Woman in salon receives scalp health treatment

Scalp Care 101 – Trichologist Jay Small Has Your Best Scalp Health Solutions

August 5, 2024 BY JAY SMALL, HAIRSTYLIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF AREY

Scalp Health Questions? Arey Trichologist Jay Small Has the Answers

If your scalp is feeling icky, itchy, oily, flaky or sore, it can be scary and uncomfortable. And if your scalp health issues have you compulsively checking your shoulders for dandruff flakes, it can also be stressful and embarrassing. Don’t panic – scalp care doesn’t have to be complicated.

According to a recent dermatology study¹ Dandruff affects approximately 50% of adults worldwide. The good news is that the right scalp care can soothe and prevent irritated, flaky scalp skin. Read on to see the stories of 4 women (names changed for privacy) who I examined at our recent Arey scalp health event hosted by Credo.

I get it – dandruff isn’t the sexiest haircare topic but healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp so let’s take a close look together at some scalp care solutions:

Client Profile #1 – Ella, Age 19 – An Itchy, Irritated Scalp

Ella uses shampoo and conditioner every 3-4 days. She tries to extend time between washes because she has a lot of hair which she finds hard to wash and style. Ella came for a scalp evaluation to help understand why her scalp is flaky, itchy and irritated.

When I took a close look at Ella’s scalp through my magnifying Trichoscope, I could see mild white flaking – commonly known as dandruff. Dandruff can occur due to an overgrowth of a naturally occurring scalp yeast called Malassezia Ovalis, combined with an increase in the rate your scalp sheds dead skin cells. That’s why you start to see white flakes in your hair and on your shoulders.

Malassezia Ovalis (MO) is a natural part of your skin’s microbiome – a healthy body’s natural microbial ecosystem – but when it gets out of balance it can cause scalp itching and flaking. You can read more about healing your scalp’s microbiome here.

Here are my recommendations for Ella’s new hair and scalp care routine:

✅ Shampoo more often: shampooing more frequently with a gentle balanced shampoo like Wash will help stop the overgrowth of MO and reduce flaking.

✅ Use a scalp scrub: a regular gentle exfoliant like Scrub moisturizes and rebalances scalp skin to reduce itching and shedding.

Good scalp care means avoiding harsh ingredients that can unbalance your sensitive scalp skin. That’s why Arey doesn't use any potential scalp irritants like pthalates, gluten, artificial color or fragrance, parabens or sulfates (harsh cleansers). Because Ella needs to gently cleanse and rebalance her scalp, I suggested she switch to our Detox Set – a convenient bundle of our gentle Wash shampoo, Smooth conditioner and our Scrub scalp exfoliant.

Scrub uses a combination of Salicylic, Glycolic and Lactic acids to gently remove oil and dead skin cells from your scalp. Scrub also contains science-backed ingredients that boost your hair’s thickness, growth and shine. I recommend taking a few moments to massage Scrub gently into your scalp with your fingertips – this boosts blood flow and gives your scalp time to absorb the beneficial ingredients. With consistent use, Ella should see improvements in her hair and scalp health in 1-2 weeks.

Client Profile #2 – Mary, Age 46 – Stopping Scalp Flaking and Bleeding

Mary washes her hair every other day at night. She often goes to sleep with wet hair. She came to the scalp care event because her scalp is very itchy and she has large areas of flaking that appear stuck to her scalp. These can start to bleed when Mary subconsciously picks at them.

Mary’s scalp flaking is different from Ella’s dandruff because the flakes appear to be yellow and greasy and are seen all over her scalp, not just at the crown. This is a sign of Seborrheic Dermatitis caused by Malassezia Ovalis (MO) overgrowth. Studies have shown a link between Vitamin D deficiency and Seborrheic Dermatitis.² Beyond Vitamin D, sufferers may also be deficient in B6, Biotin, stressed or lacking adequate sleep.

Here are my recommendations for Mary’s new hair and scalp care routine:

✅ Shampoo every other day with Wash shampoo: allow Wash to sit on the scalp for several minutes while gently massaging your scalp. This helps dislodge flakes and allows the active soothing ingredients to be absorbed into your scalp.

✅ Use Scrub once a week: incorporating Scrub once per week will help inhibit fungal and bacterial overgrowth.

✅ Take a nutritional supplement: our daily supplement Not Today, Grey contains Vitamin D, B6 and Biotin which can help support any nutrient deficiencies affecting Mary’s scalp health.

✅ Don’t sleep with wet hair: wet hair provides the ideal environment for the fungal (MO) and bacterial overgrowth that cause Seborrheic Dermatitis.³

If you’re someone like Mary who has a busy morning schedule, it can be tempting to save time by washing your hair last thing at night, but it’s never a good idea to sleep in wet hair. When you get out of the shower try using using The Hair Wrap to quickly remove excess moisture without rubbing at your hair. When your hair is mostly dry use a dryer to remove any remaining dampness.

