How To Clean Your Scalp For Thicker Hair

Thick, luxurious locks begin with a healthy, well-nourished scalp. Buildup from sweat, product residue, natural oils, and dirt can accumulate on your skin and clog your follicles. The result is often itching, flaking, dryness, brittle strands, and even hair loss. 

Scalp tissue is more vulnerable than the skin on the rest of your body. Cleansing your scalp too often, not often enough, or with products that contain inferior or harsh products can create more problems than it solves. 

To restore and maintain your scalp's health, thoroughly cleaning it should be a regular part of your beauty regimen. Not only will your skin feel better, but a clean scalp improves follicle productivity to grow stronger hair. So how do you properly clean your scalp? Let's take a closer look at this critical step in your hair care routine. 

Your Hair's Foundation 

The shaft, particularly its outer cuticle, is the part of the hair fiber where most of us focus our attention. Good hair days are often defined by the luster and manageability of our hair's appearance, but there is more going on under the surface: 

• Hair follicles — Your scalp has about 100,000 of these tiny pocket-shaped organs. We are born with all of the follicles we will ever have because they do not multiply or regenerate.
• Bulb — Inside each follicle, a bulb-shaped structure made of rapidly dividing cells forms the living part of your hair. As new cells form, they push dead cells up through the surface of your scalp. The hair shaft created by this process elongates with each new cell layer produced.
• Capillaries — Your follicle extends into the deeper dermal skin layer, where minute blood vessels called capillaries deliver oxygen and micronutrients to nourish hair-producing cells in the bulb.
• Sebaceous glands — These secretory organs located at the top of each bulb deposit a natural oil called sebum onto the scalp and hair roots. This vital fluid moisturizes and protects your skin and strands; however, its production gradually slows during and after menopause. 

Why Your Scalp Needs Cleaning 

As we mentioned, your scalp is vulnerable to several unique challenges and requires specialized care to maintain functionality. Through proper cleaning, you can relieve these scalp problems: 

• Dry skin — Shampooing too often or using sulfate shampoos with harsh surfactants can strip away your natural lipids and sebum, leaving your scalp dry and itchy. Additionally, menopause-related hormone fluctuations slow sebum production, further compounding the problem.
• Oily skin — On the other hand, if you fail to shampoo often enough or if you use products with heavy conditioners, you can also run into scalp difficulties. Excess oils and emollients build up on your skin, causing irritation and limp, greasy-looking hair.
• Scalp psoriasis — Psoriasis occurs when dermal cells multiply too rapidly, forming a scaly plaque on the skin's surface. Medications can relieve the associated redness and itching; however, they may be more effective if you exfoliate first using lactic acid to soften the scales.
• Dandruff — These white flakes that form and fall off your scalp are made of dead skin cells and sebum. Regular exfoliation can minimize dandruff flake size and frequency, and it can also relieve the accompanying itching and irritation.
• Clogged follicles — Environmental pollution deposits, product residue, and dead skin buildup all tend to collect on your skin, suffocating and irritating your pores and follicles. This blockage can trap toxic substances against your scalp, slowing hair growth and contributing to premature hair loss. 

A Superior Scalp Cleaning with Better Not Younger 

 A weekly or bi-weekly deep clean can bolster scalp health, helping you to avoid these challenges. For an optimal clean, try Better Not Younger's New Dawn Activated Charcoal Scalp Cleanser. This potent formula operates on multiple fronts to clean, exfoliate, and stimulate your scalp using: 

• Lactic acid — A form of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) exfoliant, lactic acid softens hardened buildup so it can be scrubbed loose and washed away.
• Caffeine — Caffeine is a stimulant that increases blood flow and improves nutrient delivery to the follicles, boosting hair health.
• Activated charcoal — When applied directly to the scalp, activated charcoal detoxifies your skin by:
  • Drawing out impurities from deep in the dermal layers.
  • Binding to these impurities so they can be washed away as you rinse the cleanser from your hair.
• Betula alba (birch) extract — Derived from the bark of the deciduous white birch tree, the tannins in Betula alba extract act as an astringent to cleanse your scalp. Tannins constrict your pores by drying excess oil and toning your skin.
• DL-Panthenol — A vitamin B derivative, DL-panthenol hydrates your hair and scalp and helps them retain a balanced moisture level. It also improves your hair's condition by making strands shinier and more elastic. 

Steps for Using New Dawn Scalp Cleanser 

Apply Better Not Younger's New Dawn Activated Scalp Cleanser weekly or bi-weekly before you shampoo. 

1. Start by wetting your hair.
2. Open the scalp cleanser's cap to reveal the built-in applicator brush.
3. Squeeze the tube until a small amount of the product appears on the bristles.
4. Use the applicator brush's stiff bristles to exfoliate your skin while you smooth the cleanser directly onto your scalp.
5. Work your way systematically around your scalp to ensure total coverage, focusing on one small section at a time.
6. Use your fingertips to lightly massage the product onto your skin, moving around your scalp for even distribution.
7. Rinse thoroughly.
8. Follow immediately with your regular shampoo and conditioner. 

A Clean Scalp for Healthy Hair 

Better Not Younger engineered a comprehensive line of hair and scalp care products designed to work with one another, giving you an advantage over your aging locks. A clean scalp is a foundation for healthy hair, but it is just one piece of the puzzle. 

Visit our Shop page to discover our full line-up of sulfate-free shampoos, conditioners, serums, and thickening sprays to help you create hair that is better, not younger.