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View Full Version : Zinc Reduces Oiliness?



Beatrice
September 23rd, 2013, 08:50 PM
Super-oily gal here, embarking on an adventure into the great unknown of sulfate-free and CO! I've got coarse hair and dry ends to match my oily scalp, so getting the right balance is tricky. As I'm looking through products, I'm wondering, has anyone ever succeeded in reducing their oiliness with supplements, specifically with Zinc? I've heard there's some actual, scientific backing on this one, and I recall that my acne cleared up a ton when I was taking Zinc pills regularly.

Firefox7275
September 24th, 2013, 04:03 AM
It is possible to reduce the amount of sebum produced and alter the composition (relevant in seborrhoeic dermatitis) with an anti inflammatory, nutrient dense diet. Randomly supplementing is not a good idea, pills do not substitute for wholefoods, plus nutrients work synergistically and in opposition so you can set up or worsen imbalances.

Are you eating plenty of oily fish and other seafood, especially molluscs? Have you tried switching to a shampoo free of all anionic surfactants and pH appropriate?

lapushka
September 24th, 2013, 04:15 AM
I'm oily as well, and trust me... *nothing* can take away the oiliness. It's hormonal. Just the way it is, and you cannot change that. I need harsher sulfates to cleanse, shampoos that contain both SLS & SLES (Pantene, Herbal Essences). YMMV.

I tried the milder shampoos as well, and it didn't reduce the oiliness any, on the contrary, anything that's too mild may bring about bursts of Seborrheic Dermatitis in my case.

PolarCathy
September 24th, 2013, 04:30 AM
I've been looking into zinc for another reason that I won't detail here, and learned that zinc, iron, and copper work together very closely. If you take too much of either one, it can deplete the other two. If two are taken in high amounts, the level of the third one will drop. Also if you're deficient in either one, the other two may not be utilized and build up in the organs. Too high zinc levels can deplete your iron and copper, resulting in anemia and/or hyperthyroidism, for example. Or when you take both iron and zinc, then your copper gets depleted and that can result in hypothyroidism.

So what I wanted to say with the above is that you probably shouldn't take a zinc supplement unless you know exactly what you're doing (or a doc told you to do so). These three have a very delicate balance in the human body. Rather a balanced multivitamin. Just my $0.02.

mscm
September 24th, 2013, 05:20 AM
I think the zinc is worth a try :) everybody has different hair and scalps, so whats not working for others might work for you. Also some tips on oily hair - do not brush too much, keep hand of the hair and scalp, and also what you mentioned about going sulfatefree is really good! Remember it takes time for the scalp to adjust so patience is key :-)

Beatrice
September 24th, 2013, 08:15 PM
Great tips. I definitely ought to increase my omega-3. When I was in school, I took flax oil and ate seafood regularly for about two months, and I turned into superwoman. At least two health issues cleared up completely--and came back when I slacked off. Now I'm living with my parents for a year, and we've only had fish once or twice in a couple months.

That's really good information about the vitamin balance. Can't say it surprises me, but I'd never heard about those specific interactions. Another thing that bothered me about the zinc supplements was how hard they can be on your stomach, like a lot of vitamins. Maybe I'll look into a liquid supplement. My family used to take one regularly, and we all felt better. Of course, liquid vitamins tend to be more expensive, but in some limited situations, you get what you pay for.

Meanwhile, the lower-sulfate, higher-moisture experiments are going better than I expected. My hair isn't as squeaky clean near the scalp, but I seem to have found a better balance. Like lapushka, I'll get itchy, unhealthy buildup if I push it too far, but I may have found a happy medium with my new routine! I didn't mention any of this to my boyfriend, but I think he noticed the difference--he couldn't keep his hands off my hair today! :o

Firefox7275
September 25th, 2013, 05:05 AM
Great tips. I definitely ought to increase my omega-3. When I was in school, I took flax oil and ate seafood regularly for about two months, and I turned into superwoman. At least two health issues cleared up completely--and came back when I slacked off. Now I'm living with my parents for a year, and we've only had fish once or twice in a couple months.

That's really good information about the vitamin balance. Can't say it surprises me, but I'd never heard about those specific interactions. Another thing that bothered me about the zinc supplements was how hard they can be on your stomach, like a lot of vitamins. Maybe I'll look into a liquid supplement. My family used to take one regularly, and we all felt better. Of course, liquid vitamins tend to be more expensive, but in some limited situations, you get what you pay for.

Meanwhile, the lower-sulfate, higher-moisture experiments are going better than I expected. My hair isn't as squeaky clean near the scalp, but I seem to have found a better balance. Like lapushka, I'll get itchy, unhealthy buildup if I push it too far, but I may have found a happy medium with my new routine! I didn't mention any of this to my boyfriend, but I think he noticed the difference--he couldn't keep his hands off my hair today! :o

Just eat zinc rich foods, offer to shop and/ or cook for your parents you all could benefit from more oily fish and other seafood - I am sure you want your parents in your life and healthy for as long as possible. Flaxseed oil is largely a waste of money, the body converts the short chain omega-3s to the useable long chain format at rates as low as 10%. If you want to go the seed oil route eat wholefoods not refined extracts: chia seeds and ground flax, to a lesser extent pumpkin seeds and walnuts, then you get a massive mineral and fibre hit ... including zinc! Oily fish also supply bioavailable vitamin D, another skin and hair friendly nutrient.

No pill or potion substitutes for wholefoods unless you have an unavoidably restricted diet due to allergies, religion/ culture, ethics or you have a medically diagnosed deficiency or absorption issue. Supplements are so named because they are intended to be just that, supplement an already balanced and varied diet, you really can do more harm than good randomly adding nutrients in without reference to your diet, physical activity levels, health problems and medications. In addition the body evolved to extract nutrients (not just vitamins and minerals but essential fatty acids and antioxidants) from wholefoods, in the balance and form found therein.

Beatrice
September 25th, 2013, 07:01 AM
Good point. I forgot all about pumpkin seeds. Fortunately, there's a Whole Foods store just down the street, so I've got easy access to unsalted seeds and nuts.

I do think a lot of doctors overlook the importance of food as a source of nutrients. The doctor wanted to put my mom on an iron pill a while back, after a surgery. Instead, she ate a can of oysters a day for a short period. When she went back for a checkup, they'd never seen anyone's iron levels recover so quickly!

Firefox7275
September 25th, 2013, 07:10 AM
Good point. I forgot all about pumpkin seeds. Fortunately, there's a Whole Foods store just down the street, so I've got easy access to unsalted seeds and nuts.

I do think a lot of doctors overlook the importance of food as a source of nutrients. The doctor wanted to put my mom on an iron pill a while back, after a surgery. Instead, she ate a can of oysters a day for a short period. When she went back for a checkup, they'd never seen anyone's iron levels recover so quickly!

Oysters are also rich in zinc and a variety of other nutrients. Organ meats are an excellent source of bioavailable haem iron - most westerners won't eat either offal or molluscs tho. You are right about doctors, it is a constant source of frustration to those of us who work in lifestyle healthcare. Having said that many patients are resistant to taking responsibility for their own health and making better lifestyle choices: people just don't stop smoking/ lose weight/ get more active/ eat more oily fish when advised to. There is plenty of guidance on the basic healthy living guidelines online yet I see very few new clients who adhere to all the minimums/ maximums.