The dry weather during the cooler months of fall and the colder months of winter may cause your scalp to become very dry, flaky and itchy. All skin cells shed and because the scalp is so dry your scalp may be shedding more skin cells than normal, causing little noticeable white flakes to appear in your hair and an itch that just won’t stop. Not only are the white flakes embarrassing but dealing with a dry scalp can make you feel overly anxious to find a solution before you scratch your scalp raw.
There are several things we can do to our hair care regimen to help combat winter dry scalp that’s causing you flakes and itching.
Shampooing – Limit how often you shampoo your hair and use shampoos that have lower sulfates or that are sulfate free. In the cooler months, frequent shampooing can strip the scalp’s natural oils that provide moisture to the scalp. Also limit the amount of shampoo you use at one time, using just enough to cleanse your hair and scalp. Using too much shampoo makes it harder to rinse all the shampoo out any shampoo left will dry and flake off. Instead of shampooing you can try using a moisturizing conditioner to cleanse your hair and scalp. You hair and scalp will be clean without the harshness of shampoo.
Conditioning – use a moisturizing conditioner after every shampoo and deep condition at least once a month. Moisturizing conditioners help to replenish moisture and nutrients to the hair strands that were stripped away during the shampoo. You can also co-wash, use the conditioner to wash your hair and scalp between shampooing.
Apply oil to your scalp – A dry scalp doesn’t have enough of the natural oil and applying certain oils directly to your scalp can help give your scalp the nourishment it’s missing. Olive, neem, peppermint , jojoba and rosemary are all great oils that can help relieve dry scalp and itching. Try making a hot oil treatment out of oils or purchasing a treatment from your beauty supply store and apply the warm oil directly to your scalp, cover with a towel or cap for thirty minutes before shampooing.
Massage your scalp – After apply the oil, use you the pads of your fingertips to massage your scalp. Massaging increases the blood flow to the scalp and helps to clear any blocked pores, which can release the scalp’s natural oil. A scalp massage also loosens dead skin cells, making them easier to wash away during shampoo or co-wash.
Limit heat – Too much heat can add to scalp dryness, so limit the use of blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons.
These are just a few things that can help with winter scalp dryness. If you have more serious problems with dandruff and inflammation then you may need to check with your doctor or dermatologist.
