How to deal with Dandruff, oily hair....

[wanderingthght]

i have very particular hair. i have used all kinds of shampoo/Conditioner, and the no poo method. some work better than others. Depending on the shampoo, my hair is either extremely oily, or dry and falling. I have thin, slightly wavy hair, and i have an issue with having an itchy, dandruff scalp. That is what bothers me more than the oily hair, its the itching. The shampoo im using now is the one that has worked the best of all.

i would love to be able to last a week without washing my hair. but the itching stops me...

This is my current routine:

Day 1: Wash my hair with Yes to carrots shampoo/ conditioner, looks good, no itching. Use yes to carrots leave in for my hair.
Day 2: looks good, no itching
Day 3: slight itching, very oily hair, can barely move my fingers through my hair. i use a bit of home made dry shampoo to last an extra day, but still feels oily.
Day 4: VERY oily hair. and extremely itchy hair. hair feels clumpy even with the dry shampoo, i cant easily move my fingers through my hair.
-----

I tried the No poo method, did NOT work for me. I was extremely itchy, and my hair was an oily mess, i tried for a month. I would love suggestions as to anything i could do for my hair. I want to grow it as long as i can. It only reaches my bra strap up to now, so i want something that wont be damaging to my hair, but will help with the itching. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[lapushka]

Maybe try washing with Nizoral shampoo. It might be seborrheic dermatitis, or another scalp condition and not "just" dandruff. Maybe it's best to go see a dermatologist.

[shutterpillar]

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle shampoo and conditioner got rid of my dandruff. That was the only thing I changed in my hair care routine, so that had to be it. It did nothing for my greasies, which have been present since the onset of puberty. I just wash every other day and have no issues with damage to my hair because of it.

I also suggest that you go see a dermatologist to make sure it's not a more serious underlying condition. The itchiness you describe makes me a bit nervous. Have you tried washing your hair more frequently?

[Panth]

1) Go to doctor.
2) Get diagnosis.
3) Treat that scalp.

No one here is a medical professional. If you've got a flaking, itchy scalp ... that's a medical condition that needs treating. Don't assume it's dandruff without a proper diagnosis. There are other possible conditions (e.g. scalp eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis) and the problem is that treatments for one condition can make other conditions worse (and vice versa).

[getoffmyskittle]

I have had this my whole life. I use Head and Shoulders without shame, twice a week. My hair is tailbone length and healthy. If you're worried about it, you could always CWC (coat your hair with conditioner so the shampoo doesn't get on the length) or just move the length out of the way while you're using medicated shampoo on your scalp.

[lapushka]

1) Go to doctor.
2) Get diagnosis.
3) Treat that scalp.

No one here is a medical professional. If you've got a flaking, itchy scalp ... that's a medical condition that needs treating. Don't assume it's dandruff without a proper diagnosis. There are other possible conditions (e.g. scalp eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis) and the problem is that treatments for one condition can make other conditions worse (and vice versa).

QFT, Quoted For Truth!

[peachyleshy]

Have you tried Head and Shoulders? That's what I use or a generic version. It's the only way I can get rid of the flakes. They make conditioning versions (in fact all of them are rather conditioning). And I use the condition- wash - condition wash method to protect my ends. I have to wash twice or it's just not clean enough.
ETA: I guess I shouldn't have assumed you hadn't tried Head and Shoulders or another dandruff shampoo when you very well could have tried it. If that didn't work I'd see a dermatologist.
It is frustrating to always have dandruff and always have to use a dandruff shampoo though :/

[mariakatija]

Yeah, you should see a doctor if the itching is that bad! Good luck!

[viking_quest]

I have kind of the same problem as you. I third the suggestions to go to a dermatologist and also use Head and Shoulders to see if that helps with the itching and flakiness. If that doesn't work out for you [it didn't for me], then try doing an apple cider vinegar/water rinse every time you wash your hair. I use a 3oz container with about 1 part ACV to 5 parts filtered water. The ACV helped out a lot with the itchiness because it helped restore the pH balance on my scalp.

