The Importance of the Scalp Microbiome?

You often hear that a healthy scalp is the foundation of healthy hair—but what exactly does that mean? And how do we keep our scalp healthy? This is a question we hear a lot from Nutrafol customers, and we’re here to help.

Like your skin and gut, the scalp also has a microbiome—a complex ecosystem of microbes that work to support and shield the scalp. 

This scalp microbiome is made up of a diverse range of bacteria and fungi. When the scalp microbiome is balanced and healthy, it can defend against toxins that could lead to scalp and hair damage.

For the scalp microbiome to act as a protective barrier between your scalp and environmental aggressors, it requires a healthy diversity of good and bad bacteria and fungi.

Too little or too much diversity can cause an imbalance in sebum production (oil produced on the scalp) and pH levels. So what happens when the scalp microbiome starts to experience imbalances? It becomes susceptible to environmental aggressors like pollution and product build-up.

When this happens, your scalp may be oily or dry, itchy, flaky, irritated, or red. This creates a poor environment for hair growth.

Now that we know what causes the scalp microbiome to be unhealthy, let’s focus on what we can do to help keep it balanced:

These can help you create the ideal scalp microbiome environment for healthy hair growth—so you can achieve the hair and scalp you deserve.