It may sound crazy, but it's true. Think about it: when you exfoliate your face, you're getting rid of dead skin cells -- revealing a fresh new layer underneath. The same thing happens when you exfoliate the top layer of your scalp. It removes dead skin cells and sebum (the oily substance that builds up on the surface), making way for fresh new hair growth underneath.

Before you skip ahead and start gagging, no, we're not suggesting you exfoliate your scalp with the same fruit acid-based product that you use on the skin of your face or body.

It's important to note that while the skin on your scalp is thicker than the skin on your face, it's still sensitive. You shouldn't use a product designed for facial exfoliation on your scalp--you could end up irritating or damaging it. Instead, find a product made specifically for use on scalps and follow instructions carefully when applying it.

What we are suggesting is that exfoliating the scalp is an important part of maintaining healthy hair.

Exfoliating your scalp is an important part of maintaining healthy hair. It removes dead skin cells and product buildup from the scalp, stimulates growth by increasing blood flow to the hair follicle, removes impurities from the skin surface (including dirt and oils), and improves circulation in general -- something many people need in order to combat thinning hair.

The answer lies in choosing a gentle exfoliant and using it regularly but sparingly.

Our favorite way to exfoliate is to gently massage the scalp with our AWAKEN scalp massager while cleansing with our RESET hair cleanser. Once a rich lather has been achieved, carefully use the massager to lift dead skin from the scalp surface. This should take just a couple of minutes. Rinse well to remove both the cleanser and the dead skin.

This may seem like an extreme measure to take, but it's actually a great way to treat your hair and your scalp. It will help you prevent breakage and damage, while nourishing the follicle so that it can grow healthy new hair.