Scalp

Scalp

To womenfolk in the Wild West, getting scalped was a whole lot worse than just a bad hair day.

While scalpings have gone out with the flintlock, the irony is that we''''re still losing a sizable portion of our tightly stretched topknots, flake by flake, every day.

The scalp is a tough sheet of skin richly mined with blood vessels. Normally, hair grows profusely from follicles located all over the top of it, but under that tangled forest a layer of skin is constantly shedding. As with other parts of our outer covering, dry cells are constantly getting sloughed off and tumbling through hair shafts like dust through a cornfield.

Let Your Fingers Do the Pressing A gentle massage that stimulates your scalp can help prevent dandruff--plus it could have side benefits of relieving headache and helping you relax. Here''''s one scalp massage routine recommended by Edith Malin, shiatsu practitioner and teacher at the International School of Shiatsu in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
1. With the fingertips of both hands, tap your head at random all around about 30 times. Then repeat with lightly clenched fists, tapping your scalp with the flat area of your fingers (between your first and second knuckles) and the heel of your hand.	2. With the fingertips of both hands, make circles on your scalp. First, move down the center line of your scalp from your forehead to your neck (see line 1 in the illustration). Use a circling motion to slide your scalp around. After you have covered your center line, repeat the movement in two lines on the side of your head (see lines 2 and 3).
3. With the four fingertips of both hands, press your scalp three or four times as you move from front to back along the center line. Then, starting at your temples, repeat the pressing, working toward the back of your head.	4. Center your thumbs about three inches apart where the base of your skull meets your neck. Press for 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Hold your forehead with your left hand while firmly cupping the base of your skull just above your neck with your right hand. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. "Think ''''lift,'''' instead of actually lifting," suggests Malin. "By just visualizing the gesture, you will give a subtle, rather than an overt, lift to your head."	Finally, place your hands on your head just above your ears and apply steady, gentle pressure for another 30 to 60 seconds.

Two kinds of common skin problems can accelerate that shedding process. One is an inflammation that affects the scalp and other areas of the body called seborrheic dermatitis. It''''s better known as problem dandruff--which is different from regular dandruff.

"True dandruff is common and harmless," notes Jerome Shupack, M.D., professor of clinical dermatology at New York University Medical Center in New York City. Seborrheic dermatitis, on the other hand, is a real problem that won''''t go away without special treatment.

Psoriasis is the other dead-skin problem that can make your scalp flake. If you have psoriasis, it''''s even more likely than seborrheic dermatitis to show up on other parts of your body--often in the form of red, itchy or scaly patches.

"Psoriasis makes a thicker type of crust than seborrheic dermatitis," says Dr. Shupack. "If you try to scrape it off, it bleeds."

You''''ll probably want to have a doctor check out psoriasis if you suspect you have it. But dandruff and mild seborrheic dermatitis don''''t necessarily require any special medical attention. Both can be "beautifully controlled," according to Diana Bihova, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center in New York City. Here''''s how.

Lather up. Any shampoo will wash away dead skin cells, says Dr. Shupack. "If you shampoo every day, you''''ll mechanically remove the scales."

Do something special. If regular shampoos don''''t do the trick, use a dandruff shampoo twice a week--and regular shampoo the other days--to control normal scaling, suggests Dr. Shupack.

But dandruff shampoos may be harsh and can damage hair--especially fine hair--and they can discolor blond, white or gray hair, Dr. Bihova cautions. Use a hair conditioner to prevent any dryness or damage.

Rotate shampoos. Even when a dandruff shampoo clears up flaking without a hitch, you''''ll probably find that the flakes will start falling again after a few months. Switch shampoos about three times a year, Dr. Bihova suggests. "Each kind of shampoo works differently. You have to find the right one that works for you at any particular time through a process of trial and error."

See also Hair