Dandruff!!!!

[HairySherry]

Hello!! I've had some horrible problems with dandruff lately and was hoping you all could help me out with some advice. Since May, I've gradually stretched my washes to approx. every 3 days (right now I wash on Tuesday mornings and sometime on Saturday, so twice a week). I'm guessing that my new-found dandruff problem is a result of stretching washes because I rarely ever had dandruff before, and I'm using the same S/C. Now I have tons of it. At first I thought I just wasn't rinsing my hair enough, so I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed... still had dandruff. It's driving me crazy and making me self-conscious, because really, who wants to have big flakes of dandruff hanging out for everyone to see? I have dark hair, so you can really see it. :(

Should I go back to washing more frequently (maybe every other day) or is there something else I should do? I like the idea of washing only twice a week - I'm able to get ready in the mornings a lot faster and I actually have a little bit of time to do something with my hair since I'm not drying it every day (I've stopped using any heat and instead use the cool setting on my hair dryer). Plus, my hair doesn't seem as dried out as it did before, but that could also be because my shampooing method is a lot different now. I'm open to suggestions, if you've got them! Thanks!!

ETA: My scalp isn't itchy at all (unless I go an extra day or so without washing, which is rare). It's just very flaky.

[Mya]

You may want to switch to a shampoo and a conditioner that don't contain cones, parabens and SLS. I used to have a lot of dandruff even if I washed my hair every other day (now I wash it once a week). Since I switched to that kind of products, I don't get a single flake, not even if I don't wash my hair for, like, ten days? That's the maximum amount of time I went without washing since I changed products, but I'm pretty sure I could wait to the end of time and still not get any flakes.

[ravenreed]

I think I would just wash more often. I am not a fan of stretching washes myself. I don't think it is beneficial for everyone. My hair and scalp prefer to get wet and clean fairly regularly. I used to get a lot of flakes and scalp buildup and that went away almost completely when I switched to CO and started using a vinegar rinse. Have you tried a vinegar rinse?

[heidi w.]

Nizoral shampoo may help you. Give that a try. Follow the directions on the bottle you buy over the counter.

Put it on a total of two times per hair wash. You can also scritch your hair before you wash. Scritching will help loosen the flakes thus making the hair wash more productive.

Follow with a white vinegar rinse (if light colored hair) or ACV rinse if dark colored hair.

Note: All dandruff does have flakes, but all flakes are not an indicator of dandruff. Also if you have Dandruff, it is unwise to try and stretch hair washes too much, such as 5 or more days.

heidi w.

[TiffanieJean]

Switch to a gentle shampoo and conditioner that doesn't contain any sulfates. I have a dry scalp, and it gets pretty bad in the fall/winter - I live in Maine, the winters are brutal. I use Giovanni's Root 66 Max Volume S&C every 3-4 days (I have a LHC blog post with more info on them if you are interested). Don't bother with the dandruff shampoo's. They are medicated because actual dandruff is a fungal infection that causes waxy yellowish flakes. White flakes are just dry skin, but are also called dandruff. Moisture will fix that.

Oil hair masks will definitely help, a lot. I do them every other week. Jojoba Oil is the best for putting lasting moisture into your scalp (I have a LHC blog post about that too). It's honestly the best thing that has ever happened to my scalp.

Clerifying might help to fix the issue as well. I have noticed that if I go too long without using a clerifying shampoo, my scalp gets build up on it and dries out faster than it normally would.

Good luck!

[Idjit]

Do you use a brush or comb on your scalp in between washes? It could be a lack of stimulation is causing the flakes. You're not moving the dead skin cells around up there and so they just keep building up and then turn into dandruff-like flakes. Maybe scalp massages would help?
Just take your finger tips and move them around on top of your head for a few seconds a day.

[HairySherry]

You may want to switch to a shampoo and a conditioner that don't contain cones, parabens and SLS. I used to have a lot of dandruff even if I washed my hair every other day (now I wash it once a week). Since I switched to that kind of products, I don't get a single flake, not even if I don't wash my hair for, like, ten days? That's the maximum amount of time I went without washing since I changed products, but I'm pretty sure I could wait to the end of time and still not get any flakes.

I've been toying with the idea of trying cone & SLS-free products for a while now, just to see what effect they might have on my hair. I guess the time has come. :)


I think I would just wash more often. I am not a fan of stretching washes myself. I don't think it is beneficial for everyone. My hair and scalp prefer to get wet and clean fairly regularly. I used to get a lot of flakes and scalp buildup and that went away almost completely when I switched to CO and started using a vinegar rinse. Have you tried a vinegar rinse?

I haven't tried a vinegar rinse just yet, but I've been meaning to. So again, I guess the time has come.


Nizoral shampoo may help you. Give that a try. Follow the directions on the bottle you buy over the counter.

Put it on a total of two times per hair wash. You can also scritch your hair before you wash. Scritching will help loosen the flakes thus making the hair wash more productive.

Follow with a white vinegar rinse (if light colored hair) or ACV rinse if dark colored hair.

