Have you ever paid much attention to your scalp in your beauty routine? You’d certainly be forgiven if your answer is ‘no’.

But we, and the experts who know about these things, are here to tell you that should change.

Sarah Brass, co-founder of Taylor Taylor London, tells Stylist: “Show your scalp the same love you show your skin! Most people have dedicated skincare routines, but skin doesn’t just stop when it gets to your hairline. We tend to neglect our scalps and also don’t realise that the skin there is more porous than any other area on our body: on average we have around 100,000 hair follicles (a tunnel-shaped structure in the outer layer of the skin) and the health of each follicle is crucial in generating healthy hair growth, not to mention being susceptible to the absorption of environmental pollutants and your own hair products.”

Anabel Kingsley, brand president and trichologist at Philip Kingsley, agrees: “When it comes to hair health and growth, the scalp is king. If your scalp is not clean and healthy, it simply will not produce hairs of beautiful, strong quality.” 

What is a facial for your scalp, exactly?

Kingsley says: “Just like a facial, a scalp ‘facial’ involves thoroughly cleansing and refreshing your hair and scalp using products specifically tailored to suit your needs and address your concerns. Your scalp is an extension of your face and needs the same attention and care.”

Are there any particular scalp complaints a facial could help with?

“It’s perfect for anyone who wants to detoxify, build healthy strong and shiny hair or anyone struggling with greasy roots,” says Brass. “This is often due to built-up impurities on the hair and scalp. Facials can also help those experiencing dandruff or a dry scalp.”

How to give your scalp a facial at home

In essence, a scalp facial can be pretty subjective, since it’s all about giving your skin a big cleansing refresh.

With that in mind, we suggest the following method:

• Step one: apply a scalp treatment to suit your needs.
• Step two: as above, but with a hair mask on your strands.
• Step three: let it all soak in with a hair steamer (if you happen to have one).
• Step four: thoroughly cleanse your scalp with a shampoo with a natural exfoliator, such as sea salt, and condition. You might want to use a scalp massager to really work everything in. Kingsley says: “You should spend approximately one minute gently but firmly massaging your scalp, and don’t forget the back of your scalp. You might need to shampoo twice to remove all residue. Use a conditioner best suited to your hair texture and type, apply a coin-sized amount and use a wide-tooth comb to spread throughout the strands.”
• Step five: apply a leave-in scalp serum.
• Step six: let your hair air dry. If you absolutely have to use heat, make sure you use the lowest heat setting and use a good heat protector.

Brass says: “Use cleansers and shampoos that contain some great natural exfoliators. When used correctly these cleanse the scalp and remove much of the product build-up and congestion around the roots, thus stimulating blood circulation in the scalp and increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to promote stronger, healthier hair growth.”

Scalp facial products to shop

Images: courtesy of brands