As a BosleyMD-certified trichologist and hairstylist/salon director at Foushee SalonSpa (@fousheesalonspa) in Littleton, Colorado, Gretchen Friese has her hands (and eyes) on everything related to hair and scalp health. Here, she shares the key characteristics, causes and best remedies behind four of clients’ most common scalp concerns.

Psoriasis appears as bumpy red patches covered with white scales—caused by the immune system attacking healthy skin cells. If the client is sick or battling an infection (strep throat is a common trigger), her immune system will go into overdrive to fight the infection, kicking off a psoriasis flare-up. Psoriasis is usually cleared up by doctor-prescribed medications.

With dermatitis, the skin will typically look dry, swollen and red. But there are several different kinds: Atopic dermatitis (eczema) begins at infancy and is usually caused by dry skin, genetics, an immune system disorder, a skin infection, exposure to certain foods, or contact with allergens—or a combination of these. Contact dermatitis is typically caused by contact with a skin irritant, inciting an allergic reaction (think poison ivy, perfumes, jewelry containing nickel, cleaning products, or creams/lotions). Seborrheic dermatitis is caused by a yeast that’s present in oil secretions on the skin. Follicular dermatitis is essentially atopic dermatitis that affects hair follicles. Control dermatitis by moisturizing regularly, or using medicated ointment, creams or dermatitis-specific shampoos.

Alopecia leads to thinning hair and also comes in various forms. Androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness, usually genetic) occurs with a sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone. Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder, is typically caused by trauma or stress. And traction alopecia happens when hair is pulled too tightly, stressing the follicle and eventually leading to hair loss. These may not have complete cures, but retail products can help fill out the appearance of thinning areas.

Finally, dandruff appears as white flakes on the scalp, which shed into the hair and fall from the head (perhaps accompanied by mild itchiness). Here, a fungus feeds on the oils on the scalp, which can have many causes: irritated or oily skin, not shampooing enough, age (it’s common in teens and young adults), weather, stress levels, medical conditions and some hair products. The condition can usually be remedied with an anti-dandruff shampoo.

Talking Points

How can a stylist sensitively broach scalp issues with clients? “It can be an embarrassing topic, so ask a benign question like, ‘How is your scalp feeling?’ or ‘Have you had any itching on your scalp lately?’” Friese advises. “Questions like this will usually open up a conversation about the issue.”
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Similarly, Brandon Johns (@diplobrandon), an educator with Malibu C and owner of Dallas-based Studio2020, asks clients if they’ve experienced any changes to their diet or medications, then recommends therapeutic treatments to remove any mineral buildup on the hair and scalp (followed by related retail suggestions). “Clients often are looking for the stylist to bring these issues up,” Johns notes. “But it could be caused by something really simple—like if they’re using the same shampoo for six months or more, overwashing, or not washing hair often enough. They may just need a simple switch!”

Humans (and their skin) are naturally balanced on the pH scale between 4.0 and 6.5. (HELPFUL HINT: Anything below a 7 on the pH scale is acidic, and anything above 7 is alkaline.) 

Human pH is slightly on the acidic side of the pH scale so personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner and other body and skin care will work best if they’re slightly acidic.

Humans all have a natural barrier called the acid mantle. The barrier helps reduce the risk of bacteria, dirt and other substances infiltrating the skin and potentially leading to irritation and breakouts. Products that don’t match the human acid mantle will disrupt the natural ability to keep skin and hair looking and feeling healthy. 
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“Don’t let the ingredient list on the package fool you,” cautions Doug Smith, brand manager for Eufora HERO for Men. “Yes, good ingredients are always important, but they can’t provide peak performance if the product formulation isn’t balanced to your natural pH level.”

In This Article

1. What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?
2. The Benefits
3. How It Differs From Clarifying Shampoo
4. Is It Safe To Use on Colored Hair?
5. How To Try at Home

Apple cider vinegar is to hair like coffee is to creamer. You don't necessarily need it, but try it once and you (likely) won't go back. We know that this kitchen staple has health benefits and can even fight blackheads, but still, we have questions when it comes to using it in our hair. For one, how is it any different from a clarifying shampoo? And, is an apple cider vinegar hair rinse for colored hair deemed safe by experts? After all, it burns like crazy when you toss it down the ol' hatch, so it's natural to assume our bleached and dyed strands wouldn't be able to tolerate apple cider vinegar's acidity.
 
