Very dry scalp

[MOOBUG]

HI,
I had a look around and couldnt find anything specific. I suffer from a very very dry scalp. Not dandruff or psoriasis, just super dry, MAJOR flaky scalp. all i have to do is toss my head and there is a little snow storm (and sadly im not exagerating). Often i wake up in the morning and there are flakes all over my pillow.

Dandruff shampoos make it worse and iv tried castor oil (for shedding) and it seemed to make a small difference. I have gone CO which has made my hair really soft but ironically, made the scalp dryness worse. Any thoughts? my skin over all has a tendency towards dryness.

Thanks

[musicallberrii]

Have you tried oiling your hair and scalp with coconut oil? Maybe you could shampoo and really massage your scalp to remove excess flakes, and then apply coconut oil at the scalp and leave it on a while. I would even apply coconut oil every couple hours and not wash your hair for a day or two (I suggest do this on a weekend when you don't have to leave the house because it will look gross and oily). Then wash out the coconut oil and then condition well. I don't have dry scalp, but coconut oil always makes my skin super soft (I have dry skin) and moisturized when I use it.

[musicallberrii]

I forgot to add this too, but tea tree oil shampoo/conditioner helped my boyfriend's dry scalp a lot and got rid of the flakes.

[MOOBUG]

I have given coconut oil a go and it sadly did nothing. My hair really doesnt like it. although, maybe i need to try the same thing with a different oil. I have also tried tea tree oil shampoos (both with and without sls) same.

Thanks though

[GingerBoy'sMom]

Oil of oregano works very well for flakes. You can use it straight up or add it to your shampoo or conditioner.

[Teazel]

Have you tried massaging aloe vera gel into your scalp?

[Firefox7275]

What does your dermatologist recommend? There are different forms of dandruff, they don't all respond to the same treatment because there are different causes - have you tried shampoos containing zinc pyrithione, coal tar, urea, or an antifungal agent? Does your scalp itch and do you scratch? If it truly is simple dry skin eliminating surfactants (all shampoo) should improve matters. CO-washing making your scalp shed more may indicate a sensitivity to or irritation from an ingredient in the product you used.

Oils should seal in the moisture but they will also act as a barrier to the chemical onslaught of hair products. My eczema has responded really well to unrefined shea butter, which has healing properties as well as moisturising ones - it's certainly working as a barrier for my elbow patch, stopping shampoo which runs down my arm. Creams containing 5-10% urea - one of the skin's natural humectants - are usually less greasy. Are you consistently treating your skin from the inside out - plenty of oily fish, fruit and vegetables, water, no sugar or refined white carbs, limit caffeine and alcohol?

[mneh]

After trying every dandruff shampoo i could get hold of, in the end, apple cider vinegar rinses and conditioner washes fixed my dry, itchy scalp. Have a read of the CO-wash thread for some useful info Maybe it will help you too.

[Eolan]

I strongly recommend you have someone look at it, if you haven't already.

[littlenvy]

Is your skin dry too? or is it only your scalp?

If its only your scalp it might be few things going on. Forget castor oil (its drying), try oiling and massaging (very important) with coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. The ACV rinse should help as well to restore the pH level of your scalp.
Honestly, I would not CO wash for a while since it migh be due to product build up or worse, reaction to one or more of the ingrediance.
How is your diet? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating enough fat/lipids?

If you don't see any changes after two weeks of oiling and ACV, I would advise seeing a doctor.
Good Luck Hope its back to normal soon.