Everyone wants healthy, beautiful hair. When it begins to look dull, damaged, or thinner than usual, you want to take steps to fix it as soon as possible. It makes sense to focus on enhancing the shine of your hair—or even working on preventing common hair challenges such as split ends. However, these strategies won’t necessarily keep your hair in good health long after you’ve taken care of them. By attending to your head as well as your hair, you can help avoid common hair problems in the future and enjoy more shine and strength over the long term.

When you’re struggling to grow your hair, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself and find the right tools. The more you learn about hair health and hair regrowth, the quicker you’ll discover that it’s just as important to care for your scalp as your hair shaft. After all, the scalp is the foundation of your hair.

In this guide, we’ll explain more about why your scalp needs attention, as well as what can happen if you only pay attention to the hair on your head. You’ll also discover how to improve your hair and scalp care routine at home. With the help of these tips and facts, you’ll be able to create a strategy for achieving healthier hair over the long term.

Before you learn the difference between a healthy vs unhealthy scalp, it’s helpful to understand your hair anatomy. First, let’s begin with your actual hair. Each strand is made of a protein called keratin, which occurs naturally throughout the body. These keratin-rich fibers have two parts, which include the hair shaft and the hair follicle.

The hair shaft is what you know as the hair on your head, while the follicle lives below your skin where you can’t see it. The follicle, which is made up of blood vessels and nerves, needs nourishment from the body in order to grow and stay healthy. According to Healthline, these include everyday nutrients such as protein, iron, and vitamin D. Getting these nutrients in your daily routine can help keep your hair healthy from the inside out.

By now, you know that a healthy scalp sets the foundation for quality hair follicles. There are a variety of other reasons to take good care of your head. Take note of these benefits of better scalp care:

Healthier hair follicles and hair shafts: The scalp is the part of your head where hair follicles live. It’s also the place where your hair shaft starts. Having a scalp care routine will influence better hair growth from its foundation.

Thicker-looking hair: If your hair doesn’t receive the nutrition it needs, or your follicles are otherwise affected, your hair may not look as thick or luxurious as usual.

Helps in promoting hair growth while aging: By taking care of your scalp, you can keep your hair thick and full while also helping to slow down the effects of hair aging. Just like aging skin loses moisture and takes on more wrinkles, older hair follicles won’t produce as luxurious or youthful hair as they once did. Anti-aging efforts focused on retaining nutrients and moisture are helpful in growing as many healthy hair follicles as possible.

When your scalp is healthy, you will notice a few basic benefits to your appearance. They’re easy to see in the mirror, but you may also notice them as you wash your hair or style it. Look for the following signs of nutrient-rich hair follicles and shafts:

Thick, full hair: The hair is not thin and there is no breakage present. Instead, it is thick and full across the entire head. This includes the roots of the hair at the scalp.

Moisture-rich tresses: When your scalp is healthy, your hair will be shiny and have plenty of moisture. If you have curls, they will appear supple and bouncy. Straight and wavy hair will have plenty of definition.

Clean skin: A healthy scalp is free of dandruff or dry flakes. There are also no signs of inflammation or irritation. The skin may appear pink or flesh-colored, but never red or swollen.

Knowing the signs of an unhealthy scalp is just as important to promoting healthy hair growth. Check for these symptoms the next time you brush your hair or take a bath or shower.

Excess Buildup: Natural substances such as dead skin cells, sweat, and oil are left behind on your scalp over time. This scalp buildup can clog your hair follicles and block the nourishment that’s needed for healthy hair growth. In extreme cases, the buildup may lead to a condition called folliculitis, which causes hair follicle inflammation and can even lead to an infection. Using products that gently exfoliate the scalp can help to remove buildup.

Thinner Hair: If your hair looks thinner than usual, it could be because of your scalp. When the skin on your head becomes irritated by dandruff, skin cells, or product buildup, your follicles may not have the space or nutrition to grow thick and supple.

Scalp Acne: The buildup left behind by oil and sweat can lead to breakouts on your scalp. This is often referred to as scalp acne. The condition is characterized by irritation around your hairline. While unsightly, it can also feel itchy and uncomfortable.

