What to Use for Dry Scalp: Solutions and Recommendations You Should Try

Living with a dry scalp can be a nightmarish experience. What makes matters worse is that you may not even realize you’re suffering from a dry scalp because the signs overlap with many other skin problems. But what do you do if you have a dry scalp?

We’ll tell you what to use for dry scalp and share our top recommendations for relief.

What is a Dry Scalp?

If your scalp itches uncontrollably and you notice flakes of skin coming off it, you have a dry scalp. A dry scalp is unable to produce enough natural oils to keep itself moisturized. So it gets easily dehydrated to the point where the outer layer of the skin crumbles into flakes and itches.

It’s an icky problem to have because it’s stubborn and annoying.

You may find yourself scratching your scalp often, much to your discomfort and embarrassment. If left untreated, a bad case of a dry scalp can sometimes be rather painful too. So you need to carefully consider what to use for a dry scalp.

What Causes a Dry Scalp?

So many things! Your dry scalp could be an outcome of:

Genetic Predisposition

Some people are prone to dry scalps because of genetic reasons that affect the production of sebum (natural oils released by glands in your skin). Sebum acts as a natural moisturizer for the skin on your scalp and also forms a protective barrier that prevents infections.

Normally, your body produces just enough sebum so that it can do its job without making your hair greasy.

But when you’re unable to produce as much sebum as you should, it affects the moisture retention capacity of your scalp. Your scalp loses hydration quickly and easily. This leads to dehydrated skin that gets itchy and starts flaking.

Apart from that, you could also inherit dry skin from your parents. In such cases, you become vulnerable to a dry scalp.

Dermatological Conditions

If it’s not genetics, then it could be a skin problem that’s giving you a dry and itchy scalp. Many dermatological conditions, like psoriasis, dermatitis, ringworm, etc., have one common side effect - a dry, inflamed, and irritated scalp. When left untreated, dermatological problems can become painful, causing you a great deal of discomfort.

You may even develop fissures on your scalp or experience mild bleeding in some cases.

Seasonal Allergies

Allergies caused by environmental allergens, like pollen, can also give you skin allergies. Such allergies may affect even the skin on your scalp, making it dry, scaly, and itchy.

You could also suffer from food-related allergies that may lead to hives and dry skin on your scalp.

Harsh Weather Conditions

Extreme temperatures cause your skin to lose moisture faster than it normally does, resulting in chapped skin on your body and a dry scalp. Think of chapped lips during winter and you'll know exactly what we’re talking about. Although weather conditions don’t cause chronic dryness in the scalp, it could be the silent culprit, especially if it’s never happened to you.

Ways to Relieve a Dry Scalp

Don’t be scared of your dry scalp. Unless caused by a chronic condition, it’s easily manageable at home. The recommendations we are sharing today are easy to follow and won’t burn a hole in your pocket. You just have to be consistent with what to use for dry scalp, that’s all.

1. Consult a Dermatologist

Do the right thing—don't try to self-diagnose at home. Consult a dermatologist to find out why you’re suffering from a dry scalp. Knowing the underlying cause determines what you need to do to treat the problem. Your doctor might suggest medication and topical ointments if you’re suffering from something like scalp ringworm.

Otherwise, you’ll only need to make a few changes in your hair care routine.

2. Change Your Hair Care Routine

Show your scalp some love and understand its unique requirements.

Don’t wash your hair with hot water if you have a dry scalp — heat dehydrates your skin. Take showers in lukewarm or preferably room temperature water. Gently massage the roots of your hair to loosen those pesky skin flakes and wash them off.

Stop using your fingernails to scratch that itch!

Be careful while drying your hair too. We recommend towel drying for dry scalps because it’s the best, but if you prefer using a blow dryer, use a heat protectant for safety.

Let your hair dry completely before detangling and styling it. Hairbrushes with soft and densely packed bristles, like a boar bristle comb, work well for irritated scalps. So make these small but significant changes to your routine to get relief.

3. Choose Products That are Good for You

Ditch your old hair care products and go for shampoos that contain ingredients that help provide relief to a dry scalp. Aloe vera, peaches, and acai berries are some of the key ingredients to look for because they replenish lost moisture and help in barrier repair.

