Trichologist debunks shampoo myth and shares two products to clear oily scalp

Scalp health has been this year's beauty talk as people look for ways to take care of their hair and search for products to improve the look of their tresses. 

Jumping on the hair care trend, I recently went for a hair consultation and spoke to a trichologist to understand my hair type and find out the cause of my oily-looking hair on no-wash days.

I have always heard people saying it's not necessary to wash our hair everyday because that can strip all the natural oils from the scalp and I was told that washing hair every day can strip all the natural oils and leave the scalp dry and end up producing more oil. But sometimes, with important events to attend, I can't help but to break the rule and that makes me feel bad for doing so. 

Turns out, that wasn't true at all. Jane Martins, senior consultant trichologist at Philip Kingsley Clinic told me: "There's no such thing as 'you have to wash your hair every day'. You can absolutely wash every day and it won't make your hair oily."

She mentioned that there are no medical papers or researches to indicate daily hair wash as the cause of oily scalp and in fact, there are other contributing factors to consider.

"Hair and scalp health is more about nutrition, genetics or family history, and also stress level," she shared. "Sugary food or snacks can irritate our scalp so it's best to keep these to a minimum. Avoid touching your hair as you can transfer the bacteria from your hand to the scalp - which then you might get pimples on your scalp."

Other than that, Jane also recommended some products to help improve hair quality and build a stronger bond so they look lustrous and silky. The Flaky Itchy Scalp Toner is anti-microbial and contains a soothing formula to reduce scalp irritation and dandruff. The special nozzle helps to distribute the drops directly onto the scalp. 

Other than the toner, a weekly hair mask is also recommended. Their award-winning Elasticizer is dubbed "miracle in a pot", it's a pre-shampoo deep-conditioning hair treatment works to boost elasticity, moisture and strength.

Available in four sizes with prices starting from £21, the mask helps reduce breakage and leaves your hair bouncy, silky and shiny without weighing it down. I wet my hair, used a dollop size and applied them in sections and wrapped it in a shower cap for 20 minutes before shampoo. The result was instant and my hair was revived to a shiny look.

There are other brands you can consider as well, LookFantastic recently launched a £50 Christopher Robin edit - a six-piece edit including a Purifying Mask with Thermal Mud and a Hydrating Melting Mask with Aloe Vera.