[spidermom]

That sounds pretty much like my cycle, although I never use dry shampoo. I wash on day 3 or day 4. I have seborrheic dermatitis.

[meteor]

i would love to be able to last a week without washing my hair. but the itching stops me...

This is my current routine:

Day 1: Wash my hair with Yes to carrots shampoo/ conditioner, looks good, no itching. Use yes to carrots leave in for my hair.
Day 2: looks good, no itching
Day 3: slight itching, very oily hair, can barely move my fingers through my hair. i use a bit of home made dry shampoo to last an extra day, but still feels oily.
Day 4: VERY oily hair. and extremely itchy hair. hair feels clumpy even with the dry shampoo, i cant easily move my fingers through my hair.
-----

I tried the No poo method, did NOT work for me. I was extremely itchy, and my hair was an oily mess, i tried for a month. I would love suggestions as to anything i could do for my hair. I want to grow it as long as i can. It only reaches my bra strap up to now, so i want something that wont be damaging to my hair, but will help with the itching. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Actually, not everybody can go a whole week without washing hair and not everybody can do no-poo, so since it doesn't work for you, why not wash your hair as often as it needs to be washed? Nothing wrong with what you are describing: getting oily hair and slight itching on Day 3. I would just wash it as frequently as needed.

I also recommend going to a family doctor or a dermatologist if it's a serious case, of course. It's important to get a diagnosis, since it will drive the solutions. Itchy scalp can be a symptom of many problems: eczema, psoriasis, xerosis, allergies.....
It's really important to understand that every scalp has a certain bacterial "ecosystem", and it's changing. Some scalps have a tendency to SD, so leaving sebum or oils rich in oleic acid for long periods of time unwashed may be counterproductive to scalp health.

I highly recommend reading this for some good insights into the problem and possible solutions: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2011/12/itchy-scalp-some-easy-remedies.html
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2013/04/new-ideas-for-itchy-scalp.html

[Larki]

Looks like you're trying to stretch your washes too far, IMO.

[Artista]

That sounds pretty much like my cycle, although I never use dry shampoo. I wash on day 3 or day 4. I have seborrheic dermatitis.

I have SD too. Lucky you can go to day 3 or 4. Most I can stretch is every other day. If it goes 2 days in between then hair is definitely up.

[Artista]

I agree with you need to go to a derm to figure out what you have otherwise you could be spending money on stuff for nothing. I've tried everything high and low for my SD but it seems nothing works long term. Hopefully you find what exactly is the cause and get the right treatment.

[Nimia]

Sounds like Day 3 is meant to be your wash day. There are plenty of us who can't go a week, much as we'd like to. I thought I could do 3 days, then I thought 2 was optimum… but reality is forcing me to admit that a daily wash is all that keeps itchies and flakiness away completely (though I sometimes do 2 days, wash my bangs in-between, and hope no one sees me with my nails scratching at my scalp).

[Firefox7275]

1) Go to doctor.
2) Get diagnosis.
3) Treat that scalp.

No one here is a medical professional. If you've got a flaking, itchy scalp ... that's a medical condition that needs treating. Don't assume it's dandruff without a proper diagnosis. There are other possible conditions (e.g. scalp eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis) and the problem is that treatments for one condition can make other conditions worse (and vice versa).

Great advice above. In general stretching washes is NOT compatible with SD since components of sebum feed the malassezia yeast and irritate the scalp.

[Mya]

You may want to try cleansing oil. It is designed for greasy hair (based on the principle "oil dissolves oil"). Shampoo may be too harsh for your scalp and cause dandruff and itching. My mom tried cleansing oil lately and for the first time she didn't get flakes and her scalp doesn't itch. I think the few flakes remaining will totally go with a few more washes. She doesn't have greasy hair (she has the opposite: dry scalp) but suffers from dandruff and itching. Her hair came very clean, but softer and more moisturized than usual (which was very dry).