We have two incredible products, the Peach Shampoo and the Acai Shampoo that provide intense moisturizing for those with dry scalps. You can use these shampoos if your dry scalp does not have an underlying medical cause.

4. Try a Hydrating Scalp Treatment

Go for a specially formulated treatment meant to deeply condition and moisturize your scalp. Such treatments are usually directly applied to your scalp and provide immediate relief. You can apply these treatments on a clean scalp up to 3 times a week to witness improvement.

Scalp treatments can come in the form of revitalizing or oil-based products. Read the ingredient list carefully before applying it to your scalp.

We recommend doing a patch test on the inside of your elbows to avoid any unwelcome reactions to the scalp treatment.

5. Make Changes to Your Lifestyle

We’re sure you must hear this often but leading a healthy lifestyle has its perks. When you help your body, you give it what it needs to repair and rejuvenate itself. Seemingly small changes, like drinking roughly a gallon of water every day can prevent dryness in your skin and scalp.

So, don’t overlook your lifestyle. Load your diet with fruits and veggies with high water content, cut down on processed food and drinks, and get plenty of sleep.

Break the curse of bad habits — a little bit of self-care goes a long way in preventing most problems, including a dry scalp.

Product Recommendations for a Dry Scalp

Now that you know so much about dry scalps, it’s time for some product recommendations. These are our favorites and we’d love for you to try them.

1. NuMe Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner Duo

This is a dandruff defense shampoo and conditioner combo that contains two key botanical ingredients that are very effective in treating dry scalps - tea tree leaf oil and argan oil. While the tea tree leaf oil fights pesky skin flakes and infections like a pro, the argan oil acts as a natural emollient to soothe your angry scalp.

Whether you suffer from stubborn dandruff or get a seasonal flair-up, this duo can take care of your hair’s needs. Apart from providing relief to an irritated scalp, these hair care products give you soft, shiny, and nourished hair too.

2. NuMe Peach Shampoo & Conditioner

If you're looking for a fruity twist in your hair care routine, the NuMe Peach Shampoo & Conditioner Duo is a must-try. The NuMe Peach Shampoo is like a peachy potion that cleanses and protects your hair. Loaded with Vitamin A, C, and E, it strengthens your hair and guards against environmental stress and a dry, flaky scalp. While the NuMe Peach Conditioner deeply conditions your hair, leaving it soft, shiny, and smooth. The natural ingredients in this duo work together to heal damaged hair and provide protected and strong results, making your hair care routine a delightful and effective experience.

3. Scalp Serum

Our last suggestion of the day is one of our top-selling products - the NuMe Hairology Scalp Serum made with rosemary, alfalfa, hops, and malilito extracts. Powered by hair-loving botanicals, this serum repairs the damaged skin on your scalp, soothes irritation, and supports scalp health.

The Hairology Scalp serum is lightweight and gets absorbed very quickly. It’s good for all hair types since it is not greasy and neither does it weigh your hair down.

You can apply this serum on a clean scalp and hair for the best results.

Treat Your Dry Scalp the Right Way with NuMe

That’s it for today. Now you know all about what to use for dry scalp. All you need to do is grab the best products and get started with your hair care routine.

We promise to be back with another informative post on another common problem soon. Don’t forget to try our recommendations and follow our blog for more.

FAQs

1. Can a dry scalp cause hair loss?

No, hair loss is caused by other reasons. But if you already suffer from hair loss, then a dry scalp can worsen the problem.

2. Can you put Vaseline on your dry scalp?

Using Vaseline to massage your scalp can loosen skin flakes and provide some hydration. This petroleum jelly-based product can even help those with dandruff but it’s best not to depend on Vaseline for treating a dry scalp.

3. Is it good to leave oil on your scalp overnight?

That depends on your scalp and hair. If you suffer from a very dry scalp and equally brittle hair, overnight oiling can have some hydration benefits. But it’s better to wash it off after anywhere between 45 minutes to 4 hours for best results. Leaving it in for too long can easily clog your pores.

4. How to exfoliate your scalp?

Be gentle with the process and careful of the ingredients when you choose a scrub to exfoliate a dry scalp. Exfoliation with the right ingredients, like aloe, acai berries, peach, etc. can help remove flaking skin and rejuvenate your scalp barrier.

The wrong ingredients or methods can worsen the problem.