DECODING THE BEST LOOKS FROM THE #SCALPSWAGCHALLENGE

Ever since the lockdown happened, we have all truly let ourselves go. As a hairstylist myself, I still relate to this. For the longest time, I just let my hair breathe and relax, and it felt great for a while before it started getting boring and messy. How many of us have empathized with Ranveer Singh’s latest Scalp Wala Rap which very aptly says “Lockdown me ho gaye hai lambe mere baal, stylist ke paas kaise jaaun yahi hai sawaal”?

I have always emphasized the importance of maintaining the hygiene of hair and scalp. Healthy, beautiful hair needs regular care and maintenance, and I truly believe we can’t afford to be lax about our hair care regimen, come what may. That’s why I teamed up with Head and Shoulders India to kick off the #ScalpSwag Challenge, to promote healthy hair and scalp, and the response has been fantastic, with over 30 million views and tons of people showing off their Scalp Swag.

Of the tons of responses we got, I’ve picked three of my favorites from all the hairstyles that were sent to me. You can easily do these on your own to show off your own #ScalpSwag.

Ranveer Singh

I know we all loved his rap, but I know a lot of us may have related to it a little too hard. But we can all achieve the scalp swag like Ranveer! All you have to do is ensure that you have washed your hair clean of any signs of dandruff and grime. Take your damp hair and mix a little bit of styling product. Avoid a pomade or a wax, you may choose to use a gel, mousse, or cream. Smear it all over the hands, massage it onto the length of the hair and then taking a comb, just comb all your hair into place with a strong side parting to show off that clean dandruff-free scalp. If you have a hair-dryer then just blast the hair so that it dries a little more than what it was when you began putting the product in and it sort of holds the style in place.

Disha Patani & Sonam Bajwa

I loved how these stunning ladies chose simplified braids, which you too can wear at home for that online date! They are easier to do than they look, as long as you follow a few basic steps. When you wash your hair, make sure to massage your scalp to clear away any signs of dryness or dandruff. Then lightly towel dry or blast dry your hair, until it is completely done. Now take all the hair that is left loose on to one side of your head and just run it through curling tongs or curling iron, so that you can add texture to it, with a little wave or a tousled look. If you have a curl-enhancing spray or some styling cream, I prefer using that first, before using a curling tool. This will help you hold the shape better. Finally, spritz with a little hair-spray, just to set the style in its place.

Sara Ali Khan

This was one of the most striking scalp reveals and I absolutely wanted to add this because of how different the style is. For hair like Sara Ali Khan’s, all you need to do is to make sure that your scalp and your hair, everything is washed well and is dandruff-free. Ensure that it is almost 80% dry and then you create the parting on one side of your hair. Create scalp braids, start by braiding against your scalp following the parting that you have made and when you reach the back, put a rubber-band and wrap the hair around itself like a knob. Use a bobby-pin to secure it in place. Once you’re done with three or four partings, you have three or four mono knobs pinned in place. For the rest of your hair, you can just put a shine spray, if you want a little shine. If you want a little bit of wave then you can run a curling tong through it, but Sara’s hair is naturally sleek and shiny, and it looks good as is.

I’ll leave you with just one parting tip, and this is something that a large majority of people get wrong. While washing your hair, it’s tempting to work the lather through the length, but the best place to focus is the scalp. This is where lots of oil and dirt build-up, so you need to keep it clean. Warmer water helps loosen the bonds between the dirt and grease on your hair and scalp, but don’t turn the temperature up too high as water that’s too hot can aggravate a sensitive scalp.

If you like these looks then go on and try them and the hair care tips and do let me know how they turn out for you!