Just underneath our hair is a very sensitive area of skin that is always taken for granted or overlooked. Yes!! We're talking about our SCALP. The scalp can be damaged in many ways - often as a result of certain methods, hair styling or styling products and as a result, our scalp becomes inflamed. Permanent hair wave solution, if left for too long, can cause inflammation. Hot combs, hair dryers and melted wax, used to straighten hair, can also cause heat damage to the scalp. Tight braids and ponytails worn for too long periods of time can cause tension damage to hair follicles. Hair additions, frequently known as "extensions", are a styling technique that makes the hair look fuller and longer by attaching either natural or synthetic hair to existing hair. Depending on the exact technique, the extension is attached by braiding, gluing or tying it to one's real hair. If kept for too long, the additions can create long-term problem. The tension pulling on the real hair results in traction alopecia. It occurs when the hair follicles actually die because of continuous tension and pulling.

Internal factors, including stress, hormonal changes, medications, chemotherapy and diet, may also cause problem to our scalp. An itchy, flaky scalp is often a sign of dandruff - fine, powdery scales that build up on the scalp. Many people believe that this flaking represents dryness, so that they use moisturizers or oils on their scalp. A dry scalp is not the problem. The process is an inflammatory disorder. Oils may cause the skin to become inflamed through the overgrowth of certain yeast that normally resides in the follicles. Therefore, adding moisturizers or oils onto that process frequently makes it worse. Just because the scalp is flaky does not mean it is dry!!

One easy way to keep the scalp healthy is through shampooing. Most people say "I washed my hair", and it is really the scalp that needs to be well scrubbed. A lot of people move the hair from side to side to be sure the hair is cleaned but they do not clean the scalp. Shampoo is really soap for the scalp. It is important to use non-corrasive shampoo.