Every day in a bid to boost our hair growth, we bombard the hair with products upon products, chemicals upon chemicals forgetting that while these products may promise you hair growth, they make you forget to tend to the soil on which your hair grows. Your scalp is the soil on which your hair grows. A healthy scalp is your surest passport to having a healthy hair. This simply means that you need to go beyond adding shampoo to also making sure you detox your scalp from time to time because hair products that are continually used can clog pores thus leading to a slow hair growth.
Even if you only use natural hair care, what about the daily pollution from dust and dirt that may get into the hair? I can bet you aren’t even certain of the quality of water you use in washing your hair except you live where there is access to pure, natural water. You need to know how to detox your scalp to boost the health of your hair. Enough of focusing on the hair itself; let’s go to the root of the matter.
What is Scalp Detox?
Scalp detox is simply cleansing off grime and toxins from the scalp. This helps in balancing your scalp PH and the natural oil present in your hair. When you detox your scalp, you unclog and rejuvenate your hair follicles thereby creating a healthy room for your hair to grow.
Why You Should Detox Your Scalp
If you think scalp detox is a waste of time, the benefits alone are enough to motivate you to add it to your hair care routine. Detoxing your scalp:
- Enhances the health of your scalp which is the foundation of your hair follicles.
- Revitalizes your hair cells.
- Cures acne on the scalp.
- Eliminates toxins to promote healthy hair growth.
- Brings in oxygen and other nutrients to the base of your hair.
- Rids your hair of dryness and scalp irritation.
How to Detox Your Scalp
You don’t necessarily have to visit the salon just to have a scalp detox. You can get it done all by yourself by following any of these four ways to detox your scalp.
Massage Your Scalp
Scalp massage is the easiest way to detox your scalp. Massaging your scalp increases blood circulation and stimulates your hair follicles to grow some healthy hair. Having a scalp massage also helps in relaxing your nerves after having a very tiring day.
How to: Use your fingers as you switch between gentle and quick movements on your scalp. If you have a dry scalp, you can add oil as you massage to lubricate your scalp and increase the sheen. You can use coconut oil, castor oil or olive oil to do this.
Baking Soda
Photo credit: BlackHairInformation
Baking soda, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, is a very good cleanser that absorbs grease, oil and product residue from your hair. It is a natural antibacterial that helps in treating dandruff. When massaged into the scalp, baking soda removes impurities from the scalp.
How to: Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a cup of water. Massage the mixture into your scalp and rinse your hair after a couple of minutes. To make the outermost layer of your hair really shiny, you can use apple cider vinegar to rinse your hair too. Apple cider vinegar also helps in balancing the hair and scalp ph levels and kills the bacteria that cause dandruff and itchy scalp.
Lime Juice Rinse
Many people drink lime juice mixed with warm water to detoxify their bodies. Lime juice can also be used for scalp detox. The alpha hydroxy acid in lime juice removes the outer layer of dead skin cells to increase hair shine while promoting hair growth.
How to: Mix one tablespoon of lime juice with a cup of water. Pour the rinse on your hair and massage it into your scalp while working it through your hair. Wait for five minutes before washing off with cold water. You can as well use lime rinse as a conditioner after washing your hair with shampoo. Do this once a week.
Cucumber and Lime Scalp Detox
Besides using lime juice rinse to detox your scalp, you can combine it with cucumber. Cucumber serves as a moisturizer for your hair. The anti-itching and anti-inflammatory properties of cucumber help in reducing itchiness.
How to: Blend cucumber to a paste then mix the paste with lime juice. Use your fingers to apply the mixture on each sections of your scalp. Massage gently for two minutes and let it sit for about 15 minutes before washing out. You can do this once or twice a week.
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Now you know how to detox your scalp. Which of these ways would you prefer using? I think I’d go for the lime juice scalp detox or maybe the massage since it sounds simpler and relaxing. How about you?
