A beauty writer’s guide to scalp health
For most beauty fans, looking after hair is a huge part of everyday routines, whether it’s tackling frizz or fighting oiliness. But while many of us invest heavily in styling products, scalp health is often overlooked entirely.
Yet, according to experts, a clean, balanced scalp environment plays a major role in maintaining healthy hair growth and preventing issues such as dryness, dandruff, and even thinning. And despite spending years writing about beauty and testing countless haircare launches, I realised I knew surprisingly little about how actually to care for the skin beneath my hair.
To bridge the gap, I visited the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic in London to meet with senior consultant trichologist Susie Akin-Sheath. Using a microscope to examine my hair density, she asked about my lifestyle, from stress and hormones to my daily diet.
While my scalp was healthy with no signs of inflammation, I’d been feeling unusually tired and had noticed a sudden, worrying increase in hair shedding. Rather than attributing it solely to scalp health, Susie suggested the issue could be linked to an underlying internal factor instead.
After blood tests, it turned out she was right: my vitamin D levels were lower than normal, which can impact optimal hair growth and contribute to increased shedding. It was a reminder that external and lifestyle factors can also play a huge role in the condition of our hair, so I quickly stocked up on some Solgar Vitamin D3 (£10.07 for 90 tablets, Holland & Barrett) and Solgar Folate, aka folic acid (£24 for 60 tablets, Boots).
And according to Susie, misconceptions around scalp care are incredibly common. One of the biggest myths she regularly encounters is the belief that washing your hair too frequently is bad for your scalp and hair health: “The scalp environment is so important and regular washing is crucial to keeping the scalp healthy.”
However, she highlighted that while blow-drying doesn’t affect the follicle itself, it’s vital for scalp health. Leaving hair damp creates a humid, oil-rich environment where bacteria can thrive, leading to imbalances that cause irritation and dandruff.
When speaking to Susie, it made me think of countless hair-training trends, including a friend who trained her hair by relying heavily on dry shampoo and washing it less often. But while Susie explained she has nothing against dry shampoo itself, she stressed that it should never replace proper cleansing altogether.
“It shouldn’t be overused or relied upon as a substitute for proper shampooing,” she said. “But between washes it can help to refresh the hair at the roots and restore volume until your next blow-dry.”
Instead, Susie suggests using a scalp toner to maintain a healthy scalp environment, such as Philip Kingsley’s Flaky/Itchy Anti-Dandruff Scalp Toner (£26) or the Density Stimulating Scalp Toner (£22). “Toners can also be useful to refresh the scalp and reduce irritation in between washes,” Susie explained.
Following the consultation, I moved into a targeted hour-long hair spa that felt a little more in-depth than a standard salon trip. The session kicked off with a bespoke mask to deeply hydrate my scalp barrier and replenish the mid-lengths.
Then came the heavyweight: Philip Kingsley’s legendary Elasticizer (£41). Originally formulated for Audrey Hepburn to combat on-set damage, this pre-shampoo powerhouse is designed to snap hair back to life by boosting elasticity and preventing breakage.
After a scalp massage, I spent 20 minutes under a gentle steam to help those conditioning ingredients penetrate deep into the cuticle. My hair felt noticeably silkier, but the real win was my scalp – it felt refreshed, light, and reset in a way I’d never experienced before.
Before leaving, I asked Susie for her top piece of advice for those in their 30s and 40s looking to future-proof their hair. Her answer was refreshingly grounded: there is no viral miracle product. Instead, the key to long-term growth lies in a balanced diet, consistent nutrient monitoring, and prioritising your overall health.
It was a total perspective shift. For years, I had treated haircare as a purely cosmetic game, all about shine, styling, and masking damage.
My time at the clinic proved that scalp care is actually an extension of skincare and wellness. The quality of my hair isn’t just determined by the bottles in my shower; it can also reflect stress levels, hormones, and nutrition.
While no scrub or serum can stop the clock entirely, learning to read your scalp’s signals is far more empowering than mindlessly following a TikTok hair training trend. If this experience taught me anything, it’s that our scalps deserve the same level of investment and attention as the hair we spend so much time styling.
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