With these changes to her haircare routine and consistent use of the Detox Set, Mary should see improvement in her scalp health within 2-4 weeks. She should also see long-term improvement in her hair and scalp health after 1-3 months of taking the Not Today, Grey haircare supplement.

Client Profile #3 – Jenna, Age 27 – How to Cover Grey Hair Without Scalp Irritation

Jenna is starting to see grey hairs and is looking for a natural way to cover her greys. Jenna does not want to use hair dye because she has a sensitive scalp. She is also concerned about potential health issues from frequent chemical exposure.

We all see our first grey or white hairs at different times but the key is to take proactive steps to slow and reverse the process that is turning your hair grey.

Here are my recommendations for Jenna to slow, delay and repigment her grey hair:

✅ Use Arey’s Mela-9™ grey hair solutions: Our Wash shampoo, Scrub scalp exfoliant, Wait A Sec dry® shampoo and To The Root™ Serum all contain our science-backed Mela-9™ complex to naturally boost pigment (melanin) production to proactively slow and even reverse grey hair.

✅ Delay the grey hair with a supplement: our daily supplement Not Today, Grey contains vitamins and minerals essential for hair health and melanin production.

✅ Treat grey hair at the roots: To The Root™ serum delivers a potent cocktail of anti-greying antioxidants plus it delivers thicker, fuller, healthier hair.

When it comes to repigmenting grey hair naturally, it’s important to understand the difference between grey hair and white hair. Grey hair still contains some pigment so the follicle (hair root) can be stimulated to produce even more pigment. When your hair is already white, it can no longer produce pigment and can’t revert to your natural color.

With consistent use of The System and our other products that contain Mela-9™, Jenna should see marked reduction in her grey hair. Because hair grows around a half inch a month, it can take 3-6 months to see clear results.

Client Profile #4 – Renee, Age 42 – How to Soothe a Dry, Tight, and Irritated Scalp

Renee washes her hair every day and uses hair dye every 5 weeks. She is seeking advice on scalp care because her scalp often feels dry, tight and irritated.

The red color of Renee’s scalp indicates that she has erythema (skin inflammation). I recommended she switch to a clean, gentle shampoo like Arey Wash. I also suggested using Arey’s powder dry shampoo Wait A Sec® on her freshly washed hair to proactively reduce the buildup of oil so she needs to wash her hair less often.

Here are my recommendations for Renee to reduce scalp dryness and irritation:

✅ Switch to a clean, gentle shampoo: Wash shampoo is free from known scalp irritants and harsh cleansers (sulfates) that are found in many shampoos.

✅ Extend time between shampooing: I use Wait A Sec® dry shampoo on clean hair to slow the buildup of oil in the hair. Wait A Sec® gently absorbs oil and delivers hair-health-boosting ingredients to your tresses.

✅ Soothe the scalp after coloring: hair dye can irritate your scalp skin because of allergies or just through contact with chemicals. I recommend our Calm it Down™ Serum to effectively soothe Renee’s scalp irritation after coloring.

Renee is a prime candidate for our newest product Calm It Down™. Calm It Down™ is the first clinically effective, post color scalp serum that helps to reduce redness, soothe your scalp and counteract oxidative stress (a cellular process that damages your hair). She can apply Calm It Down™ to her scalp before coloring to prevent irritation. It can be reapplied after her colored hair is washed and conditioned and for several days afterwards for continued relief.

If Renee follows my recommendations for scalp care, she should experience immediate relief from her scalp tightness, redness, and itching.

Always Choose Clean Haircare for a Healthy Scalp and Hair

Good hair is about scalp care and haircare. That’s our philosophy at Arey. Our commitment to clean beauty means that you don't have to worry about our products containing harsh ingredients or potential scalp irritants.

We know that science + consistency = results. That’s why we offer 15% off on all auto replenish orders to help keep you on track with your hair health goals.

Have any questions? Check out our FAQ page or email us at hey@areygrey.com.

Jay Small with customer

AuthorJay SmallJay Small is a sought-after hair stylist and Trichologist in Los Angeles with over 22 years of experience. His clients consist of high-profile business and creative leaders. He trained as an apprentice to the owner of Paul Mitchell and worked in education and product development for Paul Mitchell Systems. Jay is incredibly passionate about the creative process both in terms of styling hair and developing effective products.

REFERENCES:

How To Reverse Your Grey Hair With Arey – Clare’s Story

What Is Clean Beauty? Why It Matters for Aging and Grey Hair

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