How to Take Care of Your Scalp
Flakes are not all the same thing.
Dry scalp and dandruff look alike and need opposite things. The flakes tell you which one you have, and you can check in daylight in about ten seconds.
Which One Is It?
Lift your hair at the part and look at the skin, in daylight.
| What you see | Dandruff | Dry scalp |
|---|---|---|
| Flake colour | Yellowish or dull | White |
| Flake size | Larger, stuck in clumps | Fine and loose |
| Skin underneath | Often pink or red | Normal colour |
| How it feels | Oily or waxy | Tight and dry |
| Anywhere else | Brows, sides of the nose, behind the ears | Scalp only |
Source: Vidal, Menta and Green, Dermatology and Therapy 2025;15(3):599 to 613.
The Part Most People Have Backwards
Oily scalp does not mean well looked after. In one study of high sebum scalps, more oil went with less hydration and a weaker skin barrier, and the marker that tracked with itch and flaking was oxidised oil rather than the amount of it.
In a separate 28 day study, flaking, redness and itch all improved while sebum went up. The oil was never the thing to remove.
Sources: Chen and others, Skin Research and Technology 2026;32(1):e70376, 75 micrograms per square centimetre threshold. Markos and others, International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2026, 41 people, single arm, no control group.
What to Look For on a Label
- A named active at a stated strength. Zinc pyrithione, piroctone olamine, selenium sulfide, ketoconazole, salicylic acid and coal tar are the ones with published studies behind them.
- Two to three washes a week is the pattern those studies used, not every day.
- Give it two to four weeks. That is how long the trials ran, so it is the fair length for your own.
- A product that will not name an active has not been tested the way those were.
What We Could Not Find Evidence For
- Scalp exfoliating. We found no study of it, on any outcome.
- Scalp massage for growth. The one study we found followed nine men with no control group and measured a change of seven thousandths of a millimetre. That is not enough to tell you anything. Massage may be lovely for other reasons.
- Oil on a flaking scalp. Adding oil to a scalp that is already flaking is the wrong direction.
When It Is Not a Hair Question
Burning, soreness, a bare patch that appeared quickly, or flaking that has not shifted after a month of a named active used properly. Have someone look at your scalp in person.
Sources: Vidal, Menta, Green, Dermatology and Therapy 2025;15(3):599 to 613 · Chen and others, Skin Research and Technology 2026;32(1):e70376 · Markos and others, International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2026, doi 10.1111/ics.70128 · Jiang and others, Frontiers in Medicine 2026;13:1866777 · Kourbaj and others, Skin Research and Technology 2022;28(4):577 to 581 · Koyama and others, Eplasty 2016;16:e8. All read 3 November 2026.
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