Healthy hair thrives when it has a healthy scalp. An itchy, red, or flaky scalp can be caused by a dry scalp, dandruff, or psoriasis. Let’s look at the causes of each of these and then some things you can do to help treat them. 

A dry scalp looks similar to a dry desert floor. It can appear white and be itchy but not flaky. A dry scalp usually indicates that you need to increase your water intake. So be sure you’re drinking your eight glasses daily. In some cases, a dry scalp can also be a reaction to a hair product you are using. 

 

Dandruff is caused by the overproduction of oil by the hair follicle. Flakes are created when too much oil is produced and not filtered out correctly. Dandruff is also caused by a fungus called Malassezia, a type of yeast that lives and dies on our scalp. 

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, not just a scalp issue. Psoriasis is in the bloodstream and can cause flakes and dryness anywhere in the body. There's no cure for psoriasis, and we highly recommend you seek medical advice for treatments to help control flare-ups. 

 

Finding Relief! 

Here are some products that can provide some scalp relief:

1. Head and Shoulders (help decrease flakes and dry scalp)
2. Selsun Blue for dandruff (anti-fungal and anti-bacterial) used 1-2/week max
3. T-Gel (helps with people with psoriasis) used 1-2/week max

Keep in mind, that these shampoos can be drying to the hair after a while and they are not safe on Lasio Keratin treated hair. To protect your hair and your keratin, you can alternate the use of these shampoos with natural plant based oils such as:

• Tea tree oil
• Eucalyptus
• Citronella
• Lavender
• Cinnamon
• Peppermint
• Clove
• Thyme 

 

Pin this cheat sheet for future reference!