In need of moisture for scalp

[Konstifik]

Hello, fellow hairballs!

Winter is here, and so is dry scalp. Where I live, the winters last for app. 5-6 months, and the average coldest temperatures ranges from -25 C (-13 F) to -40 C (-40 F). Needless to say, this doesn't make my hair and scalp happy.

I've found that oiling daily helps my hair somewhat, but my scalp gets so very flakey, itchy and dry, no matter what I do. CO didn't work, CWC and WO did make it a little better though. I wash 1 - 2 times per week, which my hair seems content with.
I've tried SMT, but it didn't work well at all. Or maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

I've been thinking of putting moisturizing lotion for the face in the scalp instead. Could this work? Any other ideas?

[Katze]

I would not put lotion on the scalp.

Is your scalp itchy because it's dry or because it's greasy (buildup, crusty, etc.)? I find these need to be treated differently. SMTs do help me in both cases a lot - I add more honey, and the honey is both moisturizing and antibacterial, so it always stops the itching. Vinegar rinses also help.

If your hair and scalp need more moisture, occasional WO washes where you massage your scalp under the warm shower, moving the sebum down from your scalp onto your length with your fingers, are something I really like. I do this once a week and find it especially nice in winter - an excuse to stay under the warm shower, then crawl into bed with a towel over damp hair.

Also, what is your diet like? Scalp problems can be caused by fungal imbalance or some kind of deficiencies. Eating too much sugar or drinking alcohol or caffeine can make this worse. Do you take extra vitamins? Fish oil is one that really helps skin and hair, for me, and as a bonus for us in the North, it helps fight depression too.

hth!

[Gypsygirl]

I have used lotion on my scalp... But for me I think it's the dry air inside that makes my scalp go crazy. In the winter, indoor humidity can be extremely low due to central heating- and the lack of humidity can dry out your skin and mucous membranes. So you might want to consider getting a humidifier and see if that helps.

[mira-chan]

I have the same issue in that my scalp get s way too dry and I can't CO or similar for chemical sensitivity reasons. SMT didn't work for me either.

I had luck with fenugreek masks in getting things moisturized for a while, I let them sit for 20-30 min, covered with a shower cap.

As for oiling, maybe mist the scalp then oil it so the moisture gets sealed in? I did that when things got really bad and it helped somewhat for the scalp (My hair hated it though as it prefers dry oiling).

[silvurgrin]

I realize this is a zombie thread, but when I lived in Canada I used night moisturizer on my scalp along my hair line, and I never had any problems so long as I kept it to the hair line. It actually helped quite a bit. Now I use shea butter, which sort of works, but I'd like to find something better. I've been doing acv rinses which seems to help. Witch hazel dabbed onto dry areas seems to help as well. Maybe there's something better out there, though. If so, I'd love to hear it!