When and How to Use and Apply Hair Serum
Many of us use serums as part of our daily skincare routines to smooth wrinkles, reduce age spots, lift bags, and moisturize our face and neck. Just as vital is scalp and hair care serums. Quality hair and scalp serums can curb thinning, hair loss, breakage, and other age-related issues.
However, just as the different types of serums vary, so do the different ways to apply them to get the best results. To get the most out of the hair care products you purchase, make sure you are using them correctly. Let's look at the different types of serums and whether it is better to put each on wet or dry hair.
Scalp Serums
Scalp serums are intended to encourage healthy hair and are usually applied directly to the scalp rather than your strands. Be careful of the scalp serum you choose. Some products are not intended for aging scalps and may contain ingredients that can further dry skin. Others contain oils and other heavy elements that can build up, causing inflammation and additional complications.
Most scalp serums can be used on wet or dry hair and are intended to be massaged in during the evening or at night to allow them to absorb into your skin. Depending on the formulation you purchase, you can also use a scalp serum:
- After cleansing your hair but before styling.
- As a pre-shampoo scalp treatment before bedtime.
- At night, but some may need to be washed out the following morning because of extra oils and are not meant for daily use.
Always follow the instructions printed on the product label.
Hair Serums
Most hair serums are formulated to control frizz and boost shine. They differ from scalp serums in that they are used in the morning as part of your styling regimen.
Certain hair serums can make your hair look greasy and oily, which is why they recommend applying it to the ends of the hair and working your way up to the head. It can also cause product buildup if applied to your scalp or roots.
Be cautious when shopping for hair serums. Many of them contain ingredients that may be harsh on your aging strands. You will discover that some formulas are thicker than others and may need to be warmed in your hands before applying to give it more of a slip.
Many women will use hair serums to keep their hair manageable after it dries. Often the serums contain silicone, which coats your strands and leaves your hair shinier. The flip side is that these serums often need cleansing shampoos to remove the buildup that they cause. Cleansing shampoos have sulfates and harsh cleansers that weaken your cuticles and dry out your hair and scalp.
Read the label prior to use. Many hair serums are intended to be used when your mane is damp (usually after cleansing and conditioning). These are usually silicone-based hair serums. By applying silicone-based hair serums to damp hair, it can lock in moisture which is thought to prevent dryness.
Other formulas are okay for dry, or towel-dried hair, depending on the result you are looking to achieve. Hair serum usage instructions include placing a few drops on your fingers and work it through your tresses, strand by strand, from end to the middle.
Hair and Scalp Serum
Traditionally, serums target your scalp or your hair. However, for optimal health and elasticity, choose a quality serum formulated to treat your scalp and strands together. Better Not Younger’s Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum was developed to address the hair challenges women like us face in our 40s and beyond.
As you age, your scalp skin changes as much as the rest of your skin. Physiological changes kick in, including fluctuating hormone levels.
High levels of male hormones called androgens, especially dihydrotestosterone (DHT), shrink your follicles and shorten your hair growth cycle. Your hair falls out faster, and when the fibers grow in, they are usually finer and more brittle. DHT keeps your hair in the resting phase longer, slowing new growth once hairs once old hairs fall out.
Aging changes also contribute to cuticle fragility, decreased elasticity, and protein loss leading to hair breakage when it is styled or combed.
Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum is not oil-based, so it is non-greasy and dries quickly. It should be applied at night on dry hair. Our hair and scalp serum stimulates your hair follicles, improves sebum production, and delivers essential nutrients to your hair like:
- Caffeine — Helps stimulate your scalp to increase blood flow to your roots.
- Centella Asiatica — Strengthens and nourishes your hair follicles and bolsters blood vessels around smaller hair follicles, allowing them to expand.
- Niacinamide — A B-3 vitamin that regulates your sebum oil production and helps your hair retain moisture.
Our hair and scalp serum is suited for all hair types and textures and can be used on keratin-, color-, and chemically-treated hair.
For great results, apply with our Superpower Liquid Comb Scalp Massaging Serum Applicator. Our massaging serum applicator stimulates microcirculation while delivering vital nutrients to your hair and scalp. Use every night, and over time you should experience thicker, more manageable hair.
According to an eight-week clinical home usage test, nine out of 10 women saw visible improvement in their hair's appearance after using Superpower Fortifying Hair and Scalp Serum.
Use Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum on Dry Hair
Serums vary in their formulations. Some are made to apply to your hair, others are only intended for use on your scalp, and others like Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum are made to treat both.
Whether it is better to put a serum on wet or dry hair will depend on the type of product you are using and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum is intended to absorb into your scalp and should not be washed or rinsed off and should therefore be applied to dry or damp just-washed hair.
Please view our full line of age-related Better Not Younger hair-care products on our Shop page.