To find out all the benefits ACV can have on the hair and if it's safe to use on colored strands, we turned to the pros. Keep scrolling to see all they had to say about how to safely use apple cider vinegar on colored hair.

​What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

​Apple cider vinegar—or cider vinegar—is a vinegar made from fermented apple juice. "It is made by crushing apples, then squeezing out the juice," says Gretchen Friese, Bosley Professional Strength certified trichologist. "Bacteria and yeast are added to the liquid to start an alcoholic fermentation process, which converts the sugars from the juice to alcohol. Then in a second and final fermentation step, the alcohol is converted into vinegar." Apple cider vinegar contains antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that make it ideal for many uses ranging from cooking to health and beauty.

What Are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar on Hair?

​Apple cider vinegar is chock-full of properties that can be nourishing and healing for the hair.

• Alleviates dry scalp: "The antibacterial and anti-fungal properties of ACV help to keep the pH level of the scalp balanced," says Friese. "Dandruff is a buildup on the scalp that happens when too much yeast is present on oily areas of the skin. Using a mix with ACV can help avoid that build up."
• Reduces color fading: Friese notes that for color-treated hair, ACV can help close the cuticles, thus maintaining your color's vibrancy.
• Controls frizz: Friese maintains that ACV can help smooth the hair and keep frizz at bay, making it a popular treatment option among those with curly and textured hair.
• Detangles: If you have hair that's prone to knots or tangles, ACV and a wide-tooth comb can help rid them.
• Reduces hair loss: With its ability to balance the skin's pH and clear the hair follicle from debris, Friese says that ACV can help reduce hair loss.

​How Does it Differ From a Clarifying Shampoo?

Apple cider vinegar may be effective at getting rid of buildup on the scalp (think: hairsprays, dry shampoo, and excess grease), but isn't that what a clarifying shampoo does? Yes and no. Friese breaks it down for us: "Clarifying shampoos are formulated to remove product buildup and excess oils as well as prep the hair for some types of color or hair treatments. However, when used alone it can fade color and make the hair feel dry and look dull, making following up with a good conditioner or treatment necessary." On the other hand, while apple cider vinegar—like a clarifying shampoo—also removes buildup and debris, it has the added benefit of offering healing properties for the scalp.
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Plus, it can seal in hair color as well as add shine and control frizz.

Is it Safe to Use on Colored Hair?

Our experts agree that apple cider vinegar is safe for all hair types, including color-treated hair. If you're looking for a solution for how to remove buildup from color-treated hair (but don't want to strip your hair of its color over time), you've found it in ACV. "Apple cider vinegar rinses are really truly about removing buildup of products, and they make the hair really clean,” says Jo Blackwell-Preston, founder and master stylist at Dop Dop Salon. Apple cider vinegar, while being acidic, is only slightly so—just enough to balance the pH of your hair (and scalp), not strip it. And because it’s a chelating agent (the thing responsible for making your hair lather up), it has the ability to grab the minerals and metals (mostly from hard water) that build up and dull your hair. “Apple cider vinegar coats the cuticle, leaving the hair soft and shiny,” Joico celebrity colorist Denis de Souza says. “It also helps to strengthen your hair by closing the cuticles and the hair shaft.” Shiny hair, healthy scalp, and unclogged hair follicles--it’s an all-around do.

All this to say, because ACV is slightly acidic, when it's mixed with two to three parts water it may extend the life of hair color, but only when applied right after the color is rinsed off. "Most hair colors are alkaline, which opens up the hair cuticle, and applying an acidic solution may reseal the cuticle," notes Friese.

How to Try at Home

Here's a good guideline for an apple cider vinegar rinse: one half to four tablespoons of ACV for every eight ounces of water. That said, you can experiment to find a dilution that works best for you and your hair type. Fill the solution in a plastic squeeze bottle or spray bottle. Friese recommends shampooing first and then saturating the hair with ACV, massaging the solution into the scalp. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing. "The frequency of use depends on the individual and their hair type, but too much use can cause brassiness and damage," she warns. de Souza agrees, noting that using an ACV rinse a few times a week isn’t going to harm your color, though you should use it less frequently if your skin skews sensitive.

