shiny and healthy hair: Avoiding products that contain sulfates, alcohols, or fragrances may help improve your scalp health. “Sulfates strip away natural oils in your hair and remove dead skin cells, which makes the scalp dry and prone to irritation,” Umar explains.
Stay with this section of skin and hair care in the health and beauty section of Eternal Pen magazine.
shiny and healthy hair
“And since your skin and scalp are already sensitive, using products that contain alcohol and fragrances suck the moisture out of your hair. This will have your hair feeling frizzy, dry, and damaged and will result in inflammation that leaves you with a dry, itchy, irritated scalp.”
Also, avoid any hair care products that contain harsh chemicals and hair treatments such as dye and bleach. These may cause damage to the hair shaft and scalp skin.
Shampoo gently
shiny and healthy hair: Rather than scrubbing your scalp when shampooing your hair, massage it. “This will increase circulation and avoid causing abrasions on the scalp,” St. Surin-Lord says.
Wash less often
shiny and healthy hair: It’s natural to think that in order to avoid oily hair, you should wash your tresses more often. However, this may backfire. Shampooing your hair too frequently strips away the natural oils. In turn, your scalp may produce more oils in order to keep it hydrated, resulting in oily-looking hair, Umar says.
“Those who already struggle with a dry or itchy scalp would benefit from increasing time between washes to balance out the oil production,” he adds. As a general rule of thumb, Umar recommends washing your hair three to four times a week, tops.
Try an omega-3 supplement
shiny and healthy hair: Although the scientific evidence isn’t substantial, many believe that taking a fish oil supplement can help promote hair growth and prevent hair loss.
In a 2015 studyTrusted Source, women with self-perceived thinning hair took a fish oil supplement (also containing other nutrients) or a placebo. Those who took the fish oil for 90 days reported increased hair growth and strength.
In another 2015 studyTrusted Source, women with female pattern hair loss who took a supplement containing omega-3, omega-6, and antioxidants for 6 months experienced increased hair density and decreased hair loss.
“Omega-3s and fish oils nourish the hair by stimulating circulation in the scalp. They also reduce the inflammation that could be associated with hair loss,” Umar says. Talk to your doctor to be sure a supplement is appropriate for you and to help you find the best one.
Eat more antioxidants
shiny and healthy hair: Oxidative stress occurs when the number of damaging free radicals in the body overwhelms the number of beneficial antioxidants. Not only can oxidative stress lead to health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, it’s also believed to affectTrusted Source the health of the scalp and to causeTrusted Source hair loss.
Aim to eat a variety of produce to get the wide variety of antioxidants found in nature. Each has different benefits, and those benefits extend beyond your hair.
Try probiotics
shiny and healthy hair: “Taking a probiotic can help improve gut health and balance the gut microbiome,” St. Surin-Lord says. And since our gut health is linked to our skin health — and our scalp is skin — taking a probiotic may improve the skin microbiome and also promote a healthy scalp, she says.
She recommends a probiotic containing at least two strains of bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus reuteri, in particular, have been shownTrusted Source to help thicken hair in mice.
Use a scalp scrub
shiny and healthy hair: Just like a scrub you’d use on your face, a scalp scrub is a way to exfoliate the skin on your head. Scrubs contain physical or chemical exfoliants and help remove excess skin cells, oil, and dandruff, and may dilate the blood vessels under your skin, potentially boosting hair growth. (They can also simply feel very relaxing and help you de-stress.)
