More and more brands are launching scalp care products. But are they worth buying? Well, it’s very true that the condition of your scalp can influence the quality of the hair which is produced. We first need to distinguish the two parts of the hair. The pre-emergent part (inside the skin) and the post-emergent part (outside the skin). In this post I will focus on the pre-emergent part as this concerns the scalp. The focus point for many scalp issues (and the word to remember) is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress comes from damaging free radicals, which we regularly encounter from environmental sources like UV radiation and pollution. Free radicals are known to accelerate skin aging and disturb the scalp skin barrier. Pre-emergent hair can be negatively impacted by the oxidative stress that occurs with an unhealthy scalp. When the hair fibre surface as it emerges from the scalp is already compromised and are poorly formed as it grows, brushing and styling will very likely lead to breakage of the hair. ➡️The second slide (swipe right) perfectly shows how oxidative stress impacts the pre-emergent hair and thereby also the post-emerging hair. ⭐️Do scalp care treatments work? 1️⃣Besides oxidative stress, poor scalp skin condition, such as dandruff, psoriasis and dermatitis, also affect hair quality. If you suffer from such conditions and ‘standard’ (OTC) treatments do not work I recommend to consult a dermatologist. 2️⃣Then there are products (like from the ordinary and living proof) which focus on moisturizing and soothing the scalp and often contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, propylene glycol and oils. These products are absolutely fine to use, can never harm and definitely might help to reduce dryness and irritation. 3️⃣Reducing oxidative stress at the scalp creates an environment that appears to allow the pre-emergent hair fibre to mature normally. Currently, there are not many proven treatments for targeting that oxidative stress. Personally, I would look out for brands which focus on that oxidative stress problem and incorporate specific antioxidants in their formula. Are you using a scalp care treatment?