Advice for your clients with itchy flaky scalp

Itchy, flaky scalp is a very common problem among clients – especially in the summer with the heat often exacerbating problems. However, unless linked with a skin issue such as Psoriasis or Eczema it tends to be something that clients dismiss or they hope will go away with a quick product fix. Other than the above mentioned conditions there are many other factors that lead to an itchy scalp. “Dehydration, not drinking enough water or consuming too much alcohol on a regular basis dehydrates skin and scalp," says Trichologist Sally-Ann Tarver from The Cotswold Trichology Centre. "Most people will then reach for a medicated shampoo, which then further dries the scalp adding to the problem rather than helping.” Rather than reach for a product as a fix for their itchy flaky scalp clients need to be advised that scalp care starts from within. Ask them whether they are hydrating properly and you'll soon see why their scalp isn't in pristine condition. Two litres of water a day is a necessary minimum to keep the flakes at bay and more if it the weather is hot. One thing that clients may want to do is scrub their scalp if it's flaky, in the same way we buff our body to get rid of dry skin but this isn't necessarily the first thing that should reach for. "Trichologist tend to use salicylic acid based keratolytic creams to soften and remove scales from the scalp rather than body scrub type creams," says Sally-Ann. However, incorporating a monthly scrub into their hair care routine once the problem has lifted would be a good thing to advise for heathy scalp circulation. When it comes to washing, because of the appearance of chunky flakes, clients will want to wash their hair more frequently. “If it is true dandruff ideally, it should be washed daily to control, the same goes for psoriasis," says Sally-Ann. But if it's not then advise them to drop their wash days to every other day – washing daily will exacerbate the dehydration. Teaming this cut back with the increased water consumption your client will see results in 6-8 weeks.