Scalp no longer produces ...sebum?

**Dreams_in_Pink** · January 21st, 2010, 02:06 PM

It does actually, but in tiny amounts.
My hair's always been dry, i can get away with washing once a week. But now that i stopped using SLS, i feel as if no oil is produced on my scalp. Even my dandruffs are white and dry and it's been 2 weeks since i didn't wash.
Not only that, but also my scalp seems to absorb all the oil i apply on it, even thickest ones like castor. Now my hair looks so weird, roots are dry and flaky while length and ends are glued together

What's going on over my head?? Is this good or bad?

(by the way, that dandruff/flake problem isn't new, i've had it since forever)

**Anje** · January 21st, 2010, 03:19 PM

Just checking -- you haven't started any medications (like Accutane), have you?

ETA:
Scalp massage and/or brushing might help. Using a BBB seems to make my hair greasy really fast, though it might simply be distributing what's there.

Make sure you have sufficient fats in your diet. I can't say this'll make a difference, but balanced nutrition is always wise.

Any chance that your body is going through hormonal shifts right now? That also might affect sebum production.

It also occurs to me that this might be a seasonal change, rather than specifically related to not using SLS. I get greasy every winter, though it took me two consecutive years of washing only as often as needed to realize this.

**melikai** · January 21st, 2010, 07:39 PM

I found that making sure I had enough Omega-3s in my diet helped with sebum production.

**sapphire-o** · January 21st, 2010, 10:04 PM

Oh I wish I can give you some of mine.

If you have dandruff, maybe it's not just dry scalp. Maybe those anti-dandruff shampoos would help?

**Dreams_in_Pink** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:56 AM

Originally Posted by Anje

Just checking -- you haven't started any medications (like Accutane), have you?

ETA:
Scalp massage and/or brushing might help. Using a BBB seems to make my hair greasy really fast, though it might simply be distributing what's there.

Make sure you have sufficient fats in your diet. I can't say this'll make a difference, but balanced nutrition is always wise.

Any chance that your body is going through hormonal shifts right now? That also might affect sebum production.

It also occurs to me that this might be a seasonal change, rather than specifically related to not using SLS. I get greasy every winter, though it took me two consecutive years of washing only as often as needed to realize this.

No, i'm not on any medications, but recently i used two bottles of antibiotics (for flu and a cut on my hand) maybe that's a side effect?

I massage my scalp every day and brush a few times. when i was greasier i wasn't doing any of these

As for seasonal changes, i cannot remember how exactly my scalp reacted to winter months (i didn't care LOL ) but i do remember not needing to wash as often as summer.

Originally Posted by melikai

I found that making sure I had enough Omega-3s in my diet helped with sebum production.

my mom's very sensitive about a healthy diet; if this problem persists, i'll ask her about omega-3 (i also have very dry skin)

Originally Posted by sapphire-o

Oh I wish I can give you some of mine.

If you have dandruff, maybe it's not just dry scalp. Maybe those anti-dandruff shampoos would help?

those anti-dandruff shampoos are no good. I used head & shoulders for years and seen no improvement. I don't think it's dandruff-related though, when i had greasy hair, i had oily dandruff and now i have dry dandruff

that's another problem i'm trying to cure.

**Heidi_234** · January 22nd, 2010, 06:04 AM

That's pretty much how my scalp behaves. I'm rather grateful for this, because there are no greasies that force me to wash my hair often.

**Dreams_in_Pink** · January 22nd, 2010, 06:43 AM

yeah it's pretty awesome that hair doesn't get dirty but, i'm concerned it might cause some problems in the long run.

**Sweetness** · January 22nd, 2010, 06:47 AM

My theory :

Wash too much = stripes oil away = scalp produces more and more oil

Oil the scalp = scalp stops producing oil = dry hair

This is why I try avoiding oil on my scalp, I put it on my length

(may not be true, but it's my current hypothesis)

**Dreams_in_Pink** · January 22nd, 2010, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by Sweetness

Wash too much = stripes oil away = scalp produces more and more oil

Oil the scalp = scalp stops producing oil = dry hair

That seems logical to me. skin only produces oil when it needs.
actually, i put oil on my scalp to treat dandruff and promote hair growth. sebum doesn't do these

i'll continue doing this until my dandruff clears up and i reach waist

**bumblebums** · January 22nd, 2010, 07:14 AM

For dandruff, have you tried a sugar+coconut oil scrub? I think some people use salt, too. Just make sure it's not the kind of salt that has really big rough grains, because those will abrade the hair. (I don't get dandruff myself, though, so take my advice with a grain of... salt. ahem.)

As far as sebum... I found that massaging and brushing made my scalp instantly much more oily, so I stopped, because oily scalp isn't something I want. How long does it take for your scalp to finally get a little oily? I see some oil production on day 3 after a wash, but not on days 1 and 2. Just to put it in perspective.