Get To The Root of Your Hair Woes

By Audrey Patterson

Hair Expert Mia Petersen

Mia Petersen, brand specialist at Nordic beauty brand Urtekram, shares her advice on getting to the root of your hair concerns, and transforming lifeless hair to luscious locks.

Hair Hygiene

Although it may appear obvious, good scalp hygiene is essential to hair growth. As you would have a routine for skincare, the scalp needs a similar level of TLC to maintain an optimum level of health. This means its free of itchiness, redness, flakiness, irritation and excessive hair loss.

It’s important to note however that hair loss is natural, as the hair follows 3 phases (anagen, catagen, and telogen) and is eventually shed before new hair grows out. Hair loss can also be due to medication, nutrition and many other factors.

Massage, Don’t Scrub

When using shampoo, we should be focusing on the scalp as opposed to the hair itself. Most of us are guilty of scrubbing the shampoo into the roots, however, instead using a gentle massaging technique will increase circulation and avoid causing abrasions. Research has also shown that this will help to increase hair thickness by stretching the cells of hair follicles and a massage can even dilate blood vessels beneath the skin consequently encouraging hair growth.

Shampoo Twice

Shampooing the hair twice allows for all of the styling products to be properly cleansed away. This will also lengthen the period of time with a clean scalp. Each time that you shampoo, allow the shampoo to rest in the hair for a minute or two for the aroma to soak deeper into the hair.

Rinsing Technique

When washing out the shampoo, gently squish together the residue through the lengths of your hair to cleanse. Always avoid scrubbing your hair to remove shampoo as this can lead to damage.

Make sure that you are rinsing well until the water runs clear and then always apply a conditioner targeted to your hair type. There is the common mistake of piling hair on top of your head when you shampoo however this can tangle your hair, so when you later brush through this can cause breakage.

When to Wash

For a healthy scalp, you should be washing hair 3-4 times a week maximum. There is a myth that you shouldn’t wash your hair too often however cleanliness is key in keeping hair healthy and the scalp balanced.

While in the Winter it can be easier to cut down on shampooing due to the colder temperatures not causing hair to become as greasy, this can actually lead to a build-up of excess products, generating harsher dandruff flakes on the scalp.

The Right Ingredients

Some shampoos contain harsh ingredients and strip the natural oils, however with natural ingredients then this will help to nurture and strengthen the hair.

To help your hair grow into luscious locks, consider the ingredients that your shampoo and conditioner contain. Gentle exfoliators are great at removing dead skin cells and the remnants of products, whilst caffeine is also often used in hair loss shampoos for its ability to kickstart growth.

Perfect Products

Using an anti-dandruff shampoo such as Urtekram’s Nettle Shampoo will give your scalp a new lease of life. Using the power of nettles, magnolia bark extract and nurturing aloe vera, the 100% natural origin ingredients allows the hair to be cleansed and washed without the use of synthetic emollients, fats or oils. Regularly using nettle shampoo can promote hair re-growth and reduce hair loss.

For fine hair, I’d recommend Urtekram’s Rosemary Shampoo. This will not only give hair some strength but add moisture with nature’s own moisturisers aloe vera and glycerine. Rosemary essential oil is also well known for strengthening circulation and helps to prevent follicles from damage and future hair loss.

If you’re looking to target a dry scalp, the Urtekram Brown Sugar Shampoo allows the scalp to receive extra care. Golden cane sugar crystals and moisture magnet aloe vera provide a soft foam and nourishing ingredients directly to the scalp.