Tips For Healthy Scalp

Wearing warm clothes, seating near fire and holding a cup of hot drink in the hand, may feel tempting during winter, but winter can spoil your mood, when it comes to skin and scalp. Winter is know to cause dry, itchy, irritable scalp. If you are suffering from any scalp condition like dandruff, psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, winter can aggravate your condition further. Here are few tips to keep your scalp healthy this winter

• Limit your head baths – Frequent head baths can further worsen your dry scalp making it more itchy and irritable. You should limits your head baths, so that natural oil from the scalp will keep your scalp hydrated.

• Use gentle, medicated shampoo – Harsh shampoos can zap out moisture from not only your scalp but also from your hair. Go for gentle, daily use, medicated shampoos rather than over the counter ones.

• Take care of your scalp – Applying too many skin care products does not ensure a healthy, glowing skin. In fact a simple skin routine with selected ingredients can do wonder for your skin! Too many actives, such as alpha or beta hydroxy acid, retinols, can disrupt your skin barrier, leaving skin dry, red, itchy and sensitive. Overdoing can harm your skin, as your skin does not get enough time to heal itself. Being regular with your skin routine is the key for healthy, glowing skin forever!

• • a. What could be the conditions associated with flaky scalp?
    If you are suffering from flaky, itchy scalp, you should visit dermatologist for correct treatment and diagnosis, as other than dry scalp, psoriasis, fungal infection and seborrheic dermatitis can also clinically present as flaky scalp. If you are already suffering from some scalp issues, be careful. Your existing scalp issues can get exacerbate during winter. Hence, you should have a consultation with dermatologist, prior to the onset of winter, to keep your condition in control.

• • b. How to use anti-dandruff shampoo?
    Always go for medicated anti-dandruff shampoo rather than over the counter shampoos. Antidandruff shampoos are medicine in shampoo base, to facilitate application. Before use, these shampoos have to be diluted with water. After the application, they should be left for the minimum period of 15-20mins, to complete their action.

• • c. Is anti-dandruff shampoo enough to clean your hair?
    Ideally, these shampoos are meant to clean your scalp off the dandruff and oil, and not to clean your hair strands. After 20mins, these shampoos to be washed out completely follow by application of your regular shampoo to clean your hair strands.

• • d. Does oiling helps to reduce flakiness?
    No. in fact oiling can worsen your dandruff further, hence dermatologist will advice you to avoid oiling if you are suffering from any scalp flakiness.

• • e. How frequently to use anti-dandruff shampoo?
    The frequency of application depends on the severity of your condition. If you have severe flakiness of the scalp, you can use anti-dandruff shampoo every alternate day. After few application, when you feel that flakiness has reduced, you can decrease frequency gradually to twice a week to once a week to probably once in a 15 days. But after complete cure, you should continue anti-dandruff shampoo to maintain scalp health.