Meisje van Moss

One thing about my routine is that I hate puffy, reverted roots. I would rather my ends show reversion as long as my hair stays stretched from the root. I sweat heavily overnight and am very heat sensitive, so this is always a struggle.

When I started using scalp serums to combat this, I thought, great, more root reverted items instead of those that keep them stretched. Can you prevent natural hair reversion from scalp serums? The answer to root reversion is yes and no. Even with serums, those with water as their first ingredient cause immediate reversion. Water does not care about your feelings.

Some serums are certainly more watery than others. What is wild is that even though they mostly all have water as the first ingredient, they have different levels when it comes to reverting. For example, Kérastase Genesis pours down your scalp and seems to have much higher water content than the Cécred Edge Drops, but both leave my roots silky despite the water IF I brush and tightly pull it into buns right away. For some reason the Acts and Acre serum reverts my hair more than the Necessarie Rosemary Serum, in spite of this.

Here is exactly what I do to stop my roots from reverting while maintaining scalp health.

Method 1: Find a water-free alternative There is merit in oils, but in my experience, they achieve different things than serums do. There are some oils on the market that operate with similar benefits as serums. The Alodi Follicle Serum is one; it has many of the ingredients found in typical scalp serums. I just hated the smell, and that experience is 50% of why I purchase most products. It smells like a thousand carrots and pumpkin spice seasoning, so I had to return it. Lanza makes another great option that can be used as a post wash oil, but it is short on reviews as it’s entirely new. You can review their other products. The issue is finding one that doesn’t feel greasy or sit on the scalp blocking your follicles. Which is why most are pre-wash oils.

I love the Bur Bur Growing Season oil. But it is one of my favorite products, has great ingredients, and makes my roots feel somewhat smoother. The oil does not run down your face because it’s a pretty thick oil, and in fact it absorbs almost immediately, but also feels so great on my mids and ends. This SheaMoisture scalp oil is OK for this, but it is thinner and greasier (so it will run down your face and hairline). I like Bur Bur because it makes my hair soft, without leaving the Rosemary marijuana smell (it has a nice slightly aquatic scent); that weed scent made me return the Mielle one.

Method 2: Strategic application timing Instead of ruining your blowout, apply the watery serum the night before wash day. Then, apply it again immediately after washing, 20 minutes before blow-drying. The reversion does not matter at these stages.

Method 3: The tension and mini-bun method

Apply serum to each section one at a time, and rub it in, then brush gently with a boar bristle brush, and ponytail that section tight into mini buns or bantu knots.

I do this about an hour before bed, as pictured here. But before I hit my pillow, I gently glide the ponytail holder lower by about a half inch. This prevents high tension on the scalp and hair all night long.

Zapping roots with heat in the morning. I use a blow dryer to hit the roots directly and stretch them back out while waiting for my coffee to brew every morning (4 minutes in my french press). But I do this EVERY MORNING anyway, as I sweat so much overnight.

The most immediately beneficial is a routine that goes with the serum, that allows you to experiment with any serum that your budget, preferences, and tolerances permit.

Here is a sample schedule for anyone who wants the flexibility to use whichever serum they prefer while minimizing reversion.

• Post-wash (Day 1): Apply scalp serum immediately after washing. Once it has had time to settle, blow-dry your hair, assuming you wash during the day and then blow dry.
• That night: Apply your most expensive or best-performing serum while your scalp is at its cleanest and the product has the best access to your roots.
• Day 2: Zap roots. Apply serum at night. To maintain the stretched look shown in the photo, divide your hair into tight ponytails, apply serum to each scalp section and moisturizing lotion to the hair, then secure each section until it dries, as usual.
• Day 3: Apply scalp oil instead of serum that night if you plan to wash the following morning. You can also apply the oil a few hours before washing. No need to blow dry.
• Day 4 (Wash Day): After washing, apply serum approximately 20 minutes before blow-drying, then repeat the schedule.

Hopefully, you see where I am going with this. The schedule is flexible; it illustrates several ways to apply serum directly to your roots without repeatedly exposing them to enough moisture to make them puff up.

I wash my hair every 3-4 days (my hair is very high porosity and under severe anemia recovery). But if you wash 1x per week, or every 2 weeks, keeping those roots stretched when applying by section until it dries maximizes the amount of times you can apply serums. If you apply a scalp serum that is water based without stretching, it will revert your roots.