Note: All dandruff does have flakes, but all flakes are not an indicator of dandruff. Also if you have Dandruff, it is unwise to try and stretch hair washes too much, such as 5 or more days.

heidi w.

I'm definitely going to try switching shampoos and see if that helps. If not, I'll "unstretch" my washes to see if that gets rid of the problem.


Switch to a gentle shampoo and conditioner that doesn't contain any sulfates. I have a dry scalp, and it gets pretty bad in the fall/winter - I live in Maine, the winters are brutal. I use Giovanni's Root 66 Max Volume S&C every 3-4 days (I have a LHC blog post with more info on them if you are interested). Don't bother with the dandruff shampoo's. They are medicated because actual dandruff is a fungal infection that causes waxy yellowish flakes. White flakes are just dry skin, but are also called dandruff. Moisture will fix that.

Oil hair masks will definitely help, a lot. I do them every other week. Jojoba Oil is the best for putting lasting moisture into your scalp (I have a LHC blog post about that too). It's honestly the best thing that has ever happened to my scalp.

Clerifying might help to fix the issue as well. I have noticed that if I go too long without using a clerifying shampoo, my scalp gets build up on it and dries out faster than it normally would.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely check out your blog (I'm always interested :p). I've been looking at the Giovanni shampoos & conditioners on luckyvitamin for a while, so I'll probably get their Tea Tree Triple Threat the next time I place an order for EOs. The reviews on that shampoo were great for getting rid of dandruff.


Do you use a brush or comb on your scalp in between washes? It could be a lack of stimulation is causing the flakes. You're not moving the dead skin cells around up there and so they just keep building up and then turn into dandruff-like flakes. Maybe scalp massages would help?
Just take your finger tips and move them around on top of your head for a few seconds a day.

I do brush my hair (including my scalp) quite regularly during the day. Funny enough, my hair rarely tangles when wet, but the bottom part of my length and ends tangle like crazy when my hair is dry so I brush through it all the time with my Tangle Teezer if I'm at home or my Hair Bean if I'm at work. My ends are a little stringy at the moment, blah. Truth be told, I could probably do with a good scalp oiling overnight but I've been terrible about oiling lately. I've been terrible about doing everything lately... traveling too much!! :mad: :)

Thanks again for all of the help! Fixing this problem definitely seems doable!! :blossom:

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I have a natural remedy - steep a double handful of finely chopped leaves from a lemon tree in boiling water, leave till cold, remove the leaves and pour the lemon water several times onto your scalp. I have heard it's good, haven't tried it myself. HTH.

[HairySherry]

I have a natural remedy - steep a double handful of finely chopped leaves from a lemon tree in boiling water, leave till cold, remove the leaves and pour the lemon water several times onto your scalp. I have heard it's good, haven't tried it myself. HTH.

That's very interesting. I wonder, where do you get lemon tree leaves?

[katfemme89]

My husband had horrible dandruff (and when I say horrible I MEAN horrible, it looked like someone crumbled up a whole bag of crackers over his head) and a vinegar rinse eliminated it for about two weeks and then it came back somewhat of course because he didn't continue using the vinegar rinse because he didn't like the smell *rolls eyes*

The ACV vinegar also works on me, too. So I would personally recommend that.

[Ambystoma]

I used to get dandruff until I cut out using sulphates - it cleared it up for me like magic! I always wondered why the special shampoos did nothing to help but I guess it's because they contained the culprit! :laugh:

My DH gets dermatitis on his scalp and coconut oil massages (he loves these, I swear he practically purrs!) plus a no poo routine (he does BS, a tiny scape of EVCO then ACV rinse since his 1a/F/i hair gets weighed down by condish so he hates it) has worked wonders for him too.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I don't know where you might get them. We are fortunate and have a tree in our garden. Maybe you might find them online - or someone you know might have a tree?

[HairySherry]

My husband had horrible dandruff (and when I say horrible I MEAN horrible, it looked like someone crumbled up a whole bag of crackers over his head) and a vinegar rinse eliminated it for about two weeks and then it came back somewhat of course because he didn't continue using the vinegar rinse because he didn't like the smell *rolls eyes*

The ACV vinegar also works on me, too. So I would personally recommend that.

Thanks so much, I'm definitely going to try a vinegar rinse soon. :)


I used to get dandruff until I cut out using sulphates - it cleared it up for me like magic! I always wondered why the special shampoos did nothing to help but I guess it's because they contained the culprit! :laugh:

My DH gets dermatitis on his scalp and coconut oil massages (he loves these, I swear he practically purrs!) plus a no poo routine (he does BS, a tiny scape of EVCO then ACV rinse since his 1a/F/i hair gets weighed down by condish so he hates it) has worked wonders for him too.

Yes, I've had a few other people say that switching to sulfate-free shampoos helped them tremendously. I'm hoping it will do the same for me!! :D


I don't know where you might get them. We are fortunate and have a tree in our garden. Maybe you might find them online - or someone you know might have a tree?

