Dry Scalp: What To Do

The beauty of hair directly depends on the health of the scalp. Why does the scalp flake and what to do about it?

How to solve the problem from the inside, and not hide the consequences with the help of special shampoos? Let's take a look at the triggers for dry scalp and give recommendations for eliminating each of them.

Physiology of sebum

As a result of the weakened activity of the sebaceous glands, a skin disease called "dry seborrhea" develops. The scalp becomes dry and flaky.

Seborrhea is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the scalp and provokes a “breakdown” in the process of sebum production.

Sebum is a complex mixture of different fat-like lipids. The composition of sebum includes triglycerides, free fatty acids, wax esters, cholesterol. Sebum triglycerides are broken down into free fatty acids by microorganisms that live on the scalp. Some fatty acids form volatile fatty acids, giving the skin an odor. By itself, sebum has no odor.

Fat is part of the protective mantle - a layer formed by the secretion of the sebaceous glands, its microflora and exfoliated keratinized scales.

Sebum performs several functions:

• prevents water loss and drying;
• protects against damage by an acidic or alkaline environment;
• prevents the introduction of bacteria.

Sebum creates a protective film on the hair shaft, acting as a natural conditioner.

Excess sebum should be removed regularly during washing. The scalp is considered healthy if there are no symptoms of itching, flaking, irritation, inflammation, dandruff flakes, soreness.

Dandruff and dry scalp

There is an opinion that dandruff and very dry scalp are one and the same. But it's not. Although the symptoms of these two conditions are the same - dry scales, peeling and itching - but dandruff appears with an excess of sebum, and dry scalp with a lack of it.

Yeast microorganisms always live on the scalp, feed on the breakdown products of sebum, and usually this does not cause any discomfort. But insufficient cleansing of the scalp, unbalanced nutrition, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract leads to excessive growth of the microbiota of the scalp and disruption of its balance.

It can be difficult to distinguish dandruff from dry scalp. There is a simple home remedy: use an antifungal shampoo, and if it relieves itching and irritation, then you have dandruff, and if not, you have a dry scalp.

Dry scalp: 11 reasons

The reasons can be divided into several groups.

1. Unhealthy lifestyle, including poor, unbalanced high-carbohydrate diet, inability to cope with stress.

• Insufficient water intake. Many think of water when they feel thirsty. But thirst appears already when the body signals dehydration. Dry mouth, swollen tongue, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and sluggishness are all clear symptoms of advanced dehydration. Develop the habit of drinking enough pure water (this does not include coffee, juices, soft drinks and other liquids). Normally, a person who does not engage in heavy physical labor needs 30-35 ml of water per 1 kg of weight. For every cup of coffee and glass of alcohol, as well as when visiting the sauna and doing intense workouts, you need to drink an extra portion of water.
• Inadequate nutrition. A meager and monotonous diet rich in simple carbohydrates leads to beriberi. The best way to change the condition of your skin from the inside is to change your diet. If you have dry scalp and body, look for B vitamins (B6, B12), vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, zinc, and fatty acids (omega-3s). Take your time to make up for deficiencies with food supplements, start by introducing meat and offal into the diet, healthy fats (fish, raw vegetable oils, nuts and seeds), fiber in the form of vegetables, herbs and fruits, whole grains. You will immediately notice the result on the condition of not only the scalp, but also the hair itself.
• Stress, a lot of stress. More precisely, not stress itself as an external factor of irritation, but your reaction to it. The emotional overload caused by stress triggers a process of hormonal changes that can affect the pH (acidity) balance of the skin and cause dryness. However, if you already have problems with the scalp, such as dandruff, then a chronic nervous condition can manifest or aggravate it. Learn how to cope with stress in an “ecologically friendly” way for your body: do breathing exercises, practice meditation, aromatherapy or self-massage. You may be fine with simple activities such as dancing, cleaning, walking, or adequate exercise. The first thing you can do is restore your circadian rhythms. Go to bed before 10:00 pm and wake up before 7:00 am.