[Rushli]

I get dandruff from allergies. I used Yes to Carrots (before this site), then played with poo bars starting last Feb. I did great until allergy season (May) then found I had to go back to Yes to Carrots (or any liquid shampoo would work I am guessing.) I use 3 drops of melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil a small amount of shampoo, lather and let sit for a few minutes. Sometimes I get itchy on day 3 or 4, but most of the time I am just fine. And the itch is NOTHING like I use to have. Melaleuca oil is an amazing oil and can treat a wide variety of things.

[shinyspoon3]

I have kind of the same problem as you. I third the suggestions to go to a dermatologist and also use Head and Shoulders to see if that helps with the itching and flakiness. If that doesn't work out for you [it didn't for me], then try doing an apple cider vinegar/water rinse every time you wash your hair. I use a 3oz container with about 1 part ACV to 5 parts filtered water. The ACV helped out a lot with the itchiness because it helped restore the pH balance on my scalp.

I second the ACV suggestion. I've never been to a dermatologist, simply because it never occurred to me to go, but I've had scalp issues my whole life. My mom used to pick flakes off my crown when I was an infant. She called it "cradle cap" and because of that I've just figured it was something I had to live with. Oily itchy greasies (that sometimes got so bad that my scalp bled!) were just a way of life for me until I read a book about natural hair care and gave ACV a shot. I use a stronger concentration though. I do equal parts tap water and ACV. Recently I started adding 5 drops of Sage essential oil per cup of ACV. The sage overpowers 90% of the vinegar smell, which is extra important to me since I use such a strong concentration. My scalp has been flake and itch free ever since I started using this as a finishing rinse to acidify my scalp. I highly recommend giving it a try!

[Artista]

Great advice above. In general stretching washes is NOT compatible with SD since components of sebum feed the malassezia yeast and irritate the scalp.

So true. So many people don't realize there is an issue that isn't about how much you wash or what you use. With SD, it can be dormant and you don't know you have anything wrong, especially on your scalp because your hair covers it. I don't like washing my hair every day but I try to or max every other day. I just do my scalp and condition the ends.

Don't self diagnose just because all you see if flakes and feel the itchies. Get it diagnosed. If it's nothing you'll breathe a sigh of relief. If it is something, you can actually help take care of it properly.

[Serpentina]

I rinse with a one-to-one water and apple cider vinegar solution. It doesn't fix the dandruff problem completely, but it helps a lot.

[bonbon58]

I second the ACV suggestion. I've never been to a dermatologist, simply because it never occurred to me to go, but I've had scalp issues my whole life. My mom used to pick flakes off my crown when I was an infant. She called it "cradle cap" and because of that I've just figured it was something I had to live with. Oily itchy greasies (that sometimes got so bad that my scalp bled!) were just a way of life for me until I read a book about natural hair care and gave ACV a shot. I use a stronger concentration though. I do equal parts tap water and ACV. Recently I started adding 5 drops of Sage essential oil per cup of ACV. The sage overpowers 90% of the vinegar smell, which is extra important to me since I use such a strong concentration. My scalp has been flake and itch free ever since I started using this as a finishing rinse to acidify my scalp. I highly recommend giving it a try!

is normal vinegar ok, or does it need to be ACV? i feel like using up so much ACV for each wash is going to be quite expensive for me, especially since you can drink it for other health benefits :confused:

[shinyspoon3]

I've heard of some people who use diluted white vinegar instead. I never have though, so I can't speak with authority about whether or not it will work the same way. To save money on the ACV I buy the giant jug of it and keep it under the sink instead of getting the little bottles.

[bonbon58]

I've heard of some people who use diluted white vinegar instead. I never have though, so I can't speak with authority about whether or not it will work the same way. To save money on the ACV I buy the giant jug of it and keep it under the sink instead of getting the little bottles.

Thanks! maybe I'll try both