I doubt anyone I know would have a lemon tree... where I live, it's not warm enough to grow citrus. But I will look online if all else fails. Thanks again! :)

[DinaAG]

check here for dandruff causes and types that may help:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dandruff/DS00456/DSECTION=causes
also vinegar rinses helps alot

[Rosethorn]

I've had good luck dabbing at my scalp with a cotton ball moistened with vinegar.

[Spring]

Hello!! I've had some horrible problems with dandruff lately and was hoping you all could help me out with some advice. Since May, I've gradually stretched my washes to approx. every 3 days (right now I wash on Tuesday mornings and sometime on Saturday, so twice a week). I'm guessing that my new-found dandruff problem is a result of stretching washes because I rarely ever had dandruff before, and I'm using the same S/C. Now I have tons of it. At first I thought I just wasn't rinsing my hair enough, so I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed... still had dandruff. It's driving me crazy and making me self-conscious, because really, who wants to have big flakes of dandruff hanging out for everyone to see? I have dark hair, so you can really see it. :(

Should I go back to washing more frequently (maybe every other day) or is there something else I should do? I like the idea of washing only twice a week - I'm able to get ready in the mornings a lot faster and I actually have a little bit of time to do something with my hair since I'm not drying it every day (I've stopped using any heat and instead use the cool setting on my hair dryer). Plus, my hair doesn't seem as dried out as it did before, but that could also be because my shampooing method is a lot different now. I'm open to suggestions, if you've got them! Thanks!!

ETA: My scalp isn't itchy at all (unless I go an extra day or so without washing, which is rare). It's just very flaky.

Same here. When I was washing regularly I didn't have a problem, when I started CO I didn't have a problem, when I started WO scalp washes in between washes I didn't have a problem. However since I started stretching my washes, I have dandruff.

I really think stretching washes is easier on my hair, but I have to actually go back to using shampoo to get things straightened out and then I can CO and WO again.

ETA: I will also be doing my pre poo treatment using tea tree oil until this clears up

[KwaveT]

I never had all this trouble with my white chunks of dandruff until I went CO. Now I can't seem to get rid of it. I use shampoo again now. My shampoos and conditoners have been sulfate and cone free the whole time. I may add using ACV to the mix to see if it affects it.

[dwell_in_safety]

I've started to have issues with dandruff, too, as a CO-washer that washes once a week. I think it's from stretching washes to only once a week for so long... Not all scalps are created equal. Maybe try a WO scalp wash between washes with product? That's what I'm going to do before my next hair washing, to see if it abates any.

[HairySherry]

Hi, All! So sorry I have been MIA for the past few days and haven't responded. I was out of town until late last night without a computer, and I hate trying to use LHC on my phone.


check here for dandruff causes and types that may help:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dandruff/DS00456/DSECTION=causes
also vinegar rinses helps alot

Oh, thanks so much. I will definitely check that out!


I've had good luck dabbing at my scalp with a cotton ball moistened with vinegar.

A vinegar rinse did help me quite a bit. I ended up doing a CWC and doing a vinegar rinse with distilled white vinegar after the final condition and then rinsing that out. My hair felt amazing! I don't know what I was waiting for with the vinegar rinses! I'd been meaning to do one forever and just hadn't gotten around to it; I can't believe I waited so long! The dandruff looked to be gone, but after a day or two I started to notice some flakes. But, compared to what I was dealing with before, it was very minimal. I think coupling vinegar rinses with a SLS-free shampoo might make all the difference. I'm still very happy with the results from the vinegar rinse. Aside from the fact that it helped the dandruff a lot, my hair was so sleek and shiny. I had been having some issues with my hair looking dull lately, and this has fixed that problem very well!


Same here. When I was washing regularly I didn't have a problem, when I started CO I didn't have a problem, when I started WO scalp washes in between washes I didn't have a problem. However since I started stretching my washes, I have dandruff.

I really think stretching washes is easier on my hair, but I have to actually go back to using shampoo to get things straightened out and then I can CO and WO again.

ETA: I will also be doing my pre poo treatment using tea tree oil until this clears up

Same here. I tried some different wash methods and didn't have any problems. As soon as I stretched to 3-4 days, dandruff!!


I never had all this trouble with my white chunks of dandruff until I went CO. Now I can't seem to get rid of it. I use shampoo again now. My shampoos and conditoners have been sulfate and cone free the whole time. I may add using ACV to the mix to see if it affects it.

It helped a lot for me. Not 100% but it made a big difference. The first day or two I had hardly any flakes but they started to come out a bit more on the 3rd day. I'm going to pick up an SLS-free shampoo when I get the chance and I think that plus the vinegar rinses will finally solve the problem (at least I hope.) :D I used distilled white vinegar, but I don't think that makes a difference as far as effectiveness.


I've started to have issues with dandruff, too, as a CO-washer that washes once a week. I think it's from stretching washes to only once a week for so long... Not all scalps are created equal. Maybe try a WO scalp wash between washes with product? That's what I'm going to do before my next hair washing, to see if it abates any.

For some strange reason, doing a WO wash/rinse in between regular washes makes my hair look oily. More so than if I just don't wash at all that day. Weird. :confused: