The Unexpected Secret for Shiny, Gorgeous Hair

by Phillip Picardi

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Sure, our favorite ladies may be shaving, cutting, and dyeing their hair left and right, but can we be real for a minute? There's nothing more covetable than long, gorgeous, shiny hair. While the trends come and go, a beautiful mane never goes out of style. In fact, attaining the gold standard for pretty hair can be quite all-consuming (not to mention immensely frustrating!). In the quest for perfection, we splurge on everything: deep conditioners, shine sprays, oils, serums, masks, and in-salon treatments. Most of these products offer temporary (if any) relief. But the newest trend in haircare suggests that all these efforts aren't exactly addressing the root of the problem.

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And we mean that literally.

"Everything starts from the scalp," says Phyto's national educator Christyn Nawrot. "It acts as the foundation of healthy hair. There are thousands of follicles on your head, and each has one hair that grows from it with its own blood supply and sebaceous gland to keep that hair protected. Therefore, balancing the scalp's natural oils promotes healthy hair growth, and improving the blood circulation to all those follicles promotes healthy and natural hair growth, too."

Just in case you're confused by all that science, Alterna Haircare global creative director Michael Shaun Corby makes it easier: "It's like having a healthy lawn," he says. "When the soil is hard and dry, nothing grows! But when it's soft, moist, and rich in nutrients, everything grows perfectly!"

While we admit that most of our hair routine involves tending to split ends and hydrating our lengths, it's important to note that scalp health isn't exactly a revelation in hair world. In fact, most men's grooming products have scalp soothing and exfoliating ingredients to prevent hair loss, which is typically thought of as a male-only issue. (Scary newsflash-it happens to women, too!) It was only recently that mainstream brands started adapting that standard of hair care for the fairer sex: "It only makes sense," Nawrot says. "The scalp is an extension of our skin. That means washing, moisturizing, and exfoliating is just as important on the tops of our heads as it is on our faces."

When you think of it that way, getting gorgeously shiny hair seems a lot more attainable. It's as simple as putting together a skincare routine-but for your head. And every beauty guru knows that the foundation of clear, glowing skin is a proper cleansing ritual. Sacha Mitic, founder of prestige beauty line Sachajuan, kept that in mind while building his brand. "We have a great shampoo that clarifies and soothes an irritated scalp while also maintaining a heavy moisture balance," he says. "You should use it one to two times per week, then follow up with a rich conditioner."

We also know that exfoliation is another essential step for a beautiful complexion. Luckily, Alterna has a genius new product designed for exactly that. "It's called Exfoliating Scalp Facial," explains Corby. "The bottle has a brush so you can stimulate and remove all the dead skin and toxic junk from your scalp." He likens it to a Clarisonic for your head, which is pretty awesome (and accurate). While you mechanically exfoliate, the formula's fruit enzymes chemically penetrate and clean the scalp.

Now that we've either cleansed or exfoliated, it's time for some moisture. You can opt for a pre-shampoo method, like Phytopolleine Botanical Scalp Treatment. Massage a couple drops into the root, massage thoroughly, and then let it sit for 20 minutes before you shower. Or, try Teen Vogue beauty and health director Elaine Welteroth's favorite: Kérastase Initialiste. It's a skincare-inspired serum that you apply to the scalp after a shampoo. After just one week of daily application, 89% of women tested agreed that their hair was shinier, and 86% felt their hair was stronger and softer to the touch.

And sure, all this fancy technology is great, but there's always the good old-fashioned method to get that scalp in shape. "Brushing your scalp is just as important as brushing your hair," Corby says. "It can keep all the excess dirt and oils away from the pores. If they become clogged or irritated by dead skin and toxins, you'll start to damage the follicle and could even lose hair." Since the scalp is also where our oils come from, we want to brush from the head downwards, so those oils travel down the shaft, providing hydration to our lengths and ends where we need it most. "Mason Pearson's Boar Bristle and Nylon Mix Brush is perfect for this," says Mitic.

Just in case all this sounds like a whole lot of work, there is such thing as over-stimulating the scalp. Consider trying these treatments once or twice a week, then evaluate the results after a month. We bet anything you'll be amazed to see that, all this time, the secret to gorgeous hair was right on top of your head.

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