The smell of the scalp (smell) that you feel at the moment you suddenly approach. Have you ever been worried, “Maybe I am too…?” Rika Yokomori (55 years old), a writer and essayist, learned the points of shampoo and hair care that relieve such anxiety from a professional and put them into practice!
Table of contents
- Check out the 3 major causes of scalp odor!
- Repel the smell of the scalp! Tips before shampooing
- Get rid of scalp odor! Tips on how to dry your hair
- Let’s practice! What is the change in the smell of the scalp that Mr. Yokomori felt?
Check out the 3 major causes of scalp odor!
The smell of the scalp is a common problem for women in their 50s and above, as it was ranked first in the “Halmek” reader survey “Worried about other people’s smell”.
Rika Yokomori, who says she shampoos her hair every night, said, “In my case, the symptoms of menopause have continued for a long time, and regardless of the season, I get hot flashes and sweat. But there are times when I wonder if I can smell it,” he says.
So, I visited Beauty Tune Shiseido (Ikebukuro, Tokyo) to learn about the causes of scalp odor and how to care for it.
“The main source of odor on the scalp is sebum. The scalp secretes more sebum than the face, and when the sebum clogged in the pores oxidizes and mixes with sweat and dirt, it emits an unpleasant odor. Sayaka Hatakeyama, a stylist.
According to Mr. Hatakeyama, there are three major causes of scalp odor.
3 major causes of scalp odor
1. Decrease in female hormones after menopause
2. Dry scalp due to aging and dyeing gray
hair 3. Wrong habits of washing and drying hair
Scalp odor is often thought of as a “male problem,” but after menopause, female hormones decrease, and male hormones that stimulate sebum secretion become dominant even in women. Many people have a strong scalp odor due to excessive secretion of sebum.
In addition, “dry scalp” due to aging and dyeing gray hair is also a cause of excessive secretion of sebum.
“The face and scalp are connected by a layer of skin. Just like the skin on the face, when the scalp dries up with age, excess sebum is secreted to protect the scalp, causing stickiness and odor,” says Hatakeyama. Mr. Miss. For those who are concerned about dryness and stickiness, shampoos that care for the scalp, serums and tonics that can be used on the scalp are recommended.
Furthermore, “Washing too much, such as shampooing morning and night because of the smell, can dry out the scalp and lead to excessive secretion of sebum. The basic rule is to wash your hair once a day,” says Mr. Hatakeyama.
Roughly washing your scalp, going to bed without drying your hair thoroughly, and other daily care that you tend to do unconsciously are also major causes of odor.
Proper care is important to prevent excessive sebum secretion and dryness, and to prepare a healthy scalp that does not smell. Let’s learn together with Mr. Yokomori!
Repel the smell of the scalp! Tips before shampooing
According to Mr. Hatakeyama, even just brushing and rinsing carefully will make your head feel refreshed. I was taught the point of washing hair to solve the smell of the scalp.
Point 1 for washing hair: Brush thoroughly before getting it wet
“Basically, you should wash your hair at night,” says Hatakeyama. However, it is NG to suddenly get your hair wet. First of all, it is important to brush carefully.
Promote blood circulation in the scalp by brushing from the root to the top of the head. It also has the effect of lifting dirt and improving the clogging of pores.
If you apply it to the hairline from the end of the brush, you can brush firmly along the scalp.
Washing point 2: Don’t wash your hair too hot! Suitable temperature is 38-39 degrees
“I feel that hot water will wash away the sebum necessary for the scalp, so I always wash my hair with lukewarm water,” said Mr. Yokomori, “That’s right!” said Mr. Hatakeyama.
The best water temperature for washing hair is 38-39 degrees. If it is hotter than 40 degrees, it will damage the scalp, and excessive sebum will be secreted to repair it, so it is NG.
Washing point 3: Wet not only the hair but also the scalp
Do you wash your hair with hot water and immediately apply shampoo?
