One thing I love about having regular hair appointments with my braider is the variety of conversations that we have. I remember during my last appointment, I was talking about taking my haircare up to the next level. I wanted to curate a scalp care routine. My hair is healthy as I put as much care into my lifestyle choices that have an effect on it. However, my scalp always felt drier. Whenever I was taking out my braids or my wigs, it was as if I wasn’t nurturing it, despite spritzing and using oils.
Last summer I went to the Black Ballad Weekender in London and I got a deeper insight into scalp care. That was when I realised that adding oil to my scalp doesn’t do what I thought it would do. After months of researching online, I came to the conclusion that my scalp is an extension of my skin. How I do my skincare, whether face or body, needs to be done to my scalp. My scalp is skin and I haven’t been giving it the extra care it needs to thrive and maintain my healthy hair.
Why is Scalp Care Just As Important As Skin Care
Our skin goes through so much as our environments change. Think of the seasons changing, pollution, sweating in the gym, stress, diet, hormones etc. To combat and protect our skin, we do our skincare routines, morning and night, we stay hydrated and eat well. Our scalp is not exempt to all these changes and factors. If anything, it’s more susceptible to it because it is out in the open. It is getting damaged more with the increasing levels of sun exposure, which makes it unhappy, inflamed and dry.
From my experience, I think the reason we haven’t viewed it as important is because it’s less visible. Our hair covers our scalp. Hair length and hair growth has always been important, but the scalp is the foundation for that to happen.
Why is Scalp Care Essential?
Our scalps have their own ecosystems like our facial skin – oil glands, microbes, hair follicles, sweat glands and a barrier. Washing our scalp is just not enough. It needs to be treated similar to our skin to prevent dullness, itchiness, buildup and protect the skin barrier. The same way that we aim to achieve even, glowing and healthy skin, we need to do the same for our scalp. We want to see strength, shine and health in our hair.
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Why I Started Focusing On My Scalp
Over the last few years, I started to care more about myself outside of physical health. My skincare journey officially started in 2020 and then body care in 2023. My hair has always been placed on the back burner because I didn’t prioritise it. Last year I took out my braids after 10 weeks and the amount of hair that came out concerned me. I had never seen so much hair come out from one install. There are a few people in my family circles that suffer alopecia, hair loss and hair breakage. Although I had any of those issues with my hair, seeing that much hair come out flipped a switch in me. I knew that I had to start curating a scalp care routine in between my wash days that was going to set me up with a healthy scalp.
A New Wash Day Ritual For The Scalp
At first, I started looking into using some of my skincare products for my scalp. A toner and exfoliator are products that are a part of my scalp routine. I aim to tone my scalp every day like I do with my skin, and exfoliate twice a week.
Wearing protective styles such as braids and crochet are my go-to as I train a lot in the gym. I prefer styles that are low-maintenance. However during the winter, I wear glueless wigs to keep my hair covered and maintain moisture. Previously when I had braids in, I would co-wash every 4 weeks because I am a lazy natural.
Now I have changed up my routine completely. Not cleansing your scalp for more than two weeks can impede scalp health and hair growth. During the winter, I aim to wash my hair every 7 to 10 days with a scalp massager. If I can’t get round to it due to scheduling, I would use dry shampoo, tone and exfoliate my scalp until I can wash it. If I am wearing braids or crochet styles, I will be co-washing my hair every two weeks and using dry shampoo every other week.
A health scalp means healthier hair. Healthier hair is flourishing growth. What I have noticed in the last two months is that my scalp has not felt this light and healthier in a long time. There is barely any hair coming out of my scalp unless it is normal shedding. I’m also learning how to flat twist my hair which makes sticking to this routine so much easier.
How To Curate Your Routine
I am still in the beginner stages of this. So far, I have learnt that understanding my skin type is the first step to curating my scalp care routine. My scalp mimics my body care, it is dry and sensitive. Naturally, I am avoiding products with fragrances and alcohol-based ingredients as they irritate my skin. The best way to figure this out is to keep note of how your scalp behaves. In addition, research ingredients that you should avoid as your starting point.
Step 1: Knowing Your Scalp Care Concerns
Knowing your scalp care concerns is the second step in tailoring your routine. Do you get dandruff? Is your scalp itchy? Do you have poor hair growth, breakage, buildup? Once you have determined what your concerns are, search for products that tackle it. For example, my hair gets extremely dry, can break if not tended to and gets really itchy. I’ve been searching for a scalp serum to strengthen the barrier and keep it hydrated. I’m going back and forth between the Seapuri serum and the Philips Kingsley overnight serum.
Step 2: Set Clear Scalp Care Goals
What are you trying to achieve with your scalp care routine? Are you aiming for a healthy scalp for hair growth? Are you trying to improve scalp health or both? Get clear with what your goals and what you are trying to achieve. Once you have that sorted, you’ll be able to select scalp care products that are created to help you reach those goals and objectives.
Step 3: Get educated and consult a professional
I find reading reviews and blogs help me to make educated decisions when it comes to my scalp care. Looking into the finer details of the reviewer to see if they have similar concerns like me gives me a more rounded answer. Whenever I am in doubt, I always consult a professional as they have a wealth of expertise to lead me in the right direction. What is so beautiful about 2026 is that there is growing number of Black trichologists who specialise in the science of scalp health.
Lifestyle Choices
Lastly, your lifestyle choices play a big role in hair and scalp health. Having a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins will keep your scalp healthy. Protein is the main component of our hair so eating enough protein daily is vital if you want to promote the production of keratin for skin, hair and nails. All in all, a healthy lifestyle is one of the best investments that you can do for your overall wellness and self care.
What do you do for your scalp? Have you considered building or curating a scalp care routine? I hope that this post has inspired you to care for yourself outside of your physical health. Share this with a friend who wants to improve their scalp health this year. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.
Until next time,
Folakemi
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