Gleaming, shining, smooth as silk – your hair can be one of your most beautiful assets!

Ever have those days when you look in the mirror and your hair just seems lifeless, dull, even boring? What’s the difference between your day-to-day hair and all those models in the pictures with their highlights and super shine?

Sure, it helps to have professional treatments and styling - and a retouch artist to fancy up your photos. But you can have ‘picture perfect’ hair without spending a lot of time and money in a salon. We have a number of recommendations for optimal Do-It-Yourself hair care in upcoming blogs.

One real answer to beautiful hair is in how you treat your scalp.

It’s not something you may think about a lot unless your scalp gets irritated or you develop scalp problems like dandruff. For many people, scalp health is just an after-thought – a quick shampoo, maybe some conditioner, and then it’s wash-and-go.

But if you really want healthy, beautiful hair, then giving a little extra TLC (Tender Loving Care) to your scalp can have a real payoff.

Diagnose and assess. A first step is to take a close look at your scalp in a mirror – you may want to get a friend to help. With a comb, part your hair to reveal the skin beneath. Notice whether it looks dry, splotchy, or if there are any unusual lumps or bumps. Do you see any flaking, peeling, or differences in color from one section to another? If you’ve been out in the sun, did your scalp get sunburned?

Look along your hairline. This is an area where you can develop skin irritations or even infections but they are relatively easy to see if you look closely. Dirt, dust, and chemicals can also accumulate along the edges of the hair. It’s also an area where the pores of the skin can get clogged – you may see whiteheads or blackheads that need attention.

Deep clean and massage. Press on various points on your scalp and you may feel a variety of sensations; you might feel a knot of tension, a sense of release, maybe even a little pain. Like muscles and tissues elsewhere in your body, your scalp can hold tension. Press and squeeze on pressure points found all over your head to help release tight muscles and help to get blood flowing more freely.

Whenever you shampoo, you can turn a simple wash into a scalp massage treatment. Use your fingers to press and pull. Part and separate your hair so that the shampoo reaches down to the roots and the follicles anchored in the skin. Your hair and your scalp will both be cleaner.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) identifies acupressure points on your scalp that relate to other organs. Use two or three fingers at a time to press and make circles wherever you feel a point of sensation on your scalp.

Tone and refresh. Paying attention to the condition of your scalp can make a big difference to your appearance. Like skin everywhere on your body, your scalp needs nutrition and stimulation to improve circulation. You want it to be very clean but at the same time, you don’t want to strip of its natural oils and sebum produced by the sebaceous glands just under the skin. Harsh soaps, shampoos, styling gels, hairsprays, and hair dyes can upset the natural balance. We recommend use of a scalp toner like Paul Penders Holy Basil Conditioning Scalp Toner to help rebalance and support the health of your scalp.

Your beautiful hair starts at the right at the roots. Make scalp care an important part of your beauty regimen.

Image courtesy of marin /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Teviot Fairservis.

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