From just a passing glance, it’s obvious that red hair differs from other shades. It’s eye-catching, multi-tonal, and has an ability to command attention.

But other than its striking colour, red hair is different to other hair colours in many other ways.

Red hair is more fragile, and in shorter supply

Natural ginger hair strands are much more fragile than other hair types. And, while many redheads believe they have lots of hair, in general they technically have fewer strands.

In fact, it’s estimated that natural blondes have 110,000 strands on average, brunettes have 140,000, while redheads only have 90,000 strands on their heads in total. These fewer strands are usually thicker for redheads though, so the appearance can sometimes be that gingers actually look like they have more hair than other colours.

As you can imagine, this combination of fragility and thickness makes for a somewhat tricky customer.

Ginger hair is prone to frizz and coarseness

Due to the fragility and thickness of red hair strands, this often makes for coarseness and frizz aplenty, which in turn can actually make your ginger shade appear duller than it should. If you think about it, the frizz stands in the way of allowing light to reflect more easily off your hair, so it’s difficult to achieve shiny, bright red hair.

By encouraging smoothness of the follicles and strands, more light can then reflect off it, giving brighter, shinier red hair that reveals the multi-tones of your ginger shade.

Dryness is the enemy

With the above issues of frizz and fragility, many redheads turn to heat styling to try to combat the coarseness and to impose some smoothness on their ginger locks.

While heat styling is a temporary solution to reducing frizz, and indeed does smoothen the strands, what happens is it makes your red hair drier and drier each time. Everyone knows that excessive heat styling is bad for their hair, but for redheads, having already fragile and frizz-prone strands means this is a sure-fire way to cause breakage and split ends.

Moisture is your friend

What red hair craves is heaps of moisture to help encourage strength and smoothness in its follicles and strands.

But don’t mistake ‘moisture’ for ‘silicones’. Found in the majority of hair products, silicones are an artificial way of pumping something that appears to give smoothness and moisture to your hair. Granted, for a time your hair may become shinier and feel more conditioned, but over time it will become accustomed to these silicones, which can cause product build-up and eventual dullness, too.

The reason why silicones are so prevalent in haircare is because they’re often teamed up with sulfates, the foaming agent commonly used in shampoos and soaps. They’re bad news for the hair and scalp in general, and in particular for redheads, as they’re extremely drying, stripping your natural, glossy oils from your scalp and strands.

The answer?

What we’re faced with here is red hair that is crying out for something to combat its frizz, fragility, coarseness and dryness.

By cutting out both sulfates and silicones, either by going cold turkey or through gradual use, you can train your red hair to rely less on artificial ingredients. Instead, use ingredients that enhance red hair and help alleviate its weaknesses, injecting more shine, moisture and vibrancy into it.
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Oh, and kick your heat styling habit, too.

Overview
If you have a dry, flaking scalp, you may suspect dandruff. But it could be a sign of dry scalp. Dandruff and dry scalp have the same main symptoms, which are falling flakes and an itchy scalp, but they are two different conditions.
In dry scalp, the skin gets irritated and flakes off. With dandruff, the cause is too much oil on the scalp. That excess oil causes skin cells to build up and then shed. Knowing which of these conditions you have can help you get the right treatment and banish those flakes for good.

Causes and Symptoms
You get dry scalp when your skin has too little moisture. The skin on your scalp becomes irritated and flakes off. If your scalp is dry, the skin on other parts of your body, like your arms and legs, could be dry, too.

Dry scalp can also be triggered by factors like these:

• cold, dry air
• contact dermatitis caused by a reaction to products you apply to your scalp, like shampoo, styling gel, and hairspray
• older age

The skin cells on your scalp and body normally multiply when you need more of them. Then they die and shed off. When you have dandruff, skin cells on your scalp shed more quickly than usual.

The main cause of dandruff is seborrheic dermatitis, a condition that turns the skin oily, red, and scaly. The white or yellow scales flake off, creating dandruff. You can get seborrheic dermatitis anywhere you have oil glands, including your eyebrows, groin, armpits, and along the sides of your nose. In babies it’s called cradle cap.

