Taking care of your scalp is crucial to healthy hair. Ignoring your scalp’s needs can cause dandruff, psoriasis, hair loss, excessive oil, and even acne. These conditions can impact your ability to grow hair. Think of your scalp as your foundation. You can’t have your strongest, healthiest hair without a healthy scalp.

Fortunately, it isn’t rocket science: taking care of your scalp is actually pretty easy. Here’s a few things you can do to improve your scalp health:

Wash your hair regularly.

It’s recommended to give your hair and scalp a good lather at least five times a week in order to prevent oil buildup and dryness. Make sure to choose your bath products wisely; use a gentle and nourishing shampoo for the best results.

Condition your hair regularly.

Far too many people underestimate the importance of conditioning the hair and scalp. Just like with your shampoo, it’s important to use conditioners that are made with hair and scalp-loving ingredients. Conditioners not only free your hair from those pesky knots that form while you’re showering, but it also prevents breakage, helps you keep frizzy hair at bay, and adds shine and volume too.  Read more about the benefits of conditioning here.

Protect your scalp from the elements.

Whenever you leave home, you expose yourself to pollutants, the sun, dust, and harsh weather. While many people apply sunscreen to protect their skin, too many people neglect the importance of protecting one’s scalp as well. Wear a scarf or a hat when you’re out to prevent nasty irritants from accumulating in your scalp. Without this, prolonged exposure to the elements can irritate your scalp and lead to hair loss. Too much dust and sun can also strip away moisture.

Exfoliate.

Just like with your skin, regular exfoliation can do wonders for your scalp. Exfoliation eliminates dead skin cells and bacteria, it keeps your follicles clean, and gets rid of oil buildup. If you allow oil to accumulate, this can lead to scalp acne, a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the oil glands. You can use a gentle face scrub with Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide on your scalp.

Scalp massage.

Scalp massages are one of the most underrated inexpensive yet effective treatments for supporting hair growth and a healthy scalp. You can do it yourself from the comfort of your own home, too! Scalp massages promote blood flow, improve circulation, relax muscles, and sooth nerves. Over time, you might even notice your hair having more luster and shine! Not to mention the fact that scalp massages feel so great. Three times a week for less than 5 minutes, run your fingertips through your hair, applying firm pressure in round motions.

If you want to achieve healthy hair, you’ve got to start with the scalp. Much of what you do for your hair can easily be undone if you aren’t paying attention to the scalp. Think of it as the soil, while your hair is the flowers. You have to nourish the soil to grow beautiful, healthy flowers.