When it comes to improving hair growth and quality, people often choose products and treatments that focus on the hair itself, bypassing the foundation of hair growth—the scalp. The skin on your scalp is similar to normal skin in that it has an epidermis and dermis, but your scalp also contains a greater concentration of hair follicles. Your scalp’s health is one of several factors that impact hair growth.
Here, in part 1 of this 2-part series, we share the symptoms and causes of an unhealthy scalp and how you can maintain a healthy scalp for improved hair growth.
What are the symptoms of an unhealthy scalp?
Anomalies on your scalp are likely a sign your scalp’s health needs a boost. Some common symptoms of an unhealthy scalp may include:
- Itching
- Burning
- Excessive oil or dandruff
- Pain or irritation
- Acne
- Cysts
- Sun damage
- Redness
- Bumps
- Scabs
- Hair loss
These symptoms can be caused by a number of factors—including hair and skincare products, certain medications, underlying health issues, genetics, lifestyle choices, or nutritional deficiencies—and, left untreated, may affect hair growth or result in temporary or permanent hair loss. Because systemic health concerns can be a factor, if you are experiencing hair loss or poor scalp health, it’s important to talk to your primary care physician about your symptoms. There are also some proven ways you can support your scalp and healthy hair growth at home.
How can I improve my scalp’s health at home?
Paying closer attention to how you care for your hair and scalp and making changes to your daily routine can greatly improve your scalp’s health.
- Use the Viviscal Pro Hair Restoration system. Available in our office, this take-home system includes shampoo, conditioner, and supplements that are clinically proven to support healthy hair growth from the inside out.
- Avoid harsh hair care products. Choose products that are free of alcohols, fragrances, and sulfates which can irritate a sensitive scalp and make it more prone to issues such as dandruff. These ingredients also strip moisture from your hair, potentially making it feel more dry, frizzy, and damaged. Hair dye and bleach use also takes a toll on your scalp, so ask your stylist to select the least damaging products and methods for your color service.
- Less is more when it comes to washing your hair. Overwashing can exacerbate an irritated and oily scalp, so try to extend the time between washes to help balance out your scalp’s oil production and calm irritation. Scrubbing your scalp with shampoo may also cause irritating abrasions and increase inflammation. In sum, it’s important to be gentle when it comes to cleansing your scalp and hair.
- Incorporate scalp massage. Daily scalp massage facilitates healthy circulation and has been shown to improve hair thickness.
- Consider supplements to support your hair and scalp. Nutrition plays a role in scalp and hair health, and there are proven ways to supplement your diet to help limit hair loss and boost scalp health.
- Omega-3 supplements have been shown to increase circulation in the scalp and reduce hair loss.
- Antioxidants help remove damaging free radicals in the body that can cause serious health conditions and hair loss.
- Probiotics help to balance your gut microbiome for better gut health—which is linked to better skin health.
While some social media channels also tout DIY concoctions for hair growth, to avoid wasting your money or potentially worsening scalp sensitivity, it’s critical to vet internet hair hacks for safety and efficacy. (For faster and more effective results, we recommend working with a licensed medspa professional instead!)
What professional treatments are available to improve scalp health?
There are professional therapies available to treat causes that may be contributing to hair loss, as well as treatments that can amplify your scalp health for greater hair growth improvements.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) helps to correct hormonal imbalances that can contribute to hair loss—and as well as a number of other health issues and symptoms. Your doctor will run labs to target your specific imbalances and personalize your therapy to restore your hormone levels and bring balance and harmony to your body.
By correcting hormonal imbalances, patients will not only look and feel better, they will experience greater improvement with other topical scalp health treatments.
Platelet-Rich Plasma
These specialized injections are an effective treatment for hair loss in both men and women. Using your own purified blood, plate-rich plasma is injected into your scalp to deliver vital nutrients which stop hair loss and stimulate hair growth.
Hydrafacial™ Keravive™
You trust your esthetician to take care of your face with custom facials—now you can extend those benefits to your scalp with Hydrafacial Keravive scalp treatments. Using the same proven technology that made Hydrafacial a household name, Hydrafacial Keravive supports better scalp health and natural hair growth by:
- Cleansing and exfoliating dirt, oil, and impurities from the scalp
- Hydrating the scalp and hair follicles
- Increasing scalp circulation
This relaxing, non-invasive scalp treatment is designed as a relaxing, 3-treatment regimen to revitalize your scalp health and deliver gentle yet highly-effective biometric growth factors and skin proteins to achieve long-term improvement in hair growth.
Hydrafacial Keravive treatments contain no hormones or medications, making it an ideal option for men and women who want to naturally improve their scalp health and achieve healthier, thicker-looking hair.
Boost your scalp health in Joplin, Missouri
Led by board-certified Joplin cosmetic surgeon Dr. Talon Maningas, the highly-experienced licensed estheticians at Maningas Cosmetic Surgery can help you de-stress and refresh your scalp with Hydrafacial Keravive scalp treatments. If you’d like to improve your scalp health and promote hair growth in Joplin, Fayetteville, or anywhere else in the four-state area, we invite you to call our practice at (417) 437-0303 or contact us online to schedule your consultation.