Scalp treatments are the latest hair care trend on the market. Brands have been pushing scalp products as an added step to achieve healthy hair. For women with natural hair, it can seem like another step to our already vigorous hair care routine. But this isn’t just any hair step. It’s one backed by science. Research shows that scalp conditions impact our hair growth through oxidative stress. The skin condition is a disturbance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body.
Oxidative stress was understood to start on our face, causing aging, but it actually begins on our scalp, causing permanent hair loss. This is just one of the many examples of how an uncared-for scalp can rapidly cause more significant issues. Our scalp, just like our skin, needs a healthy routine to keep the skin at its best.
I’m on top of my skincare routine like my life depends on it. I’m constantly investing in skincare products, putting on face masks, and regularly visiting my esthetician to ensure this face is one point. When I was approached to attend a scalp consultation, I didn’t understand the need.
I wash my hair thoroughly once a week and definitely give my scalp the good scrub it deserves. However, my hair has been extremely dry due to the dry winter months. This has caused my hair to have severe breakage. Part of me wondered if it was because my scalp was dry, and after reading the studies just discussed, I figured following through with an appointment couldn’t hurt.
What Is A Scalp Consultation?
A scalp consultation uses a microscopic camera to look deeper into your crown. The consultation will focus on five areas: hair loss, sensitivity, density, dead skin cells, and thickness. Each section will then receive an overall score. The scores may vary depending on the care of the scalp area. Measuring these points will help you get greater insight into your scalp and hair needs. From there, your consultant will recommend products and a routine that will be kinder for your scalp. Getting a consultation is essentially getting to the root of your hair needs.
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My Experience
I went to the Act+Acre studio and trichologist-developed scalp brand to consult with founder Helen Reavey. She kindly welcomed me into her studio as if I were entering her home. Her warm embrace was comforting since I felt vulnerable about my scalp's possible imperfections. Reavey began by asking me if I had any scalp concerns and what my hair care routine was. I had expressed to her that my hair had been experiencing a bit of dryness.
Before I could go further, she gracefully reminded me that it’s quite normal to experience dryness at this time of year. Reavey mentions, “You may want to consider changing your hair and scalp routine for the season. It could help immensely.” I hadn’t considered the idea until then, but it made sense. If you change up your skincare routine for the season, why not the way you care for your scalp and hair?
Reavey wasted no time getting to the root of the consultation. She grabbed her scalp camera and began examining my scalp, which I could see through a monitor. I began questioning if I should have cleansed more or at least put a little dry shampoo, but then what would be the point of the consultation? I watched nervously.
To my surprise, Reavey described my scalp as being in fairly good condition despite having some dryness in a few areas. I was shocked! I responded, “I’ve been using scalp scrubs; maybe that’s been helping?” Reavey then explained to me that scalp scrubs can dry out the scalp and damage the skin. “If you wouldn’t put it on your face, you shouldn’t put it on your scalp,” Reavey said. I nearly had a flash of every scalp scrub article I had written, but before I could think further, it was time for my recommendations.
Recommended Plan of Action
Reavey showed me my scores, which were nearly perfect despite all of my anxiety. She recommended that I wash my hair bi-weekly and, in between, do a co-wash. I had meant to implement co-washing into my routines, and this was just a perfect excuse to start.
Then she packed me a goodie bag of the following products: scalp detox (because scrubs are now canceled), hair oil, curl spray, and soft curl, all found on the brand's website. I was immensely grateful as she explained how to implement each product into my routine.
She also gave me a showerhead filter as if the other goodies weren’t amazing enough. "Filtered water can help keep the hair moisturized and promote hair growth,” Reavey said. Living in New York, I’m lucky the water isn’t as harsh here. However, spending my college years in Florida, I know other states aren’t as lucky. Florida’s water had a huge impact on the health of my skin and hair, leading to intense dryness. Despite now living in New York, I was grateful to receive a shower filter. The product I received will be available for others to purchase in the first week of February.
Would I Recommend It?
I would absolutely recommend getting a scalp consultation regardless of whether you are having scalp issues or not. The scalp is an essential area in our body that gets neglected often but can cause significant issues if not cared for. Your scalp deserves the same tender, love, and care you would give to your skin.
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“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
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Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
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Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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