“Before applying shampoo, put your fingertips into your hair and wet it down to your scalp. If you are careful here, you can remove 70 to 80% of the dirt with just hot water.”
If the scalp is not sufficiently wet, it may also cause the shampoo to not lather easily.
“Be sure to thoroughly wet the back of the head and the scalp behind the ears, which have a lot of sebum.”
Washing point 4: Wash by moving the scalp
Lightly lather the shampoo in your hands and apply it to your hair. Don’t wash too hard as it will damage the scalp. The point is to wash from the hairline to the top of the head, moving the scalp in small increments with the pads of your fingers.
“For those who are concerned about the smell and stickiness, it is also recommended to lightly remove the shampoo foam and wash it twice.”
Hair washing point 5: Rinse and treat the ends of your hair!
Rinse, conditioner, and treatment after shampooing are basically things that care for your hair. Apply it to the mid-length of your hair, centering on the ends, and avoid applying it to the scalp.
“If you put it on your scalp, it might clog your pores,” says Hatakeyama. However, treatments for scalp care are exceptions.
Hair washing point 6: Rinse thoroughly to keep the scalp clean
“If there is residue left after rinsing, such as shampoo and conditioner, it will cause a chemical reaction with sebum and sweat, causing an unpleasant scalp odor,” says Hatakeyama.
Let’s thoroughly rinse and wash away all the shampoo foam, conditioner, conditioner, etc. The point is to carefully rinse the scalp by stroking it.
I also recommend this hair care product.
・Use a steamed towel to promote blood circulation
Take care of your scalp with a steamed towel. If you are taking a bath, simply wrap a towel in hot water.
・Choose
a shampoo that cares for your scalp If you worry about the smell of your scalp and choose a shampoo with a strong detergency, it may be too irritating to your scalp. Choose a shampoo that cares for your scalp for your generation.
Get rid of scalp odor! Tips on how to dry your hair
Along with washing your hair, how you dry your hair is also important to prevent the smell of your scalp. Let’s be conscious of drying the scalp with towel dry and hairdryer.
Drying Point 1: Wipe the scalp with a towel
After washing your hair, wipe your hair with a towel to remove excess water, then put your fingertips into the towel and massage your scalp.
“I always wipe my hair, but this is the first time I’ve felt like I’m wiping my scalp,” says Yokomori. Mr. Hatakeyama advises, “If you wipe your scalp, you can shorten the drying time.”
Drying Point 2: Apply the dryer from the base of the nape
The point when drying with a dryer is to blow air from the root.
“Even if you think the surface of your hair is dry, the scalp on the nape and back of the head is often still wet. It will be,” said Mr. Hatakeyama. Part your hair and let the roots dry thoroughly.
Let’s practice! What is the change in the smell of the scalp that Mr. Yokomori felt?
As a result of Mr. Yokomori practicing the care method taught by Mr. Hatakeyama, a stylist of Shiseido, “The day after washing my hair, the smell of the scalp in the evening disappeared. The condition of my hair has improved.” Yokomori’s comment introduces the effect.
▼Comment from Mr. Yokomori
I have hot flashes and sweat all year round, so I was worried about the smell of my head. In the afternoon of the next day after washing and drying my hair as usual. A greasy odor remained on the scalp. It seems that if you just wash your hair once (wash it once), gently wipe it with a towel wrapped in wet hair, and dry it quickly, the oily smell will remain on your scalp.
After washing with hot water, wash the scalp with your fingertips, rinse thoroughly, apply conditioner only to the ends, and dry with a hair dryer. ), the odor was reduced by the professional technique of wiping the scalp firmly with a dry towel, different from the towel wrapped around wet hair.
Again, it’s important to take your time. 2 Even if it is impossible to do shampoo, I decided to apply the shampoo on my hands separately to the front part of the head and the hairline part, and the foam came to spread all over.
It has become a habit every morning to bend over and brush my hairline. My hair seems to be getting better.
“I’m happy that the smell is gone and my hair is healthy.”
