Hair exfoliation is a relatively recent beauty practice that involves removing all impurities and dead skin cells. The goal is to bring softness and lightness to the scalp. However, as this care technique is gaining more popularity and can be adopted by anyone, it is important to know more about its frequency of use and when to incorporate it into one's hair care routine. Here's what you need to know.
When should you exfoliate your scalp?
Summary
Published on February 15, 2022, updated on February 8, 2024, by Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences — 4 min of reading
What type of hair should undergo a scrub?
Relatively new, the scalp scrub is a deep treatment in the form of a paste, gel, or cream with a granulated texture. It helps to remove pollutants, excess sebum, dead cells, dandruff, and all other impurities (hairspray, gel, dry shampoo, etc...) on the scalp surface. The scalp scrub thus helps to purify the hair fiber and make it healthier. It also improves the penetration of active ingredients and enhances the effect of hair treatments. Thanks to the scalp scrub, the scalp is "aerated" and stimulated, thus creating a favorable environment for hair growth.
All hair types can benefit from exfoliation. However, this beauty routine is particularly recommended for effectively combating dandruff and oily roots. It can also have positive effects on dry, tired/dull hair, and alleviate itching. On the other hand, it is advised to proceed with caution on colored hair. Indeed, it can potentially fade the color faster than expected, thus making the hair less vibrant. This care technique is also not recommended for irritated scalps, with lesions (micro-cuts, pimples...), eczema, psoriasis, etc... as it can be aggressive and therefore worsen the situation.
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When should you exfoliate your hair?
It is recommended to perform the exfoliation in the evening so that the hair can appreciate the active ingredients it contains. Moreover, the hair scrub should be done before your usual hair care routine (shampoo, conditioner, hair mask).
If you have colored hair, you can perform a hair scrub during the last shampoo before renewing your color. Indeed, the granules can cause the color to bleed and damage the dye. Otherwise, you can possibly do one right after coloring to avoid irritations. This will clean the scalp and remove any remaining pigment residues. However, if you plan to treat another hair issue between two colorings, it's better to rely on a gentle hair exfoliant with small-sized grains. For instance, salt can cause colors to bleed.
How often should you perform a hair scrub?
While everyone can try it, it's important to be mindful of the frequency of application and to use it in moderation. It's crucial to space out the scrubs and limit oneself to once a month for dry, healthy, or sensitive scalps. On the other hand, for oily scalps or those prone to dandruff, a hair scrub once or even twice a week is recommended. In the case of colored hair, it's advisable to limit its use to once or twice a month.
If overused, this beauty routine could potentially have the opposite effect on your hair, thus becoming counterproductive. Indeed, excessive use could strip the scalp's skin, further weaken the hair, and overly stimulate the sebaceous glands, which would then produce more sebum to protect the scalp. Similarly, for those with sensitive scalps, it is advised to use it sparingly to avoid exacerbating the condition.
