The Root Cause
Scalp care is the new skin care.
Brands, retailers and salons are betting big on this category, as scalp care has become a hot topic for a slew of reasons, not least of which is hair loss caused by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Data from The NPD Group shows that scalp care is growing across both mass and prestige; the top shampoo launch in the mass category in 2022 was a scalp care option from Head & Shoulders, for example.
“It’s definitely been outpacing,” said Larissa Jensen, The NPD Group’s vice president of beauty. “It’s not just a prestige-only story.”
Within the prestige market in 2022, scalp care products grew 47 percent and hair thinning products grew 29 percent, while the hair category overall increased 22 percent. And innovation is just as prominent. The firm reports scalp care launches doubled in 2022 versus 2021.
Metrics from social media bear out the increased interest. Videos tagged #ScalpTreatment and #ScalpCare on TikTok have 225.1 million and 965.2 million views, respectively. Much of the scalp care category is being driven by the idea of preventing future hair loss.
“Part of that could be partially attributed to COVID-19 hair loss instances,” Jensen said. “Gen X, in terms of generational cohort, are approaching that age of menopause where hair thinning could be a concern…and, of course, stress can lead to hair thinning also. There’s a lot of things that are that are happening.”
While scalp-focused products and routines are trending, doctors and trichologists emphasize the importance of long-term scalp care.
“I like to look at the scalp as the soil for the hair. If you think of that analogy and you think about the hair follicle having to grow, you have to have a good soil,” said Dr. Craig Ziering, a New York City-based dermatologist, hair transplant surgeon and owner of Ziering Medical, a hair restoration clinic with locations in New York, Connecticut and California.
Ziering emphasized that while caring for the scalp can aid in treating inflammatory conditions like dandruff, it can also help with more aesthetic transformations (think healthy hair growth).
This evolution toward scalp care mirrors the dynamics of the skin care category with formats like serums and ingredients like hyaluronic acid gaining traction. Likewise, combatting the effects of aging on the hair is a major aspect of the scalp care category.
“As we get older, our hair gets weaker, thinner, more damaged, drier, loses its color, texture. The quality of it diminishes,” Ziering said. “The hair follicle itself is one of the greatest sources of not only stem cells but rejuvenating properties. We can use antiaging products and treatments to rejuvenate the hair follicle, so there’s a whole movement towards what we call rejuvenation for the hair.”
Brands are beginning to enter into this specific antiaging sect of scalp care. For example, Dr. Barbara Sturm has a Super Anti-Aging hair care collection which employs antioxidants, vitamins and hyaluronic acid to nourish the scalp to allow for youthful hair growth.
For Act + Acre, scalp health overall is the main focus. Cofounders and husband-and-wife Helen Reavey and Colm Mackin, both hairstylists (Reavey is also a trichologist) recognized the need for scalp-focused products after doing hair at fashion week and seeing how consistent damage to the scalp from product buildup, high heat and stress affected the appearance and health of hair strands.
Because of this, the brand is entirely focused on products that first, address scalp health and then, in turn, promote healthy hair. The brand’s products range from the Scalp Detox, $48, which removes buildup and provides nutrients and hydration, to the Scalp Dermaroller, $56, a tool that uses 540 high-strength medical grade stainless steel needles to promote healthy hair growth and improve the efficacy of topical products.
“What makes us different is, I’m a trichologist, so it really is having a specialist be the person who’s formulating with the formulators who actually understands what the products are being used for,” Reavey said.
While the brand is aiming to own the category, consumer understanding is difficult, especially as “scalp care” is relatively new.
“At the beginning, when we just had a scalp detox product on the market, people didn’t really understand what this was for, but we kept on creating education, kept on debunking the myths, providing a lot of information and showing why you should use this,” she said.
To that end, the brand’s website features tutorial-style videos for each product, the science of scalp care, educational blog posts and clinical study results.
“It’s just a natural progression with the category that people become more aware, more familiar with this, and it becomes a natural part of the routine,” Reavey said.
As the category continues to expand and consumer interest grows, brands like Briogeo and Oribe have built out scalp-specific lines, joining well-estabished brands like Philip Kingsley, a pioneer in the field of trichology and scalp treatments.
Crown Affair, a clean, ritual-based hair care brand, has doubled down on its approach to scalp, focusing on education.
“The reality is that most of the country at-large doesn’t understand the difference between scalp care and strand care and that they are essentially different things, but they do work in such harmony,” said Dianna Cohen, founder and chief executive officer of Crown Affair.
In an effort to reach consumers, Cohen posts across her personal social channels, as well as the brand’s, chronicling her hair care routine, oftentimes explaining how the brand’s products work holistically to address both scalp and strand health. Its star product is the Cleansing Scalp Scrub, $54, which took more than two years to formulate, and is formulated to buff away debris and balance the scalp.
Other brands targeting the scalp include Kitsch and Seen. The former has Pre-wash Scalp Oil, $19, a plant-based topical that removes buildup and resets the scalp, while the latter launched Restore Scalp Serum, $48, a skin care ingredient-infused topical that hydrates and balances dry scalps.
“What we heard from our community was a lot of people talking about hair loss,” said Cassandra Thurswell, CEO and founder of Kitsch, who said the Pre-wash Scalp Oil is an all-natural treatment that would nourish the hair follicle to create an ideal environment for hair growth.
