Stringy nape area (Seborrheic dermatitis?)

[LittlePrincess]

Hi all,

I've made a few posts recently, stressing about how over the past few months the texture of my hair has been going crazy (tangly on top and permanently stringy and greasy underneath), and I've also been having loooads of shedding.

Well, I went to a trichologist the other day! (Hair dedication, right??) He looked at my hair under a close-up camera and saw that, although my scalp seemed alright to me, I apparently have seborrheic dermatitis. And he gave me a special mild medicated shampoo.

I'm a bit confused about this, seeing as the symptom I went there with was that the underneath of my hair is stringy looks greasy and it will NOT wash out even with the speical shampoo. I didn't know this could be seborrheic dermatitis and the trichologist didn't seem to really know either. Anyone else had this with SD?

Has anyone else has a problem with their underneath layer being suddenly stringy and it not going away? On me it appears greasy, but doesn't feel it or look it when you look really close, it just clumps together in a gross way so I feel disgusting. Strange because it never used to happen!

I'd love to hear from people with advice or similar experiences :D. It's getting very tiring and upsetting washing my hair and seeing it still gross after.

[spidermom]

I have SD also, and the medicated shampoo helps a lot.

If you haven't, buy a clarifying shampoo. I like VO5 kiwi lime, but there are many other choices. Use it the next two times that you wash your hair and really make sure that you lather the "gross" area thoroughly and let it sit for about 3 minutes before rinsing. If there is anything coating your hair, that should take it off.

Oh! one exception - if you've ever used Vaseline in the area of concern, the only thing I know that will take it off is Dawn dishwashing liquid, the original formula.

[LittlePrincess]

Thank you :) it's really great to hear from someone else with SD.
I seem to remember trying clarifying and it not helping for some reason but I'll try again and leave it on as you say, maybe I didn't get the right bits. It's strange because as I say it looks greasy but doesn't feel it.
Do you have similar problems with your SD? I know I haven't waited long enough for the shampoo to treat it yet but I was hoping the grease on my hair would have started to go!

[PraiseCheeses]

I don't have SD so I can't pretend to know what I'm talking about there, but I do know that when I wash my hair while standing upright and hair down my back, there are spots that never seem to get clean/rinsed. After a few times washing like this, it can get a bit greasy underneath. I feel like my hair is much more thoroughly cleaned if I flip my head forwards and wash upside-down. (I detangle upside-down while hair is dry just before this, and I let it dry quite a bit before once again gently detangling still upside-down - I haven't experienced any significant problems with tangling using this method, even with fine hair at BCL.) I realize that SD is another issue entirely, but perhaps this will help a bit with those trouble spots. :flower: Good luck!

[spidermom]

PraiseCheeses brings up a good point. If you haven't washed in the bent-forward position, hair falling toward your feet, try that a few times. I alternate between the two positions for washing my hair.

Also be sure to wash your neck and behind your ears. Some people (like me) have a lot of sebum secretion behind the ears.

[lapushka]

I have SD as well. In me it manifests itself usually with itchiness and quite big flakes, and greasiness as well. When this happens my hair is washed with Nizoral 2% and that helps, but you need to follow directions. It's not going to help straight away. With the Nizoral you need to wash at least twice a week and do this for about a month at least.

[LittlePrincess]

Thank you for the replies :)

I'll try washing with it flipped forward and see if it helps, thanks PraiseCheeses

I will definitely follow the directions I was given with my shampoo and give it time to work. I understand that it'll take a good month or so to tackle the SD, but I guess I was just confused and worried that the grease that's on the roots and creeping down the length of my hair is still there. Should this be washing out somehow or is it a quality that will slowly get better as the SD improved?
Sorry! I've confused myself :P

[Firefox7275]

The fatty acids in your own sebum will be contributing to the SD, so you would do best finding a method to clear it and don't try to stretch washes. It's very presence/ persistence suggests that you have waxier sebum than average and/ or your wash technique needs work.

[LittlePrincess]

Thank you :) . At the moment I'm washing my hair every other day on the trichologists advice, so I'm not stretching washes. I'm trying to get rid of the strange stringyness and you're right, it does seem more like a waxy residue than greasy. Maybe that's why it feels okay to touch but just looks shiny. I've tried clarifying and ACV and tea tree shampoo but I'm really struggling getting rid of it. I've even wondered about chelating but not sure.

[spidermom]

My SD manifests as red bumps on my scalp. My doctor prescribed the shampoo, also told me to dry my hair after washing; don't sit around with wet hair.

[lapushka]

My SD manifests as red bumps on my scalp. My doctor prescribed the shampoo, also told me to dry my hair after washing; don't sit around with wet hair.

Same here with the dryness of the hair! After air drying for about an hour to an hour and a half (still pretty damp), I get my roots dry with a diffuser (blow dryer), as that is what matters. But before the blow dryer, I let it "breathe" a bit.

[Majorane]

Hey, I don't have anything to add, except that I googled this SD and it looks exactly like what my sweet SO has going on on his head. Quite horribly bad, in fact. Maybe now I'll finally get him to see someone about it because it is very uncomfortable for him.

Thanks, thus, for mentioning, and I hope your hair gets better soon!! :flower:

[LittlePrincess]

My SD manifests as red bumps on my scalp. My doctor prescribed the shampoo, also told me to dry my hair after washing; don't sit around with wet hair.

That's interesting, I've never had the red bumps but I've noticed my "permanent greasyness" on the underneath strands on the underneath is even worse if I don't blow dry. But I'm still confused as to why it's happening as noone else with SD seems to have it. Have any of you had the unwashed-looking greasy strands and not been able to get rid of them :S?

Majorane, I hope he can get it treated, SD really is a pain. But it must feel better if you can find out exactly what it is and get some help. Thank you :)

[lapushka]

Have any of you had the unwashed-looking greasy strands and not been able to get rid of them :S?

Nope. That's odd to me. :hmm:

[LittlePrincess]

I tried a clarifying shampoo specifically on the greasy bits before showering today, and flipping my head upside down to wash thecnderneath. It worked and it seems mugh cleaner and back to normal!! Yay!
Thanks spidermom and Praisecheeses for the tips and everyone for advice. Hopefully the medicated shampoo will keep treating the cause. I'm so relieves, thankyou!!!

[lapushka]

I tried a clarifying shampoo specifically on the greasy bits before showering today, and flipping my head upside down to wash thecnderneath. It worked and it seems mugh cleaner and back to normal!! Yay!
Thanks spidermom and Praisecheeses for the tips and everyone for advice. Hopefully the medicated shampoo will keep treating the cause. I'm so relieves, thankyou!!!

I'm glad it worked. :thumbsup: What might also help is sectioning your hair, so applying a glob of shampoo on the top of your head, to the back of your head, and then covering the two sides. Massage each section well. I'd continue to give attention to the back especially.