It's common for tweens and young teens to get flaky scalps. Sometimes this is caused by the increase in sebum as they approach puberty. Sometimes, they have sensitive skin, which gets dried and irritated by anything from cold weather to over-washing.
Whatever the cause, there’s a lot you can do to reduce flakiness and soothe dry and sensitive young scalps. Here’s our flaky scalp low-down:
What exactly is a flaky scalp?
Usually flaky scalps are caused by dandruff, which is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis. It’s characterised by small flakes of dry skin on your scalp (and shoulders), itchiness and sometimes redness.
Dandruff and irritated, flaky scalps can be caused by a variety of things: oily or dry skin, sensitivity to hair products or shampoos and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Even stress and diet can trigger those pesky flakes.
The good news is that it’s not contagious or serious. The bad news, it can be tricky to treat. And for a teen/tween dealing with everything else that’s happening to their skin and bodies, it can be straight up embarrassing.
Why do teens/tweens get dandruff?
It’s very common for dandruff to start as a tween/teen hits puberty. The reason, as with most things teen/tween, is the hormone party that’s happening in their bodies and its impact on sebum production on the scalp.
Sebum is a brilliant thing that moisturises the skin and the scalp and protects the important skin barrier. But when puberty hits, sebum production ramps up and can upset the natural balance of the skin/scalp.
With facial skin, the result is blocked pores and acne. With dandruff, it means that a naturally occurring microbe called Malassezia globose, that normally breaks down sebum, goes into overdrive. The scalp reacts and boosts the cell turnover rate. And those extra skin cells clump together forming the dreaded white flakes, known as dandruff.
If it’s any consolation, this happens to around 50% of the world’s population!
What can you do about it?
Take a look at your shampoo
Does it contain sulphates? Check out the label. If you see the words sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate or ammonium laureth sulphate, it might be the problem.
Shampoos that use sulphates do a great job at cleaning hair. But, that’s the root of the problem, too. They’re so good at cleaning, they can also strip the hair and scalp of the natural oils that are there to protect, smooth and keep your hair and scalp healthy. If your skin and scalp are sensitive – like most teens/tweens’ scalps can be – sulphates can cause irritation, redness, itching and even flakiness. Stripped and dried scalps can also lead to an overproduction of oil, which gets those microbes, Malassezia globose, overstimulated and that means, uh-oh, dandruff.
Switch to Sulphate-Free
Switching to a sulphate-free shampoo can help flaky scalps. Why? because they don't contain harsh surfactants that can cause irritation, redness, itching and flakiness.
Instead, they clean the hair with more gentle cleansers and emulsifiers. Washing away dirt, sweat and excess sebum, but leaving the hair and scalp's natural oils and moisture intact. This creates an environment where dandruff-causing microbes are kept in check, too.
Our Anti-Grease Shampoo is formulated to deep-clean greasy teen/tween hair and scalps brilliantly, without stripping them or upsetting their natural balance. Saccharide Isomerate is an oil controlling and oil balancing wonder-ingredient that protects the scalp barrier and reduces greasiness and flakiness by 15% after just one wash.
Don’t over-wash your hair
While it’s important to wash excess sebum and dead skin cells out of your hair, to keep your scalp clean, it’s also important not to over-cleanse your scalp and create more dryness and irritation. Washing even greasy teen/tween heads every two to three days is usually enough, as it gives the scalp time to rebalance its natural oils, without going into oil overload.
Manage your stress
Ever noticed your hair gets flakier before exams, or when you’ve been unwell? Stress can trigger or worsen dandruff. Why’s that? Stress causes the hormone cortisol to rise, which triggers inflammation and signals to your scalp to produce more oil. It can also cause your immune system to dip, so those dandruff-causing microbes get out of control, leading to flakes, dryness and itchiness.
Go easy on the styling products
Hairsprays, gels, and mousses can build up on the scalp and lead to irritation and general yuckiness, it you don’t wash them out properly. Dry shampoo (universally loved by teens) is a big culprit, too. It absorbs oil, but it doesn’t clean your hair or scalp and used too regularly, it can cause residue and dead skin build up and clog hair follicles.
To keep your scalp happy and flake free, go for water-soluble products that wash out with ease. And use less of them. You really don’t need a lot of styling product to make your hair look good.
Follow these tips and the result will be a happier, more balanced scalp. And less flakes! Find out more about our range of sulphate-free shampoos, specially formulated for teen/tween scalps and hair here.
