seemingly evenly distributed amount of hair," per InStyle. Onuoha added that your scalp could also be "dry, normal, and oily," which doesn't mean it's unhealthy — it's just your skin type on your scalp.
One sign of an unhealthy scalp is itchiness. "It could also be a sign of a simple scalp condition (such as dryness-related dandruff), or a more severe medical scalp condition like dermatitis, psoriasis, Lichen planopilaris, or eczema," certified trichologist Bridgette Hill told The Zoe Report. An itch here and there is normal, but if you have persistent itchiness for over three months, Hill recommends seeing a medical provider as there could be a severe underlying condition. Redness and excessive hair shedding are other signs of an unhealthy scalp.
Penny James, a certified trichologist and founder of Penny James Salon, told Real Simple that adopting habits such as regular washing, massaging your scalp with a scalp treatment, and applying SPF on your scalp are good for you. "UV rays penetrate deep into the dermis, and if you have thinning hair on the crown area, your skin is very susceptible to getting burned, and getting skin cancer in worst-case scenarios," James added.