Is it all marketing, a clever way to make us invest in yet another step, to add yet another focus? Award-winning salon owner Michael Van Clarke thinks, if anything, the scalp taking centre stage is overdue. “It’s easy to forget the scalp because it’s hidden, but it really affects hair quality. If the scalp is inflamed or aggravated, or if the pores are compacted with plastics and silicones which can build up and almost suffocate the hair follicle, the quality of your hair will suffer, and it’ll be weaker.”