Getting to the root of beautiful hair: shiny, silky hair begins with a healthy scalp - includes list of resources and a recipe for an herbal scalp tonic

Vegetarian Times, Oct, 1997 by Amy O'Connor

I was fresh out of journalism school and living in the Midwest when I was called to interview at a New York fashion magazine. I phoned in sick to my temp firm, hopped a plane to the East Coast and woke up the morning of the interview desperate: I just didn't look the part of the glamorous editorial assistant. So I doused my hair with spray and gel, set it in curlers, and ended up blowing it so dry one match would have sent me up in flames. I had been waiting for almost an hour when the editor's snooty assistant (whom I hoped to replace) glanced up from the latest Women's Wear Daily to make conversation: "Looks like you've been doing some painting," he remarked. Huh? "Painting. There are paint chips on your jacket." He pointed out,the white spots on the my shoulders. Those chips, of course, weren't paint. They were huge flakes of you-know-what.

When I relayed this incident to Claudio Lazo, scalp-manager-to-the-stars and a partner at Los Angeles' tony Allen Edwards Salon, he wasn't surprised. He told me that while I didn't have true dandruff (a condition that almost always is associated with an oily scalp), a combination of factors had obviously contributed to a one-time-only snowdrift of dry flakes: "Stress is one of the main causes of dry scalp," he says. In fact, stress can not only compound an existing scalp problem, it can create one. So can an excess of styling products, a diet high in fat, sugar or salt and hormonal changes. In fact, the vagaries of modern life conspire to curse everyone with flakiness at some point or another, according to Dale Abadir, M.D., a New York City-based dermatologist. "Cells in the hair root are the most rapidly developing in the body and are extremely sensitive to changes in nutritional status, pregnancy, even weather," she says.

Unfortunately, mass-market scalp treatments and dandruff remedies invariably contain harsh detergents that can further irritate the scalp and worsen the problem. "Natural remedies can be much more gentle and effective than chemical-based products," says Kathryn Hamernik, a researcher at Aveda, a Minneapolis-based company that specializes in personal care products derived from flowers and plants.

Even if you don't need to watch your blazer lapels for telltale flakes, your scalp deserves special treatment because its health determines, in large part, what your hair looks like. Each strand is enveloped in an outer casing of overlapping shingles called the cuticle. When the cuticle lies flat, hair reflects light and looks shiny and healthy. But the more cuticles are roughed up by harsh chemicals, styling, sun or excess heat, the duller and drier hair appears. The key to keeping cuticles flat and well-lubricated is regular brushing, which distributes oils from--you guessed it--scalp to ends. "Brushing increases blood flow and coats each hair with protective oils," Lazo says. "Every time you do a brush stroke you're closing the cuticle scales along the hair shaft, which makes hair look smooth and shiny."

Gentle brushing with a long-bristled plastic brush also loosens dead skin and won't make hair oilier or cause undo damage. The take-home message: Daily cleansing and brushing once a week using an extra-strength or "clarifying" shampoo (a bit stronger than regular shampoo--look for one that's free of oils and fragrances) is a good beginning for keeping your hair and scalp in good shape.

THE FOUR SCALP TYPES: WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

There are four conditions that affect the scalp--dry, oily, flaky and dandruff--and sometimes they appear in combination.

1 Dry Scalp, characterized by itching and sometimes, dry flakes (not dandruff-like clumps), can be caused by genetics or harsh shampoos; in the latter case, the damage can be offset by switching to a plant-based, pH-balanced product. Shampooing hair more than once a day also leads to problems. "People who exercise a lot need to cleanse more often, but they shouldn't shampoo more than once a day--just rinse," says Hamernik. And when you shower, turn down the water temperature. While hot water might be soothing, it can exacerbate a dry scalp problem. "Most of us use excessively hot water, which means you're no longer hydrating, you're dehydrating," she explains.

One of the best ways to treat dry scalp flakiness is with an essential oil, though oily scalps also can benefit. Lazo recommends massaging a few drops into the scalp for five minutes or longer before shampooing. Jojoba oil, which smells fresh and fruity and has a nongreasy feel, is "the most effective for breaking up encrusted oil and pollution and helps to break up flakes so that they're easier to remove during shampooing," Hamernik says.

Tea tree oil, a natural antiseptic that combats bacteria and soothes irritated skin, has a strong disinfectant smell, so look for hair products that contain it if you don't want to apply it in its pure form. A good one for normal to dry hair is Desert Essence's Daily Replenishing Conditioner with tea tree oil and jojoba. To ease the itchiness often associated with dry scalp, apply cooling eucalyptus oil. Essential oil of sage moisturizes and soothes very dry hair and a scalp that's been damaged by overprocessing. To use either of these essential oils, just warm a few drops in your palm, massage them into your hair, wrap head with a warm towel for 10 minutes or longer and then shampoo. A dry, itchy scalp is a bigger problem in winter and may need extra conditioning and essential oil treatments when the air tends to be drier.