A healthy scalp should not have any redness or dryness and should be free of flakes or any signs of infection. Your scalp should look clean, smooth, and moisturized with no dryness on the surface. If you are experiencing any itchiness, irritation, or burning, this can indicate that your scalp is unhealthy.
First and foremost, what defines an unhealthy scalp? An unhealthy scalp is characterized by dryness, flaking, itching or excessive build up. The hair may break easily, fall out or the texture of the hair may change.
“A healthy scalp should be clear of flakes and irritation or redness, and it should be free of dryness, or any signs of infection, or disruption of the skin on the scalp.” Any itchiness, irritation or burning sensations might be signs of an unhealthy scalp.
"A healthy scalp is pink in tone, well hydrated, smooth, and free of flakes and any redness," says Abe Ayesh, a hair specialist and CEO of Eternal Hair & Esthetics, a clinic that specializes in hair restoration and aesthetic procedures. "When brushing your hair, there also shouldn't be any pain or flakes."
If you're having a hard time understanding whether you have fine or thin hair (or both), the best thing to grab a handful of hair in your fist, if it's long enough. Then looking in the mirror, look at the roots. If you can easily see your scalp through the hair, it's thin. If you can't, it's medium or thick.
Fine hair features thinner strands, which can make the scalp more visible. This is a natural characteristic and not necessarily a sign of hair loss or thinning. On the other hand, those with thicker hair strands usually have less visible scalps due to the increased volume and density of their hair.
SO WHAT COLOUR IS YOUR SCALP?:
YELLOW: You may have overactive sebum secretion clogging your follicles. It's a sign of scalp oxidization. Must start using the right hair care products and reflect on your lifestyle. PINK: Your scalp is weak and showing decreased micro-circulation throughout the scalp.
Sebum buildup appears as white or yellowish oily residue on the scalp. It sometimes produces flakes on the scalp and may be mistaken for dandruff, scalp eczema, or psoriasis.
It's called “dandruff” (pityriasis capitis) when it's on a teenager's or adult's scalp, and “cradle cap” when it's on a baby's. Seborrheic dermatitis can occur in other areas of your body.
Scalp 101
Not only does your scalp have a plethora of sweat glands, but it also has an abundance of sebaceous (oil) glands, which produce oily sebum. Have you ever scratched your scalp and noticed white, waxy buildup under your nails? That's sebum mixed with dead skin cells.
Your scalp may appear red, oily and scaly. The scales quickly flake off, and then dandruff appears. Dandruff looks like larger pieces of dry skin flaking off your scalp. It frequently comes and goes and is a very common condition.
Seeing a visible scalp is often a sign of fine hair, and genetics can be the primary cause for this type of hair loss. However, other common causes of thinning hair include stress, hormone imbalances, certain medications, illness or infections and malnutrition.
In general, the first signs of balding include a receding hairline, increase in hair shedding and a more visible scalp.
So try not to stress out about a few individual strands of lost hair on your hair tie. If you're concerned that you're shedding more hair than this, or you've noticed substantial hair loss when you wash or brush your hair, you're probably not paranoid. This may be the first sign of sustained hair loss.
Stress. Telogen hair, or 'resting' hair, comprises around 15% of the hair on a person's scalp. Periods of elevated stress can lead to this hair being temporarily lost, contributing to a visibly thinner scalp and hairline.
Can thin hair become thicker again? A person cannot change the texture of their hair. However, the hair may grow back after chemotherapy or pregnancy, for example.
Unfortunately, male and female pattern baldness is not reversible without surgical intervention. However, if detected early enough, certain medications, such as minoxidil, finasteride, and Dutasteride can help halt the progression of thinning hair.
The NCBI also shares that scalp care is essential in preventing diseases of the scalp and hair. So, as you may have guessed, using a scalp moisturizer is an important part of any hair care routine. If you don't moisturize your scalp, everything from dryness and dullness to dandruff and an itchy scalp can occur.
Your Hair Appears Dull
Dullness is a sign of hair damage. Hair with damaged cuticles will lack the smoothness and shininess that come from a smooth cuticle layer and properly moisturized hair. Damage that shows itself with dullness could be caused by pollution, UV rays, product buildup, hard water, and more.
The hair follicle can be negatively influenced by everything from sun exposure, to diet, stress, pollution, and the products we use. Poor scalp health can lead to visible signs of flaking, irritation, oily and or weaken damaged hair follicles which leads to breakage, thinning and eventually hair loss.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.