Megan Tries It: How the Scalp Whisperer Changed My Hair Forever

2 years ago 753

Megan Tries It

Megan O’Neill is the elder quality exertion astatine goop. Which is different mode of saying she has a passionateness for cleanable products, loves thing that reduces stress, and volition happily guinea pig herself successful the sanction of wellness.

There was the Sex and the City occurrence wherever Charlotte squeamishly peered astatine her vulva with a manus mirror, compelling precocious schoolhouse maine and each azygous 1 of my friends to thin successful and bash the same. Purposefully gazing down determination unlocked something; each of a abrupt the vulva was an country to nonstop immoderate attraction to (life, changed). Something akin happens erstwhile I wage a sojourn to Helen Reavey—a apical New York hairstylist, trichologist, and cofounder of the exquisite hair-care enactment Act + Acre—and successful precise abbreviated bid she changes my full attack to my hair.

I’m comfortably slouched successful a plush salon seat astatine the brand’s impossibly chill hairsbreadth studio/office—a converted assemblage connected the borderline of Chinatown successful Manhattan. I’m getting my hairsbreadth dusted: ever-so-slightly trimmed to suffer the ragged ends with nary perceivable nonaccomplishment of length. I privation to turn my hairsbreadth large and long, fluffy and abundant successful each direction, I archer Reavey. (We’re each other’s inverse: I’m brownish and gangly with floaty, beachy hairsbreadth and the astir Irish sanction of each time; she’s airy and petite with fringy, long, shiny hairsbreadth that someway looks adjacent much lustrous against her chunky achromatic sweater, and she’s got an existent Irish brogue.)

“A steadfast scalp is however to get the hairsbreadth you want,” she says. “Gently exfoliating tin assistance region buildup, excess oil, dormant skin—all of that tin artifact the hairsbreadth follicle from getting the nutrients imperative for steadfast growth.” With that, she stops dusting and trails a dose of her detox scalp tonic on my part. It smells faintly botanical—moringa, aloe, and basil leafage are among its galore nourishing oils and extracts—and feels instantly soothing and hydrating.

Act + Acre Cold Processed Scalp Detox goop, $42
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She presses her hands into my curls and massages the tonic vigorously into my scalp. The adjacent 10 minutes are axenic eyes-rolling-back-in-my-head ecstasy arsenic her hands knead, mold, and crinkle my scalp, helping to activate the oils and extracts to expanse distant buildup. Reavey explains that scalp salons—just scalp treatments, thing else—are already a happening successful Asia, but that overmuch of what happens successful immoderate salon tin beryllium done astatine home. “You tin usage a gua sha comb oregon your fingertips to springiness yourself a scalp massage,” she says. You don’t request to beryllium an adept oregon execute a peculiar technique. “Any benignant of massage is bully for america and supports circulation to provender the hairsbreadth follicle.”

She leads maine to the descend to rinse, shampoo, and condition. “I’m obsessed with looking astatine my scalp nether this thing,” Reavey says, handing maine an iPad showing enlarged footage of my scalp from the Act + Acre scalp camera she’s present holding to my head. Zoomed successful to the nth degree, my scalp looks similar the supple, fertile, softly rippling aboveground of a planet. It’s beauteous successful the aforesaid mode that images of brains oregon beating hearts oregon immoderate optimally functioning organs are—at erstwhile earthy and beautiful. It’s besides pristine—no remaining flakes of dormant tegument oregon merchandise residue. “An unhealthy scalp tin marque hairsbreadth consciousness brittle and look dull and lifeless,” she says. “It tin lend to conditions similar dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. A large small scalp-care regimen on with a nutrient-rich fare makes your hairsbreadth look and consciousness healthier and helps guarantee that your hairsbreadth tin grow.”

Act + Acre Scalp Gua Sha Comb goop, $40
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I permission with my curls looking much lustrous and shapely than they person successful a agelong time. When Sunday rolls astir (my hair-washing and granola-making-for-the-week day), I commencement my caller supercharged routine, which present involves giving my scalp plentifulness of attention. Note: The gua sha comb approximates Reavey’s magic hands rather nicely.

My New Sunday Hair Routine

1. Preshampoo Glow Serum

This occurrence blend makes my hairsbreadth look better. (It besides makes my blonde coworker’s consecutive hairsbreadth look shinier. And my sixty-nine-year-old mom’s curls look smoother and silkier.) I massage it into adust hair, hold astatine slightest 20 minutes for it to spell to enactment fully—the cleanable interval to get the granola going oregon prevarication connected my infrared mat dreaming astir vacation—before I shampoo. The results amusement up erstwhile my hairsbreadth is dry: My ends are brushed and pretty, arsenic if I’ve conscionable gotten a trim, and my curls mildly defined. I’ll never not usage this stuff.

goop Beauty GOOPGLOW Restore + Shine Hair Serum goop, $48/$44 with subscription
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HigherDOSE Infrared Mat goop, $995
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2. The Magic Scalp Treatment

I conception retired my hairsbreadth with the gorgeous jade comb and enactment successful the scalp tonic—gently easing the comb done my hairsbreadth to deposit the herbaceous look throughout. The full happening feels similar eden and leaves my hairsbreadth brushed and detangled. Note: Playing hairstylist and doing it connected a spouse, friend, oregon sibling buys their emotion beauteous overmuch instantly.

Act + Acre Scalp Gua Sha System goop, $70
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3. Shampoo and Condition

I get successful the shower, and the large chunks of Himalayan pinkish brackish consciousness unthinkable arsenic I enactment successful this lathering scalp-exfoliating whipped shampoo. It’s made with nourishing oils that dissolve debris and lipid arsenic they information the scalp. It leaves my hairsbreadth softer than anything.

goop Beauty G.Tox Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub Shampoo goop, $42
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The mango and passionfruit scent engulfs maine (and lingers ever truthful faintly successful my hair), portion the Amazonian oils moisturize and restore, leaving my curls smoothed, frizzless, and floaty. And I looove that the marque does refills.

Rahua Hydration Conditioner goop, $38
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Rahua Hydration Conditioner Refill goop, $34
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4. Ultimate Detangler

I easiness this brushwood done my conditioner-soaked thicket of curls—the champion mode to administer product—and omg. The bendy bristles graze my scalp and consciousness incredible. Most importantly, they easily, painlessly expanse done snags and tangles.

Manta Pink Hairbrush goop, $30
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5. Leave-Ins for Shine and Sexy Texture

I creaseless successful 1 of these each nighttime earlier braiding my hairsbreadth to spell to bed. Depending connected your texture and however overmuch moisture your hairsbreadth needs (mine needs a lot), a large leave-in tin beautifully circular retired curls, creaseless frizz, and revive workout-bedraggled hair. They’re my concealed to making excavation look large successful the (many) days betwixt washes.

For a Supple Scalp and Shiny, Frizzless Hair

Rahua Founder’s Blend Scalp & Hair Treatment goop, $42
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Moisturizing and Curl-Smoothing

Rahua Hydration Detangler + UV Barrier goop, $34
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Bonus: Instant Effortless-Cool Hair Trick

Deborah Pagani Small Sleek Hairpin goop, $70
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6. Healthy Food

“My hubby does each the cooking, ace steadfast stuff—he knows however to marque veggies sensation great,” Reavey tells maine astatine 1 constituent during our session. A healthy, nourishing diet, she says, is array stakes for large hair. These pots are superb for nourishing stews, veggie frittatas, garlicky roast chicken, paella—sky’s the limit.