Head itching, dandruff or scalp aging.

Feng Yongqiang, Zheng Heng Plastic Surgery Hospital of China Academy of Medical Sciences

Many people have more scalp problems in winter: first, their hair is oily, then their scalp itches, and then a lot of dandruff comes out the next day after washing, and then their hair is oily and their scalp itches for a day or two ... such a vicious circle. This problem may be caused by scalp aging.

Scalp is the oldest skin tissue.

Scalp is the continuation of facial skin and neck skin, and its thickness is thinner than most facial skin. The scalp is rich in sebaceous glands, exuberant in sebum secretion, dense in hair follicles and high in free radical content, and bears great tension and gravity at the highest part of human skin. Therefore, the scalp is one of the most easily aging parts in skin tissue.

Scalp aging can also make your face look old.

Scalp aging goes through internal and external processes. The Expert Consensus on Anti-aging of Scalp in China (hereinafter referred to as Consensus) jointly formulated by Hair Medicine Branch of China Plastic Surgery Association and Laser Technology Application Research Center of Dermatology and Venereology Branch of Chinese Medical Association points out that the general population mainly shows the inherent aging characteristics such as thinning, graying, dryness, decreased elasticity, increased brittleness and alopecia. People with hair loss will show the characteristics of internal and external aging because of less hair, such as pigmentation, atrophy, telangiectasia, and changes in cell structure. The thinner the skin, the more prone to solar keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. To sum up, there are seven manifestations of scalp aging:

0 1 scalp barrier function is damaged, drying and desquamation, and excessive oil secretion;

02 scalp thinning and relaxation;

03 scalp itching and inflammation;

04 occurrence of scalp skin tumor;

05 hair turns white;

06 sparse hair, poor hair quality;

Hair thinning, alopecia and baldness.

In addition, scalp aging may also lead to aging face's symptoms such as drooping eyelids, drooping cheeks, deepening decree lines and drooping mouth.

Old age, sun exposure and smoking are all triggers.

What causes scalp aging?

According to the consensus, its internal causes involve changes in gene expression, decline in antioxidant capacity, accumulation of inflammatory factors, weakening of scalp microcirculation, and decline in the vitality of hair follicle stem cells caused by age.

The external causes are mainly gene regulation disorder, oxidative stress, inflammatory stimulation, scalp microecological abnormality and long-term accumulation of ultraviolet rays, inflammatory stimulation, environmental pollution, smoking, oil smoke and other hair follicle damage.

Six methods can resist scalp aging.

According to the consensus, there are six main anti-aging methods for scalp:

Shading and sun protection

Physical sun protection, prepare sun hat and umbrella when going out, physical sun protection. Chemical sunscreen, choose sunscreen and hair care products with sunscreen effect. Some natural plant ingredients, such as aloe, seaweed, seabuckthorn, astragalus, ginkgo, etc., all have the function of absorbing ultraviolet rays. In addition, under the guidance of doctors, antioxidants, nicotinamide, β -carotene and other drugs can be added to combat scalp photoaging.

Hair transplantation

This method is suitable for thinning hair, alopecia and baldness.

Beauty therapy

Antioxidant components such as vitamin C and glutathione, nutritional components such as compound amino acids and minerals, and hair follicle protective components such as caffeine and tripeptide-1 copper can play an anti-oxidation role, promote microcirculation, inhibit 5α reductase activity, protect hair follicles, and play an anti-aging role in scalp.

Scalp maintenance

Massage, cleaning and care.

Photoelectric therapy

It mainly includes low-energy laser therapy and lattice laser therapy. Low-energy laser therapy with low-energy laser irradiation with wavelength of 650~785 nm can increase the production of adenosine triphosphate in scalp, regulate reactive oxygen species and induce the production of transcription factors, thus improving microvascular circulation, reducing inflammation, increasing the number of hair follicles and increasing the tensile strength of hair.

Lattice laser first forms a small columnar micro-damaged area on the skin surface, and then dermis and subcutaneous tissue will quickly start the tissue repair mechanism, induce cell growth factors, promote the formation of local microvessels, stimulate hair follicle cells, improve microcirculation and promote hair growth.

medicine

Oral drugs under the guidance of doctors, such as drugs containing ginsenoside, sawtooth palm extract and phytosterol, can promote scalp rejuvenation through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and anti-androgen.