Finding and using products that work for your hair type, needs, and concerns is important for the health of your hair; however, it’s equally important to ensure that you’re paying the same attention to your scalp. While scalp care isn’t as sexy as, say, products intended to give you glowing skin or thick, lustrous hair, in order to obtain your hair goals (whatever they may be) you’ve got to start at the roots. And Bridgette Hill, hairstylist, certified trichologist, founder of Root Cause Scalp Analysis, is here to help.

“I created the Root Cause Scalp Analysis to help people discover and address the underlying factors that cause their scalp and hair concerns,” says Hill. Due to the lack of offerings and education surrounding scalp health, Hill was inspired to create an analysis to help people weed through inaccurate and misleading information and provide them with tools. Our overall scalp health has a lot to do with genetics, hormones, nutrition, stress, and hairstyling habits, and understanding the various factors can help improve the state of your hair and resolve problems at play.

“In hair care, the focus has always been on the hair fiber—applying products to it topically or utilizing tools externally on the scalp or hair,” says Hill.  “Once we realize that our hair is an appendage of the scalp, we begin to look inward towards the internal health factors that define our external appearance. By identifying and addressing these internal factors, we improve our internal health and holistic wellbeing, which then creates an ideal environment for a balanced scalp, healthy hair growth, and glowing skin.” Whether you have dandruff, are experiencing more serious issues such as traction alopecia or alopecia areata, or are seeking preventative treatment, Root Cause Scalp Analysis can provide you with insightful information about the present state of your scalp.

The analysis is a personalized digital trichological service platform that provides consumers with virtual one-on-one consultations. “It uses my proven methodology to offer a complete insight into why and how an individual’s scalp and hair concerns are happening through comprehensive awareness, personalized solutions, and a customized action plan,” explains Hill. Commonly, she sees scalp congestion and buildup due to improper shampooing and cleansing techniques, injured hair follicles or scalp tissue caused by microbiome disturbances, bacterial and fungal infections, irritation and redness due to inflammation, thinning and follicle miniaturization, and scalp dehydration.

The analysis is pretty straightforward, you go to the website, create a user profile, and complete a detailed questionnaire about your hair, your scalp, and your lifestyle. From there, you’ll be prompted to upload photos to better help Hill understand your concerns and conditions and provide you with the best information for your consultation, which costs $200 for a 30-minute session and $350 for a 60-minute session.

In this meeting, Hill will provide you with personalized treatment solutions, product recommendations, and hair-care guidance, after which you’ll be able to schedule a 15-minute follow-up to track your progress and get additional support. “Root Cause Scalp Analysis allows me to analyze and address a wide spectrum of concerns ranging from mild to severe. If a concern is very severe or requires dermatological or medical treatment, the analysis can provide deep insights and valuable context to a referring dermatologist or physician,” she says.

If you aren’t sure if you’re properly taking care of your scalp but have a hunch that something could be up, a scalp analysis from Hill (or another provider) can be a good first step in addressing the issue. For those who aren’t quite ready to deep dive into your scalp health, however, Hill recommends beginning to build a scalp-care regimen including pre-shampoo scalp treatments, scalp brushes, intelligent tools, and cleansing alternatives as opposed to shampoos.

“Ultimately, I want to usher in a new wave of thinking. We can all intellectualize the connection between inner health and our external appearance. Now, it is time to help people actualize this connection by empowering them with the self-awareness and knowledge they need to maintain their healthiest scalp and hair for life.”

Shop Bridgette Hill's go-to scalp health products

Rene Furterer Complexe 5 Stimulating Plant Concentrate — $50.00

Hill says pre-shampoo scalp treatments are essential for scalp exfoliation and detoxification and highly recommends this botanicals-based treatment that was created to facilitate cellular turnover without disrupting the scalp microbiome. For those with a sensitive scalp, she recommends using the Rene Furterer Astera treatment.

Tangle Teaser Scalp Exfoliator and Massager — $10.00

“I encourage my clients to activate the scalp muscles and improve [their] circulation by massaging the scalp,” says Hill. In her opinion, a good scalp brush should be able to remove debris from the base of the hair follicle and loosen up any build-up so that it can be properly removed during the cleansing process.

Sunday Riley Clean Rinse Clarifying Scalp Serum with Niacinamide — $48.00

“Implementing a proper shampooing and cleansing regimen can be a game-changer for scalp health and hair loss,” says Hill. Shampooing is necessary for scalp and hair health, but Hill believes that because shampoos are detergent-based, frequent use can strip and disrupt your scalp’s microbiome. To prevent that from happening, try this AHA/BHA-infused serum.

Aveda Rinseless Refresh Micellar Hair and Scalp Refresher — $31.00

If you’re short on time, Hill also recommends this rinseless scalp refresher. Bonus, it also helps refresh your hairstyle and tames frizz.

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer — $399.00

“This hair dryer was designed to protect [the] scalp and hair from extreme heat. The gentle air dry attachment is a brilliant way to remove excess moisture from the scalp without applying unnecessary heat to the hair fiber,” Hill says.

BTW: Here’s what happened when one of our staffers tried a deep scalp cleaning:

Want even more beauty intel from our editors? Follow us on Instagram for must-know tips and tricks.