Hair suddenly behaving badly, help!

[farmlass]

Ok, I'm fairly new, so I apologise if this is really obvious or someone else has asked the same thing recently. I discovered LHC around last Christmas, and have been doing BS/ACV with occasional (maybe every 2-3 weeks?) sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. My hair has been great, until the last month or two when I've had sticky/stringy hair at the back of the crown on the odd occasion. I have been following a post where this problem has been addressed, and the general advice was to wash hair upside down to really get it clean and properly rinsed. I did that on Sunday morning, then air dried/finger combed my hair. It felt great, and was really clean and soft. Then I looked in the mirror and saw bad dandruff/flaking on my scalp, mainly around the top of my head. I haven't had dandruff since I was in my teens, which I have since been led to believe is a fairly normal part of puberty?

So last night (Tuesday) I massaged conditioner into my scalp and rinsed, and the dandruff has gone. Now this morning I have dry ends. Help!!!

[biogirl87]

farmlass, it could be that baking soda dried your hair out. I remember when I used the baking soda/ACV routine in 2011-2012, about six months into my routine I felt how the ends of my hair were dry when I touched them. I don't know for sure, but it's possible that baking soda has also contributed to dandruff. If I were you, I'd lay off the entire baking soda/ACV routine for a while and just use sulfate-free shampoo/conditioner and see how your hair feels after that.

[Firefox7275]

Ok, I'm fairly new, so I apologise if this is really obvious or someone else has asked the same thing recently. I discovered LHC around last Christmas, and have been doing BS/ACV with occasional (maybe every 2-3 weeks?) sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. My hair has been great, until the last month or two when I've had sticky/stringy hair at the back of the crown on the odd occasion. I have been following a post where this problem has been addressed, and the general advice was to wash hair upside down to really get it clean and properly rinsed. I did that on Sunday morning, then air dried/finger combed my hair. It felt great, and was really clean and soft. Then I looked in the mirror and saw bad dandruff/flaking on my scalp, mainly around the top of my head. I haven't had dandruff since I was in my teens, which I have since been led to believe is a fairly normal part of puberty?

So last night (Tuesday) I massaged conditioner into my scalp and rinsed, and the dandruff has gone. Now this morning I have dry ends. Help!!!

Baking soda is alkaline (pH ~8/9) and damaging to both skin (pH ~5.5) and hair (pH ~4.5) and the damage can be cumulative, it raises the hair cuticle, strips structural lipids (fats) from skin and hair and completely destroys the skin's protective acid mantle/ beneficial flora. What is/ was the diagnosis for your flaking scalp, seborrhoeic dermatitis or something else? Whilst flaky scalp is common, it's still a dermatological disorder so is not 'normal': it signifies there is some damage or inflammation or suchlike.

Try switching to a super gentle sulphate free shampoo, ideally pH 4.5 to 5.5 and no anionic surfactants at all. It may take a few weeks for your skin barrier/ beneficial flora to regenerate so things could get worse before they get better or could improve very quickly.

[Leeloo]

It sounds like your hair "doesn't like" your current routine and products. I would follow Firefoxs advice.
Firefox, love your comments. I always learn something new.

[Firefox7275]

Thank you, that is sweet of you to say!

[farmlass]

It sounds like your hair "doesn't like" your current routine and products. I would follow Firefoxs advice.
Firefox, love your comments. I always learn something new.
Totally agree, I am always amazed at the wonderfully scientific approach I've seen in a few of Firefox's posts! Thanks for the advice, I guess I'd better decrease/stop the BS for a while, it just seems to have come on very suddenly. I'd prefer to stay as natural as possible, so I guess I'll have to start experimenting with shampoos.

[biogirl87]

farmlass, at this point I think you'd be better off stopping baking soda completely. A lot of the members here use it only for clarifying their hair, so I don't know if it would be a feasible washing routine for your hair after it recovers.

