What Is the Scalp, How Does It Work, and the Best Habits for Caring for It

The scalp is the vital foundation from which hair draws its nourishment. Composed of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, it contains between 200 and 300 hair follicles per square centimeter. Its health depends on the balance of the hydrolipidic film and proper blood and lymphatic microcirculation. Maintaining these optimal conditions ensures strong, healthy hair.

How is the scalp structured?

Like the rest of the skin, the scalp consists of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis.

Epidermis
The outer layer, composed of corneocytes. It acts as a protective shield.

Dermis
The middle, living layer, which contains hair follicles, blood vessels, and glands. It produces the natural moisturizing factor (NMF).

Hypodermis
The deep layer, which acts as an insulator and is rich in energy reserves.

All these elements work in unison to ensure healthy and natural scalp function: if this balance is disrupted, it can lead to imbalances and cosmetic issues such as dandruff, hair weakening, occasional hair loss, dryness, or oily hair.

How the Scalp Works

What factors regulate the scalp?

Balance depends on the skin microbiome and the hydrolipidic film. Washing with suitable products keeps this ecosystem healthy by removing debris and smog. Blood microcirculation delivers oxygen, while lymphatic circulation eliminates metabolic waste.

Every day, our hydrolipidic film is attacked by factors such as cold, heat, wind, sun, UV rays, smog, heavy metals in the air, excess cellular debris, and residues from styling products. Washing ensures a cyclical renewal that keeps it healthy; however, if we use products that are unsuitable or incompatible with our skin, there is a risk of damaging it, creating an imbalance that can lead to the scalp issues we’re familiar with.

Practical Tips: How to Keep Your Scalp Healthy?

We’ve seen how complex and delicate this mechanism is; let’s discover the good habits that help maintain its balance:

A scalp massage helps stimulate microcirculation, but be careful not to scratch or rub too hard while washing, as this could damage the hydrolipidic film.
When washing your hair, it’s essential to use gentle products with mild, SLES- and SLS-free surfactants, making sure to lather the shampoo thoroughly on the scalp.
After washing, it’s essential to rinse thoroughly and completely, and to dry your hair without excessive heat or mechanical stress.
Using products specifically tailored to your scalp and hair length needs is essential for targeted care.
To truly understand your specific needs, it’s important to seek a thorough trichological consultation to determine the best course of action. This can be done using a trichological microcamera for scalp analysis at a specialized salon or trichology center. Find a salon you trust.

The Invisible Enemies: Habits That Stress the Microbiota

The scalp is home to a living community of beneficial microorganisms. Certain daily habits profoundly disrupt this delicate epidermal ecosystem:

Washing too frequently or too aggressively: Using shampoos rich in harsh surfactants strips away natural sebum, leaving the skin vulnerable to the proliferation of harmful fungi and bacteria.
Excessive heat: blow-drying at high temperatures and using flat irons close to the roots dehydrate the scalp and create micro-lesions in the stratum corneum.
Trapped moisture: Going to bed with wet hair or tying it up while it’s still damp creates a warm, humid microclimate ideal for the development of scalp conditions such as dandruff.
Overuse of styling products: Hairspray, gel, and dry shampoo that build up on the scalp clog the follicles, trapping impurities and altering the local pH.

Read the #beautyblog and discover the best way to care for your scalp.

Nourishing Your Hair from the Inside: The Role of Diet and Hydration

Hair health begins where the eye cannot see: in the dermis. Hair follicles are metabolically active structures that depend entirely on nutrients carried by the bloodstream.

A diet rich in essential amino acids, vitamins (especially biotin and B vitamins), and minerals such as zinc and iron ensures proper synthesis of keratin, the hair’s primary protein. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and flaxseeds, keep the dermis elastic and preserve its hydrolipid barrier.

Constant hydration plays an equally crucial role. Drinking enough water keeps the scalp soft, promotes peripheral microcirculation, and ensures a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients directly to the hair roots.

Discover all the secrets to healthy hair.

The Benefits of Dead Sea Salts

A hectic lifestyle, smog and pollution, and products that disrupt the skin’s microbiome are all factors that can lead to weakened hair and premature hair loss.

The 4 Prime line is designed to address this deficiency, featuring specific essential oils to prevent hair weakening and keep the scalp hydrated thanks to the action of Dead Sea salts. In fact

, the trace elements present—thanks to the high percentage of magnesium—act not only on the scalp but also on the hair’s structure itself, strengthening it.

Start your routine with S4 Prime, a gentle anti-hair loss shampoo. Continue by applying T4 Prime Post, a hair loss prevention treatment, to the scalp along with the essential massage. For the most critical areas, we recommend the synergistic Z4 Post treatment for normal scalp hair loss prevention—practical and convenient to carry with you at all times.