Surely lately you can't stop hearing about skinification on social networks, but you may not be very clear about what this is and what it has to do with your hair. Well, the story basically consists of treating your hair as if it were your skin (hence the word uses the prefix 'skin', which in English means 'skin'). Not with the same products, of course, but applying the same amount of pampering and time that you dedicate to your pretty face and starting from the root. The result is obvious, and the 'influencers' who boast of long hair, like Olivia Palermo, have long since joined this trend.
“I have been advising and explaining to my clients for more than 20 years the importance of not only taking care of the hair but also the scalp. If this is not healthy, our hair will not be. In addition, it will not be as shiny and beautiful as we want”, insists the hair stylist Diana Daureo.
Because, if what you are looking for is to show off a mane of a movie, it is not enough to clean your hair with any shampoo and then quickly put on the conditioner so as not to leave a handful of strands on the comb afterwards. No! Skinification means following a protocol to give your hair and scalp an 'up grade'. “The skin of the head becomes saturated, dirty, accumulates sweat and becomes clogged, causing sometimes uncontrolled sebum or dehydration due to the loss of the hydrolipidic layer. And all this is reflected in the hair length, in the lack of shine, in a more weakened hair, prone to breakage, split ends and excessive frizz", explains Sol Santos, technical manager of Tanino Therapy Spain.
What can skinification do for your hair?
The expert points out that in order to correctly carry out the skinification process, not only products designed for hair care must be chosen, but also products adapted to the specific needs of your scalp. The objective is that they act to hydrate the skin; eliminate harmful external agents, such as bacteria, product remains, dirt, etc.; and give shine and vitality to the hair.
To correctly perform the skinification technique, different steps must be followed: cleanse, tone, exfoliate, hydrate, nourish and protect the hair. That is to say, the same thing that you would do with the skin of the face – although this is thinner, about 1.5 mm, compared to 3 mm of the skin of the scalp – and which, by the way, is a process that you already have more that integrated.
In fact, skinification should be done daily and by default, but much more so if you have a problem that could alter the health of your hair or scalp. As Diana Daureo explains, “the microbiome of our scalp is like that of any part of the body, but more sensitive, exactly the same as that of the forehead. And it is usually altered in times of stress, by some inappropriate cosmetic product or in hormonal processes”.
That certain symptoms appear in the hair or on the scalp should put us on alert, according to this specialist, who points out, among the most frequent, excessive itching, dandruff, redness, itching and hair loss. “Any of these factors warn us that something is wrong. What's more, some can trigger worse problems, such as dermatitis or alopecia," he warns. So the 'skinification' is anything but a fad or a trend in TikTok.
How to apply skinification to your hair?
Teresa Climent Benítez, a Pharmacy graduate and Technical Manager at Nuggela & Sulé, explains the main precautions in the skinification ritual. You should start with the pre-shampoo, which resembles what the 'primer' would be on the face and can be formulated as an oil, serum, cream or mask. You should apply it before washing on damp or dry hair. The objective is, on the one hand, to give extra care to the hair and, on the other, to prepare it to maximize the efficiency of subsequent treatments. It is important to bear in mind that it must be left on the hair, depending on the formula, between 10 and 15 minutes, and then it must be rinsed.
But if there is a fundamental treatment within the 'skinification' process, and that you should not skip if you want to show off beautiful hair, that is the 'peeling' to remove dead cells and dirt adhered to the scalp and that prevents proper oxygenation of the skin in that area. In addition, by stimulating microcirculation, you will also contribute to improving hair growth. “You have to know that natural hair exfoliation is done once every 20 days, while facial exfoliation is usually every four or seven days. Not carrying out this process can lead to pathologies such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and hair loss. It is convenient to do it once a month using massage brushes that promote blood flow in the area”, recommends Climent.
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Hair Cleansing Scrub
Another important step in skinification –and this will seem strange to you– is applying a tonic to the scalp to regulate the pH of the hair. According to this pharmacist, “a hair in correct condition would have a value between 5 and 5.5, which corresponds to a slightly acid state. Correctly pH-regulated hair is soft, shiny and easy to comb. An alkaline hair, however, appears frizzy and weak due to the opening of the cuticles”.
Finally, if you are going to be exposed to the sun, because you are planning a beach vacation or you are used to playing sports outdoors, in this case one of the unwritten rules of 'skinification' consists of applying a specific protective product for the hair and scalp, which will prevent oxidation of the fiber caused by UV rays, discoloration of dyed hair and 'frizz', while protecting the hair's keratin.
And one more thing. Putting the 'skinification' technique into practice on the hair and scalp not only involves following a ritual with certain steps, but also looking at the ingredients contained in each of the products that you are going to use in the care of your hair. mane if you want to look hairy. "For example, the infusion of anti-aging ingredients in the scalp and hair, among which hyaluronic acid stands out, which in addition to providing beautiful hair, promotes healthy hair growth from its foundations," summarizes Sol Santos. Other ingredients that also add up to show off your hair? Take a look at the label and record these: “Salicylic acid, which is perfect for exfoliation; collagen, which nourishes and treats the skin and hair fiber; vitamin B, which provides density; or ceramides, which maintain hydration and prevent breakage of the hair fiber“, adds Gisela Bosque, Sephora National Make Up Artist.
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