[jacqueline101]

I'd change products and deep moisturize.

[spidermom]

I don't know why people think baking soda is natural. Have you ever googled how it's made? It can really dry out your hair. Using it once mixed with shampoo for clarifying almost turned my hair into felt. All those raised cuticles really grabbed onto each other; I literally could not get a comb through my hair unless it was full of conditioner for a good 2 weeks (give/take a day or 2).

Shampoos are also a man-made product, and they're formulated to be the optimum pH for skin/scalp. Some formulas are more natural and gentle than other formulas. I dilute mine in warm water most of the time and use full-strength clarifying shampoo about every 6-8 weeks, whenever my hairs start misbehaving (usually getting limp and dull and/or tangling more than usual).

[jeanniet]

I agree with the advice to stop with the BS (lol). While I don't think it's unduly harmful as an occasional clarifier when used in very small amounts (much less than what is typically recommended) and followed by an acid rinse, it's much too harsh to use on a regular basis. You might try doing CO washes, or alternating with a sulfate-free shampoo, to get your hair and scalp back to normal condition.

[starlamelissa]

I use baking soda to scour pots and pans, scrub out my oven and such. It's probably too abrasive for hair.

[heidi w.]

Do not ACV/BS hair wash. This is terrible for the hair. This means you're clarifying the hair entirely every couple of days. Not needed.
Do it when you need it only.
Time to find another shampoo and conditioner. I don't know where people get this nonsense from. Then they wonder why their hair is all a mess. Go figure.
Heidi w.

[heidi w.]

BS works as an agent in homemade hair clarifying. That's it.
Heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Farmlass: I have never heard that dandruff was a part of puberty. Never anywhere have I heard or read that. It is NOT a natural part of puberty. I have it; I know.
Heidi w.

[heidi w.]

When BS is used in a clarifying homemade agent, it's made by using 3 Tablespoons of shampoo mixed well with BS. That's how it's done.
That's how it should be used. THEN at the end of BS washing, then ACV if you like

Heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Farmlass, Now you have to clarify the hair. Really, to stop the problem you're having. THEN really wash the hair with normal shampoo, and THEN ACV when it's all done with the conditioner applied. THEN you can oil the length. And then that's it.
Good luck.
Heidi w.

[farmlass]

Huh, feel stupid now Shift+R improves the quality of this image. Shift+A improves the quality of all images on this page. I think I came across an article that said BS was better for hair than most shampoos, and went for it. I guess it's taken this long for my hair to tell me that's wrong. Thanks for showing me I've been totally wrong and pointing me in the right direction!!

[Firefox7275]

Huh, feel stupid now. I think I came across an article that said BS was better for hair than most shampoos, and went for it. I guess it's taken this long for my hair to tell me that's wrong. Thanks for showing me I've been totally wrong and pointing me in the right direction!!

There are some really decent science based hair, skincare and nutrition blogs and articles on the net, but FAR more that spout unscientific rubbish, some of which is useless some harmful. My background is healthcare (pharmacy, lab research, lifestyle) and I absolutely cringe at some of the stuff that is claimed. Google Swiftcraftymonkey, Natural Haven, 'curl chemist' Tonya McKay on NaturallyCurly, Barefacedtruth and Beauty Brains - even if you don't have wavy or curly hair many of the principles are similar for healthy long hair.

If you are reading about health or nutrition see most government websites, relevant charities, our National Health Service, Medscape, Google Scholar, PubMed and any article that is fully referenced throughout with published research (not just one or a few studies but many), written by a science professional and not obviously commercial (peddling books or products).

Natural is not always better - there are many poisons, allergens, irritants and toxins found in nature. If you want to stay natural you might research soapwort extract or soap nuts, I believe both are on the acidic side and have been in use since the stone age. I like the look of Komaza Care Moja shampoo, plenty of natural ingredients with super gentle surfactants, pH 4.5 - the company has impressed me with balancing hardcore science with nature.