Ask ten people with curly or coily hair about their routine and you will hear about leave-ins, butters, gels and oils. Ask about their scalp and most go quiet. Yet every hair you will ever grow comes out of that skin. Here is a routine that takes under an hour a week.
Once a week: cleanse the scalp
Not just the hair. Part your hair in sections, apply shampoo directly to the scalp with your fingertips or a nozzle bottle, and massage for two to three minutes before rinsing. Use a gentle sulphate-free shampoo most weeks and a clarifying one once a month, or more often if you use gels and heavy products. If your scalp is oily or flaky, this is also when you use your targeted anti-dandruff shampoo, left on for three to five minutes.
Twice a week: moisturise the skin
Coily hair is dry because sebum cannot travel down the curl, and the scalp itself is often dry too. Two to three times a week, apply a few drops of a light oil or a scalp lotion to the skin between the sections. Light means it absorbs: avoid thick butters and heavy oils on the scalp, they clog and feed dandruff.
Every day: two minutes of massage
With your fingertips, not your nails, in small circles all over the head. It brings blood to the follicles, loosens build-up and, honestly, feels good. Do it at night before your bonnet goes on.
Every night: protect
Satin bonnet, scarf or pillowcase. Cotton absorbs moisture and creates friction that breaks hair at the nape and the temples. This is the cheapest and most effective step of the whole routine.
Adapt it to your situation
- Under braids or a wig: same routine, with a diluted shampoo in a nozzle bottle and a very thorough dry.
- Itchy or flaky scalp: more frequent cleansing, less oil.
- Dry, tight scalp: gentler cleansing, more moisture.
- Thinning or shedding: the routine keeps the ground healthy, but the cause needs to be found. That is what a diagnosis is for.
See our trichology service or book a diagnosis on WhatsApp to get a routine built for your scalp.