Seen’s Restore Scalp Serum was developed to address dry, flaky and irritated scalps, a constant concern amongst the brand’s users — 50 percent of people globally deal with dandruff, according to the International Journal of Trichology.
“A lot of the products that we develop at Seen are in response to our customers needs, so many of our customers have gotten so much better with their dry flaky scalp, but they may still have some persistence or some patches or they’re using, medicated products that they don’t necessarily want to use,” said Dr. Iris Rubin, founder of Seen.
With the topical space booming, tools are also on the rise. Ceremonia’s Scalp Masajeador, $16, which helps with lathering up shampoo, scrubbing away debris and boosting blood flow to prompt hair growth, has become a standout for the brand. Similarly, Lanshin’s Scalp Stimulator, $59, is like an accupressure gua sha for the head. Luminess Cosmetics has an Aeroscalp Scalp Cleansing Device, $99, which uses oxygenated air and sonic vibrations to deeply massage and cleanse the scalp without having to use too much shampoo.
Red light therapy and laser technology have also taken hold within the scalp category. Since red light prompts healing, research shows it can help grow hair and increase strand density. Hair transplant surgeon Dr. Ziering is a fan of the technology and sells an at-home option called the ZCap (LaserCap) HD+, $3,000, that is worn like a baseball hat. The Laduora Duo 4-in-1 Pod Based Scalp & Hair Care Device, $300, is a comb-like tool that uses sonic vibration, therapeutic warmth, red light therapy and electric stimulation to boost circulation and ultimately prompt healthier, stronger hair growth.
A number of salons are doubling down on scalp care. For example, Blow Me Away in Los Angeles offers custom head spa services, including detoxing options for oily scalp, hydrating ones for dry or aging scalp, and a treatment for thinning hair and loss. The Heavenly Spa by Westin locations also offer a scalp oil and massage add-on to its treatments, which can boost blood circulation and hydrate the skin. Aveda hair salons also offer oil-based botanical therapies to treat the scalp. The Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic, with locations in London and New York City, offers in-depth scalp analysis and personalized treatments.
Head spa salons and services are starting to pop up across the country.
The Hair Repair Bar by Giojé in New York City is one such locale. While the salon offers a variety of services, including cuts, coloring and of course, the signature hair and scalp treatment, each appointment is dictated by the current state of the guest’s scalp.
“Every single client who comes to our salon gets a scalp analyzer,” said founder Giovanny Jorge. “We don’t just do what the client wants because we are more focused on what the client can have without damaging. Everything starts from the scalp and then it runs through the hair.”
Hair Repair Bar’s signature hair and scalp treatment employs essential oils to remove debris, including dandruff, rejuvenate the scalp and nourish strands. During the pandemic, Jorge experienced consumer demand for an at-home scalp treatment option, which led her to develop the ScalpFacial, $44, with formulations for oily and dry hair.
Japanese head spas, like Masa Kanai in New York City, have also gained traction. According to data from Spate, searches for Japanese scalp treatment were up 70 percent year-over-year.
“As consumers put focus on these things, they’re going to look outside of products as well to treatments that could amplify results that they’re getting through their products, potentially” said Jensen, hypothesizing that treatment offerings will continue to expand with the growing category.
The Scalp Squad:
Crown Affair The Cleansing Scrub, $54
Crown Affair’s The Cleansing Scrub, $54, is formulated with Bolivian pink salt to exfoliate the scalp and sweep away debris; coconut-derived surfactants gently cleanse without stripping.
Act + Acre Scalp Relief System, $145
Act + Acre’s Scalp Relief System, $45 includes a Scalp Detox, Scalp Renew and a Stem Cell Scalp Serum formulated with baobab oil, salicylic acid and Swiss apple stem cells to balance the skin’s microbiome and maintain a healthy scalp, as well as treat inflammatory conditions.
Seen Restore Scalp Serum, $48
Seen’s Restore Scalp Serum, $48, is formulated for dry and irritated scalps. It includes hero ingredients like propanediol caprylate to detox the scalp and squalane to moisturize and boost the skin’s barrier.
Kitsch Pre-Wash Scalp Oil, $19
Kitsch’s Pre-Wash Scalp Oil, $19, is formulated with rosemary to remove buildup, biotin to promote healthier strands and argan and jojoba oils to moisturize the scalp.
Philip B. Scalp Booster System, $225
Philip B.’s Scalp Booster System, $225, includes a shampoo, leave-in conditioner, pre-wash treatment and a scalp massager. Key ingredients include redensyl, a plant-based compound that is shown to increase hair growth, and salicylic acid and citrus extracts, exfoliants that will buff away oils and debris.
Innersense Harmonic Hair Renew Scalp Collection, $80
Innersense’s Harmonic Hair Renew Scalp Collection, $80, includes a serum, pre-wash treatment and a gua sha-style comb. The two topicals are formulated with microhyaluronic acid to hydrate, magnesium oil to detox and zinc gluconate to balance scalp oils.
Philip Kingsley Density Preserving Scalp Drops, $68
Philip Kingsley’s Density Preserving Scalp Drops, $68, are formulated with a biomimetic peptide blend, azelaic acid, pyridoxine HCL and zinc PCA to promote denser strands and reduce thinning.
