I’ve loved, been attached to, and been happy with my hair for as long as I can remember. I never thought much of it and rarely did anything to it — my hair truly required such low maintenance for most of my life. It’s pin straight, dries pin straight, it’s soft-to-the-touch and naturally silky, and as far as I could tell for most of my life, my hair’s only flaw was not being able to hold a curl or loose bun without falling apart. I took everything for granted until one random day a few years ago, I started worrying that my hair was getting thinner and more sparse. I noticed my ponytail thickness for the first time in my life. Was it always this thin? And come to think of it, didn’t my dad’s side of the family have hair loss issues? To be honest, maybe my hair was not even thinner than before but starting on this fateful day, I just started noticing these things. And naturally, I did what I do, and became obsessed.
My first real step in addressing this was what any normal Korean girl would do! I visited my first scalp clinic on my next trip to Seoul. (This was years before the current scalp health/hair craze that’s taken over my Explore page so I really had no idea what to expect.) I just Naver searched “scalp clinic” in Korean and went somewhere with the most reviews. Fast forward 4 years and I’ve learned soo much. It’s maybe the only beauty appointment in Korea that I still upkeep regularly (I’ve cut out everything else to save money: no more skin clinics/facials, private pilates (I know, I was crazy once), eyelash perms, and I stopped getting gel manis/nail art years ago). These scalp appointments are sacred to me because I think they actually do so much for my hair. They consist of a very thorough cleaning/descaling buildup, scalp massage, and various other things like using an airbush gun to pump serum into my scalp (sounds crazier than it is, trust me). I’m finally at a point where I feel like I have a really good, manageable hair routine and I’ve been seeing noticeable changes and growth (!) on my head as of late. I’ve asked a lot of questions to the pros, received a lot of answers, tried so many products and I want to share everything I’ve learned thus far.
The first section is Tips and the second section is Recommended Products.
Let’s go ͙͘͡★ ᥬ🙂ᩤ
NOTE: Obviously, everyone’s hair is different. Mine is super straight, untreated Korean hair (no perm, no dye) and my scalp/skin type is dry and sensitive. I also don’t have serious hair loss issues, but I naturally have thin hair and I definitely think I was losing more strands than normal a few years ago. The following tips are what have worked for me to get my scalp healthy. I’ve learned from experts, but most of my insights come from Korean practices. This isn’t medical advice or a blanket tip guide for all hair types!
The first and most alarming thing I learned on my very first visit to a scalp clinic here in Seoul was how important it is to wash hair everyday. I’ve had scalp cleanings and treatments at three different places in Korea over the years, and they have all been SO shocked when I tell them that Americans are told to not to wash hair everyday. I really don’t know why or how Americans got obsessed with this notion but it really is a myth (at least for most Asian/straight hair). The scalp clinics also all told me the same thing: “It’s just like washing your face. Don’t you wash your face everyday?!” Our scalps get buildup not just from our natural oils and sweat but also the environments we live in — especially if you live in a polluted city like Seoul or NYC. This buildup can actually prevent new hair growth. This was a huge aha moment for me. Daily washing is an imperative, non-negotiable step to a healthy scalp. Just as important is washing well. Use your fingertips (not nails) to really scrub and scrub hard! You want to go as hard as possible, truly. Focus on your scalp and not the mid-hair to ends.
Apparently the worst thing you can do for your scalp (besides not washing it everyday) is not drying it every time. We all know mold/fungus/bad things love moisture. Scalps are the same. They absolutely must be dry to be healthy. Every scalp clinic I’ve visited has told me this is incredibly important. They also advise to blow dry with low warm to cool air if possible. It does take longer but it’s supposedly very important, leading to my third tip.
We all know heat damages and fries hair. It’s important to not use high heat when blowdrying your hair and obviously avoid the curling iron/straightener as much as possible (who has the time anyway?!). For our scalps as well, heat is apparently very bad. Heat (including sweat) can irritate the scalp and make dryness worse. Sweat can increase oil production which may lead to fungal growth or more dandruff. Keep your head cool! This is why it’s better to wash your hair with lukewarm (not hot) water in the shower. Especially in the summer I try to adhere to this rule and a fun pro tip: I run my head under super cold water right before jumping out the shower without letting it touch my body (lol). Koreans even have cooling mists (that I can’t find outside KR) that I use in the summer when it’s unbearably hot in Korea/Japan. Especially with dark/black hair like mine, the summer sun gets SO hot.
When I worked in a kitchen, I did the tight, Bella Hadid-esque slick back bun or braid almost daily. It was also my go-to for when I didn’t have time or energy to wash my hair that day (double negative). I wear my hair down almost every day now because my scalp tech (I guess I’ll just call her that) told me I should really stop with these updos as they put a lot of strain on our hair and may increase hair loss/thinning. Sadly these cute, tight ballerina buns are reserved only for special occasions now.
I had a middle part for 10+ years but recently changed to a (rotating) side part since I received this bit of advice order from my scalp tech a couple years ago! She told me (1) she could see a lot of sun damage where my part was — in my defense, it was peak summer; and (2) having the same part for years will exacerbate hair thinning because the same part of your scalp is constantly being pulled on/brushed against. I’ve been rotating my side part pretty often (every few weeks) for the last year, even throwing in a few middle parts here and there. I do think it makes a difference!
Our hair is so conditioned to be one way/direction because most of us don’t bother to change our part or brush our hair upside down. My scalp tech advised that I should really be brushing my hair everyday (ideally right before the shower), and upside down. Tilt your head down and brush your hair upside down, making sure the bristles of your hairbrush (ideally a wood brush, nothing too sharp or pointy) really touch your scalp all the way towards your forehead.
Koreans call most serums “ampoule” but they’re essentially the same thing. There are so many options for scalp serums/ampoules in the K-beauty market (Olive Young) and it’s really overwhelming. I’ve tried a lot and I like to rotate (favs listed below). The only detail I should add: apparently we should NOT be skimping on the amount of product we use and really douse our hair in these products (as we do for our face). Not just a spray near your hairline or part, but truly all over. I lift a section, spray the scalp, rub it in, and repeat all over my head. I do this after I blow dry but my scalp tech says you can do it either before/after your hair is blow dried.
Every tip on this list is from my scalp tech/clinics and this is the last, most recent bit of advice I received! I’ve been following her advice because she is really the best — she’s so passionate about scalp care (we chat about it a lot) and I can feel she genuinely cares for her clients and their hair growth. Also, she’s worked in the field for over 10 years so she knows a lot, she’s seen a lot, and she said Vitamin D and Iron are really great for hair growth and scalp care. Pumpkin seed oil is something I’ve been reading about online myself, so I started taking all 3. It’s advised to take iron on an empty stomach with Vitamin C (if you take). Everyday!
Now onto the fun part!
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