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Have you tried everything to grow longer, stronger hair with no success? According to board-certified trichologist Aga Tompkins, your scalp could be the problem.
"Just like facial skin, the scalp should feel comfortable, hydrated, and resilient, not tight, itchy, overly oily, or flaky," explains Aga. "When the scalp environment is healthy, hair is able to grow stronger, shinier, and more consistently."
But when it's not, you might experience symptoms like persistent dryness or flaking, excessive oil, itchiness, scalp buildup, increased shedding, and stunted hair growth. If this sounds like you, your scalp might need some extra TLC.
Why Scalp Care Is the Secret To Longer, Stronger Hair
"Hair growth begins at the follicle, so scalp health directly impacts hair length, strength, and density" explains Aga. Basically, a healthy scalp equals quicker hair growth and stronger strands.
"When follicles are inflamed, clogged, or undernourished, hair can become weaker, shed more easily, or grow more slowly."
The solution? "Gentle cleansing, targeted scalp treatments, and avoiding harsh or stripping formulas can help restore balance," advises Aga.
To promote regulated oil production and clear buildup, Aga suggests using scalp-specific shampoos that remove stubborn buildup and soothe dryness.
She also suggests adding an exfoliating scalp treatment (Aga recommends chemical exfoliants) to your hair care routine to ensure a squeaky clean scalp free of product or oil buildup. A leave-in scalp treatment is also essential in delivering hydrating and strengthening nutrients to your hair.
Want long and healthy hair? Shop these expert-approved scalp treatments.
The Best Scalp Treatments Overall:
Best scalp serum for hair growth: Nutrafol Women's Hair Serum
Best exfoliating scalp treatment: Nutrire T.2 Night Serum
Best shampoo for a clean scalp: Nioxin Scalp Recovery Purifying Shampoo
Best Scalp Serums for Hair Growth
"Incorporating a leave-in scalp treatment can make a big difference over time," says Aga. When paired with the right shampoo, "they help maintain a healthy environment for growth without overloading the scalp."
The Ordinary Lightweight Hydrating Scalp Serum
This leave-in scalp serum contains amino acids and hyaluronic acid to restore the scalp's barrier, provide a surge of moisture, and soothe dryness-related itchiness. It's non-greasy and won't weigh down hair.
Nutrafol Women's Hair Serum
Formulated with ingredients including tea tree, gentle lactic acid, lipids, and peptides, this fast-absorbing serum reduces breakage that starts at the root and supports a healthy scalp microbiome. With consistent use, you'll notice fuller, thicker hair.
Paige DeSorbo says: "This is a hair serum you can use every single day. It thickens and reduces hair breakage.” She adds, “You don't have to wash it out after, you can just go. It's fast-absorbing."
Nutrire T.1 Day Serum
"Nutrire’s T.1 Day Serum supports daily scalp balance and follicle health, while the T.2 Night Serum works overnight to lightly exfoliate, hydrate, and support the scalp barrier," Aga told E!.
The lightweight leave-in oil strengthens strands at the root to boost hair density and prevent breakage and flaking.
Best Exfoliating Scalp Treatments
Pacifica Scalp Detox Tonic
Prior to shampooing, go in with this detoxifying hair rinse. A blend of clarifying apple cider vinegar, anti-inflammatory rosemary oil, and exfoliating acids target congested hair follicles to loosen clogged pores to remove oil and product buildup.
VERB Ghost Exfoliating Scalp Nectar
Refresh your scalp with this exfoliating scalp treatment. It contains AHAs and PHAs to effortlessly cleanse hair of follicle-clogging buildup and moringa oil to restore hydration in just 10 minutes.
Nutrire T.2 Night Serum
Aga advises, "incorporating a lightweight treatment like Nutrire’s T.2 Night Serum [to] help gently exfoliate buildup while rehydrating and calming the scalp overnight."
It's formulated with lactic acid to gently exfoliate your scalp overnight and jojoba oil to soothe dryness.
Best Shampoos for a Clean Scalp
"When follicles are inflamed, clogged, or undernourished, hair can become weaker, shed more easily, or grow more slowly," explains Aga. That's why you need a scalp-specific shampoo that provides a deep yet gentle cleanse.
Nioxin Scalp Recovery Purifying Shampoo
Dealing with an itchy, flaky scalp? This moisture-balancing shampoo will get rid of your dandruff for good. It contains zinc pyrithione to target the cause of dandruff while niacinamide nourishes hair at the root and mint oil to promote circulation.
Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
The star ingredient of this highly-rated OG shampoo is powerful ketoconazole, which fights dandruff-causing fungus and helps prevent dandruff-related hair loss.
L'Oreal Paris Clarify Sulfate Free Shampoo
This color-safe clarifying shampoo effortlessly cleanses hair of product, oil, and hard water buildup without stripping hair. It also locks in hydration, leaving hair soft and shiny.
Hair growth treatments with top customer reviews from people with lots of hair (starting at $10).
How We Choose
The E! Insider Shop editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources, comb through customer reviews, and use our own personal experiences to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think our readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not E!. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.
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