Your scalp is skin. Like the skin on your face it has an epidermis, dermis, and barrier. It has a collagen matrix that surrounds and affects every hair follicle. That means it has the same vulnerabilities as your facial and body skin--UV exposure, oxidative stress, and congestion.
Did you know that your scalp ages 6 times faster than facial skin. Let that sink in. SIX TIMES FASTER. That means if you are twenty, your scalp is functionally one-hundred and twenty years old. Since the scalp is skin, the same anti-aging rules apply as the rules we know for the rest of the skin on our bodies, especially our facial skin. But, we all tend to neglect it.
The truth is a healthy scalp grows healthier hair and MORE hair for a longer period of time. While not everyone can see their scalp, you can see your hair. Do you like what you see? When the answer is no, we tend to address the strands. And while that’s important too, it doesn’t address the root issue (pun intended). When addressing the strands only, you will almost always end up with the same problems down the road
So, let’s break down WHY your scalp is aging at a more rapid rate.
1.) It is subject to UV exposure every single day. Hair does not completely protect it the way we think it does. Collagen within the scalp is fragmented with every exposure. Follicular stem cells are damaged. And then as thinning occurs, there is greater exposure that speeds up the aging process and in turn, the thinning process.
2.) Our oil production is different on our scalp—from the type of oil produced to the speed of production. Our scalp produces an oil called sebum. Sebaceous glands are attached to your hair follicles. Sebum is made of triglycerides, fatty acids, wax esters, squalene, and cholesterol—a very THICK blend. It’s sole job is to protect the scalp and hair (aka prevent hair loss, provide antimicrobial protection, and lubrication). The reason it causes more rapid aging on the scalp than elsewhere on the body is due to density. There are more follicles so there are more sebaceous glands. The glands are also larger on the scalp which means higher production rate. It coats the hair shafts, traps dead skin cells and environmental debris, and mixes with sweat causing buildup that suffocates the scalp and follicles causing inflammation or a yeast overgrowth.
3.) The scalp is exposed to oxidative stress too. This degrades collagen thus aging the skin beneath the surface. Collagen surrounds the hair follicles. It actually anchors the follicles in the dermis layer of the skin. So, it not only affects the skin, but the follicles too, and in turn, your hair.
If you start improving your scalp health now with proper scalp care for YOUR specific scalp needs, you will not only have and grow healthier hair, you will likely keep more of it…longer. Now, what do you need to do to improve your scalp health? Treat it like the skin that it is! Think about it. When you think of your facial skin routine, you cleanse, exfoliate, use serums, and moisturize. Now think of how you care for your scalp. Most people cleanse the scalp and that’s the extent of the care it sees.
What do you need to be doing to your scalp?
1. Get a scalp evaluation at Revival Scalp Wellness to see what support your individual scalp is needing.
2. Brush your scalp daily. (For curly hair, brush as often as you are able.)
3. Exfoliate the scalp once a week.
4. Start using pH balanced cleansers on your scalp.
5. Moisture balance the scalp by prepping it prior to wash days. The night before you wash, use a scalp specialist approved scalp oil or moisturizer (this is not a one size fits all, so make sure a scalp specialist properly guides you on which is right for you.) Allow it to penetrate and moisturize deeply for at least eight hours. Then cleanse the next day.
6. Apply antioxidant and collagen boosting serums. (Bonus if there is UV protection.)
Do you see the similarities to the skincare routine you already practice on your face?