Often, a fungus called malassezia triggers dandruff. This fungus normally lives on your scalp. Yet some people have too much of it, and it causes skin cells to multiply more quickly than usual.

Certain factors can cause malassezia to multiply, including:

• age
• hormones
• stress

Dirty hair doesn’t cause dandruff, but if you don’t wash your hair often enough, the oily buildup can contribute to flakes.

One way to tell the difference between dry scalp and flakes from dandruff is by their appearance. Dandruff flakes are bigger and they look oily. In babies with cradle cap, the scalp looks scaly or crusty. Both dryness and dandruff can make your scalp itch.

Symptoms of dandruff vs. dry scalp

Following is a comparison of the main symptoms of each condition:

Seeing a doctor
You can treat most dandruff yourself with an over-the-counter shampoo. If you’ve tried a dandruff shampoo for at least a month and your flakes haven’t improved, they’re getting worse, or the skin on your scalp looks red or swollen, make an appointment with a dermatologist, which is a doctor that specializes in treating the skin. You might have another skin condition that needs to be treated.
Your doctor will determine whether you have dandruff by looking at your scalp and hair. They can rule out conditions like eczema and psoriasis, which can also cause flaky skin on the scalp.

Treatment
If you have dry scalp, wash with a gentle shampoo and then use a moisturizing conditioner. One way to tell whether you have dry scalp or dandruff is to apply a light moisturizer to your scalp before you go to bed. If the cause is dry scalp, the flakes should disappear once you shower the next morning. Some hair stylists can perform a scalp treatment that uses steam to deliver more moisture to your scalp.

For mild dandruff, wash your hair every day with a gentle shampoo to reduce the amount of oil on your scalp. If your dandruff is more severe or a regular shampoo doesn’t work, try a dandruff shampoo.

Most dandruff shampoos contain medicine that kills the fungus on your scalp or removes flaky skin. Here are some examples:

Pyrithione zinc (Head and Shoulders, Jason Dandruff Relief 2 in 1) is an antifungal drug. It kills the fungus on your scalp that causes flaking. Pyrithione zinc shampoos are gentle enough to use every day.

Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue) reduces fungus and prevents too many skin cells from dying off. If you have blond or gray hair or you dye your hair, ask your doctor before using shampoo containing selenium sulfide. It can change your hair color.

Ketoconazole (Nizoral) kills the fungus that causes dandruff. You can buy it in over the counter or prescription strength.

Salicylic acid (Neutrogena T/Sal) removes extra scale from your scalp before it can flake. In some people, salicylic acid can dry out the skin and cause more flaking.

Coal tar (Neutrogena T/Gel) slows the growth and shedding of skin cells on the scalp. Tar-based shampoos can also change your hair color if you have blond or gray hair.

Shampoos containing tea tree oil are an alternative remedy for dandruff. Tea tree oil is a natural ingredient with antifungal properties. An older studyTrusted Source from 2012 showed that a 5 percent tea tree oil shampoo reduced scaling without causing side effects. Some people are allergic to tea tree oil. Ask your doctor before you try it. Stop using the product if you have any redness or swelling.

No matter which dandruff shampoo you try, read the instructions on the bottle and follow them carefully. If you’re not sure which shampoo to use or how often to use it, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice. You might have to try a few brands before you find one that relieves your dandruff.

Once your dandruff improves, you might be able to cut back on the number of days that you use the shampoo. For more stubborn dandruff, your doctor can prescribe a stronger shampoo or a steroid lotion.

Outlook
Dandruff isn’t curable. Most people will have to manage symptoms over the long term. Usually, the flakes will come and go. Treating dandruff with a special shampoo can manage the condition and prevent itching and flakiness.

Prevention
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Here are some tips to prevent dandruff and dry scalp:

• If you have dandruff, wash your hair often with an antidandruff shampoo. Make sure to rinse out all the shampoo.
• Avoid using hair products that contain harsh chemicals, like bleach and alcohol. These ingredients can dry out your scalp. Also avoid oily hair products that can build up on your scalp.
• Spend a few minutes out in the sun every day. There’s some evidence that ultraviolet light exposure can help control dandruff. Yet you don’t want to get too much sun exposure because it can increase your risk for skin cancer.
• Manage your stress with meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and other relaxation techniques.