2. Improper care

• Hair care products: shampoos, masks, conditioners, styling products, hair dyes. Harsh formulas can cause dry scalp. It is important to choose the right ones for you, depending on the type of skin: dry, normal or oily. Do not use products with ingredients such as parabens, alcohol and formaldehyde. If you have recently updated your hair products and feel dryness and discomfort, just change the product.
• Artificial and natural heat. Remember that any excessive rise in temperature harms the scalp and hair. The hot air of a hair dryer and direct sunlight dehydrate the scalp and inevitably lead to excessive flaking of the cells. This is a direct path to the appearance of itching and dandruff. As little as possible, style your hair with a very hot hair dryer, curling iron and iron, use a headdress while under the scorching sun, cover your scalp in a sauna or bath.
• Hard water is harmful to the scalp and hair. Using some soaps and shampoos with hard water can exacerbate the problem because shampoo chemicals can react with minerals and leave a sort of "soapy film" on the scalp, which can lead to even more itching. In this case, moisturizing shampoo, instead of moisturizing, dries the skin even more. Basically, it's a mineral reaction with your skin that causes dryness. Using a water softener is the best way to deal with hard water in your home, although it can be quite expensive. A more affordable option is a water filter. It is much cheaper and is attached to the shower head.

3. Hormonal changes

There are physiological hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, lactation, menopause and hormonal disruptions caused by other diseases. For example, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, imbalance of sex hormones. All this can be diagnosed by the appearance of acne on the face and body, failure of the menstrual cycle and hormonal balance, slow metabolism, brittle nails and hair. In this case, you need to contact a specialist.

4. Violation of the digestive tract

The condition of the scalp depends on the work of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract. It is very important to monitor the health of the stomach - there is a breakdown of protein into amino acids necessary for the skin. The gallbladder is responsible for the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E and K. The pancreas regulates the level of glucose in the blood, with an increase in which there is an increased production of sebum. The intestines are inhabited by microflora, the composition of which determines the condition of the skin. If you eat sugars, milk, buns, opportunistic flora will prevail, including candida, which provokes dandruff.

5. Skin diseases

• Eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. Eczema is a common cause of dry and flaky skin, causing inflammation, redness and severe itching of the scalp. The main symptoms are scaly skin (scratching produces dandruff), greasiness (dry skin but oily hair), blisters and rashes. Often referred to as seborrheic dermatitis, eczema is treatable but can recur, so it's important to learn how to manage stress and keep your scalp clean. To correct this condition, you need to contact an integrative dermatologist-nutritionist.
• Psoriasis. The scalp, along with other parts of the body, is prone to psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory process. It may appear as a single patch or spread to the neck and forehead. The reasons may lie in the genetic predisposition, the failure of the immune system, the influence of environmental factors. In all these cases, the immune system misfires and causes skin cells to multiply faster. They accumulate and cause itchy plaques. In improving the course of chronic inflammatory processes, working on intestinal health helps. Therefore, the best thing you can do is seek the help of an integrative gastroenterologist-nutritionist.
• fungal infection. Fungi can infect the skin. For example, shingles (ringworm) is a fungal infection that causes the skin to itch, peel, and itch. In addition to spreading rapidly over the scalp, lichen is easily transmitted from person to person. Therefore, always use only personal hygiene products. If you find symptoms (pus-filled blisters, baldness with black spots, inflammation and scaly patches), consult a dermatologist immediately.

Dry scalp: treatment

Not all of the causes of dry scalp mentioned above are within your control. Next, we will consider which specialists you need to contact for treatment and which tests to pass first.

The first step is to contact an integrative dermatologist. He, after collecting an anamnesis, will identify possible factors and causes of the manifestation of the disease and can refer you to the following specialists:

• endocrinologist - to check the functioning of the thyroid gland and carbohydrate metabolism;
• gastroenterologist - to check the work of the digestive tract;
• a psychologist - to help in working with an anxiety-depressive state;
• trichologist - to conduct a trichogram (scanning of the scalp).

It is necessary to pass a general and advanced biochemical blood test, check thyroid hormones, sex hormones, carbohydrate metabolism indicators, make an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and abdominal cavity.

How to treat dry scalp? In one case, it is enough to change your lifestyle - adjust your diet, choose the right care, learn how to manage stress and take care of yourself. The main thing is to understand the problem and identify the cause.