There are clear differences between a healthy and an unhealthy scalp. Thankfully, there are many ways to improve your scalp health. You can also get started immediately on your way to hair regrowth or an improved appearance to your hair. Engage in the following activities:

Brush and Style Gently: If you brush, straighten, or curl too hard, you can damage your hair follicles. Instead, brush and style with care to keep each and every follicle intact.

Use Healthy Scalp Products: There are shampoos, conditioners, and supporting products out there that can help to stimulate hair follicle growth, remove buildup, and promote healthy hair growth. Use these on a daily basis to encourage the removal of oil and skin cells while encouraging nutrients to the scalp.

Try Hair Vitamins: You or a loved one may take multivitamins or a custom vitamin regimen to help the body stay healthy. While it’s true that hair vitamins aren’t prescribed by a physician, they can help to nourish your hair and scalp. Since they’re formulated for overall hair health, they can help to address the common causes of hair loss. Beneficial ingredients include vitamins, amino acids, and DHT blockers.

Minimize Hair Treatments: Chemical treatments, such as relaxing, straightening, or bleaching, can affect the hair of your scalp. If your scalp is unhealthy, avoid these activities. Instead, get a new hairstyle at the salon or experiment with a few new different styling products.

Massage Your Scalp: While scalp massages feel great and relieve stress, they’re also good for your hair health. Massages stimulate the nerves and blood vessels on top of your head, which can help to drive oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles.

To perform a traditional scalp massage on yourself, place the fingertips of both of your hands on the top of your head. While applying light pressure to your scalp, move your fingertips around in small circular motions. Work across your entire head for up to five minutes at a time. You may repeat this multiple times per day. Some men and women choose to use an exfoliating treatment at the same time to enhance the hair and scalp-boosting benefits.

While you adjust your hair care routine at home, you can also further enhance your scalp health by using our line of hair therapy products. Our CAP+ Clinical Hair Therapy Shampoo is clinical hair care that works to exfoliate the scalp and remove excess buildup while gently yet effectively cleansing the hair. Its lower pH formula helps to purify your hair shaft, as well as your hair follicles. All of this is done without removing any natural moisture.

The perfect companion, our CAP+ Clinical Hair Therapy Conditioner makes hair soft and shiny without weighing it down with buildup. With the help of its restorative properties, you’ll also find that each strand looks more bouncy and full. Some men and women notice their hair also becomes more manageable with frequent use. When combined with our Revitalizer and Activator, you’ll remove excess sebum, pollutants, and perspiration from your scalp while stimulating, fortifying, and enriching your hair follicles.

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If you’re interested in hair vitamins, you’ll benefit from our Cap+ Clinical Hair Therapy Hair Health Supplement. It includes key ingredients such as saw palmetto, biotin, and cysteine to address challenges with hair loss. Take it twice daily to support healthy hair. It also includes vitamins, amino acids, and DHT blockers. Purchase the supplements alone or in a bundle with our hair therapy products to save the most money and further boost your hair health.

When you want additional assistance with hair health or hair regrowth, try our CapillusPro^TM, which is the world’s first FDA-cleared, clinically proven laser therapy cap to treat hair loss. It harnesses photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), formerly often referred to as low-level laser therapy, to stimulate and improve the health of your hair follicles.

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This medical application of laser science can stimulate cellular function and promote healing. Since it has also been shown to be effective in energizing and stimulating cells within the hair follicle, it can help promote fuller and healthier looking hair in people with hair health challenges or even male pattern baldness.

Wear the discreet cap design anywhere you’d like, including in the comfort of your home and on-the-go. In just six minutes per day, you’ll start to see results. You’ll love its flexible fit, convenience, and ease of use. Best of all, it has no known side effects.

There are many causes for hair and scalp challenges. No matter the reason for needing to improve your scalp health, it’s helpful to know more about the variety of tools and solutions available to you. Whether you experience frequent dryness or buildup or tend to have seasonal hair issues, a combination of products for daily use and lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

It’s even possible to improve your scalp health when dealing with conditions such as male pattern baldness. Refer to this guide whenever you need to review the major facts or symptoms surrounding your scalp health. Our list of products will also help you get started on your journey to an improved appearance, enhanced confidence, and better hair health.