HAIR SOLUTIONS

African-American/Black hair in general is more brittle, coarser, dryer and curlier (nappy) and some times more fragile than those of non-African decent. Many black women use chemical relaxers, blower dryers and hot curlers in their hair daily which increases ten fold the susceptibility to damaging the hair.

A healthier lifestyle will result in healthier hair. A diet which includes an abundance of fresh dark green leafy vegetables, and fresh fruits will enhance your tresses.

Massaging your scalp on a regular basis will stimulate oil production, which will help reduce the dryness of your hair. Also lying down on a slanted board or doing yoga (downward facing dog) for at least fifteen minutes a day to allow the blood to reach the scalp would be beneficial.

Daily shampooing is not recommended, unless you are exercising rigorously and your hair is getting wet from sweat. If that is the case try using a shampoo with gentle cleansing agents with a scalp identical PH such as SF shampoo by Aestelance. Ethnic hair is dryer than most other types of hair, shampooing strips away the natural moisture and oils from your hair so try shampooing once every 3 to 7 days instead. Use a mild moisturizing shampoo with a low PH level when washing your hair.

Don’t use a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner, use a separate shampoo and conditioner, 2 in 1’s aren’t suited as well for dry hair.

When washing your hair rub only in one direction to avoid tangling. Shower with warm water, hot water can dry and/or irritate the scalp.

Oil your scalp after shampooing, with your hair still moist, massage the oil into your scalp and brush out to the ends of your hair.

Use a conditioner when you shower, it’ll moisturize your hair, give it extra protection, add shine, reduce static, and makes it easier to untangle.

So what’s the deal with my dandruff and flaky scalp

TYPES OF DANDRUFF

Our skin is in a constant state of renewal. The epidermis produces cells in its basal layer which detach and within a 28-day journey to the stratum corneum (the outermost part of the epidermis), they lose most of their water, change shape, flatten out and slough off. When everything is in balance, we never notice this process. But internal and external influences can change this harmonious picture causing the cells to come off too soon, too fast, or to cling together. It takes 300 cells for us to see a flake. Most remedies take care of the symptom-removing the flakes, but does not solve the problem.

DRY FLAKES

A dry, dehydrated scalp is usually the reason for fine, dusty flakes (dry) flakes.

OILY FLAKES

The typical oily flake is larger in size and sticks to the hair. With today’s frequent shampooing habits, it is a rare occurrence.

PSEUDO-OILY FLAKES

These look like dry flakes but appear on an oily scalp which has been overly or too-aggressively cleansed. The scalp is also dehydrated.

STATIC FLAKES

These usually appear in cold, dry weather. The hair is static and the dusty flakes hang in the hair but are not really on the scalp.

STRESS FLAKES

They appear periodically during stressful times. Often they are localized -at the hair line and temples and are similar in appearance to dry flakes.

ALLERGY FLAKES

These are unpredictable-they come and go. Their color may be a little more yellowish and they often come in clusters.

PSORIASIS

This has no cosmetic cure. The only cosmetic approach is to soften and lift. UV light helps clear up psoriasis.

Solutions

At EssenceVIP we have some powerful tools to fight the different types of dandruff- not only to treat the symptom but also the cause