Home first aid kit for the prevention and treatment of dry scalp

Correct self-diagnosis and consultation with a specialist is necessary to choose a method of treatment.

One of the best ways to treat dry scalp is to moisturize and retain moisture. Do not confuse healthy oily scalp and excessive, which can also cause a number of unpleasant symptoms.

Listed below are home remedies that have been proven to work. All the ingredients are easy to find in the pharmacy, you may already have them at home.

It is important to carefully consider the already irritated scalp, give the treatment process enough time. You need to rub the products slowly, for at least 15-20 minutes, so as not to break or pull out the hair. It is not necessary to fill the scalp with oil or vinegar, as excess moisture can disrupt thermoregulation and make it difficult to sweat, which leads to blockage of the sebaceous glands.

• Natural, unrefined coconut oil is an effective moisturizer. Coconut oil, in addition to moisturizing, can nourish the scalp. It is enough to heat it up a little and apply it on the scalp with massaging movements. You can leave the product overnight and wash your hair in the usual way in the morning with a shampoo that matches your hair type.
• Apple cider vinegar helps restore the pH of the scalp. The alkaline pH of the hair can damage it. The healthy pH level of hair is 4.5-5.5. But most hair care products are not balanced in this respect. Apple cider vinegar is a slightly acidic product, containing acetic acid with a low pH. It also works as an antibacterial agent. Just mix half a cup of vinegar with half a cup of water and rub it into your scalp for 10 minutes. If you experience discomfort, do not endure, wash off the vinegar with shampoo. You can make your own vinegar or buy it from a health food store.
• Tea tree oil has antifungal, antiseptic and antibacterial properties. If the cause of your itching and flaking is a fungal infection, this oil is what you need. Effective as an anti-inflammatory agent, soothes and moisturizes the skin. Make sure the quality of the oil - it must be therapeutic grade. You can add it to your shampoo or mix it with a base oil like coconut oil and rub it gently into your scalp with your fingertips as directed in the instructions.
• Aloe vera helps soothe the skin and relieve itching. Perfectly cleanses without overdrying the skin. Aloe Vera contains 75 potentially active compounds including essential amino acids, saccharides, salicylic acid, proteolytic enzymes, antioxidants, saponins, minerals and vitamins. The presence of all these compounds makes aloe vera a beneficial remedy for hair. An aloe vera extract dry scalp mask will help soothe skin conditions such as dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, irritation and eczema. Aloe vera juice can be obtained independently from the plant or you can buy a ready-made product on the marketplace.

Nutrition for dry scalp

If you have already applied everything that was in the refrigerator or in the nearest pharmacy to the skin, bought all the famous shampoos and ointments, but ignored the factor of nutritional change, know that the phrase "We are what we eat" is still true.

There are foods that can trigger or aggravate the conditions that are common causes of dry scalp. Inflammatory products are most often industrial products. This group includes most products with sugar, gluten and white flour, milk, peanuts. From drinks it is alcohol, lemonades, sodas and so on. These are just some of the types of foods to avoid if you suffer from scalp problems.

Antifungal products can help if dry scalp is associated with an imbalance in the gut microflora. Include garlic, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, ginger in your diet.

Do not forget about high-grade fats, they are necessary for the normal functioning of the gallbladder - these are avocados, seeds, nuts, fish, seafood, caviar, egg yolks, raw vegetable oils.

Hair Beauty Tips

• monitor hormonal health (especially the state of the thyroid and pancreas, the level of sex hormones);
• Correct nutritional deficiencies in a timely manner with nutritious nutrition and food supplements;
• minimize the use of medicines without prescription;
• watch your weight;
• learn to deal with stress;
• observe the sleep and rest regimen;
• select high-quality thermal appliances - hair dryers, irons, curling irons;
• use thermal protection at each thermal exposure;
• do a head massage
• take care of the hair shaft with masks, balms and conditioners;
• protect your scalp from direct sunlight;
• dry your hair with soft soaking movements, do not rub your hair with a towel after washing;
• do not go to bed with a wet head;
• choose combs that are rounded, with soft teeth, without sharp edges and burrs.