Dry scalp oily strands?

[Baby_doll]

So I have dry skin, I've tried all types of lotions and things to keep it from flaking. But alas, nothing helps. My scalp is dry but doesn't normally flake, just itches. But lately (probably because of the winter) my scalp is flaking alittle.i use a bbb everyday. And my length gets oily but my scalp remains dry. I've been doing water only the past few months to keep my hair from drying out even more. but does anyone else have this relentless dryness problem? How do you fix it?

[Madora]

So I have dry skin, I've tried all types of lotions and things to keep it from flaking. But alas, nothing helps. My scalp is dry but doesn't normally flake, just itches. But lately (probably because of the winter) my scalp is flaking alittle.i use a bbb everyday. And my length gets oily but my scalp remains dry. I've been doing water only the past few months to keep my hair from drying out even more. but does anyone else have this relentless dryness problem? How do you fix it?

Perhaps if you listed what you're putting on your hair...and how often you do it, that might help in determining what is causing your problem.

How long have you been brushing? Do you do it every day? How often do you clean your hairbrush and comb?

It might very well be that what you're putting on your hair is working against your scalp. Generally speaking, for your other dry skin problems, I'd consult a dermatologist. Also, are you eating properly?

For more help with Winter Hair Blues, here is an article written by former LHC member, KTANI: http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-to-avoid-winter-hair-blues.html

[ARG]

Ohh when I was stretching washes (8+ days) my scalp would get so itchy and flake. Drove me crazy until I put the two together and realized that my scalp needed shampoo to cleanse it. Even now when I go SLES/SLS free, I get the itchies/flakies every couple of weeks, which means its time for a nice clarifying wash.

I know you're doing WO, but you may want to consider washing your scalp. Good luck!

[Baby_doll]

Trust me, it's DEfinitly not shampoo I need. That makes it 100 times worse. I don't use a comb (other people who bbb look at me like I'm crazy when I say that but my hair doesn't get any more tangled than what a finger finger comb can't get out. Not even in windy weather) but I've been using my soft bbb for a few months now. I rinse it with water almost everytime I brush and wash it out every other day but sometimes I'm lazy n do it every 2 days. I eat a okay diet, not super good, but not bad. I do remember to take my multivitamins every day though. I rarely put anything but water on my scalp, when my scalp gets to bad though I put a tiny bit of a oil mix I made on it and leave it in for a few days. The mix is olive oil, vitamin e oil, and coconut. About once a month, sometimes every other month I do a distilled white vinegar rinse, very diluted though. Besides that no products go on my scalp. Also thought it might be good to add my water isn't very hard so it's not that that's causing my problems. I put alittle oil on my ends every few days and often put water on the last inch or so then put my oil over it. To help keep the moisture in. I think that about sums it up.

[saturnine]

Maybe your scalp is reacting negatively to that oil mix? I know you only put a little bit on, but it could be too much for too long on a scalp that's already irritated by the weather changing. You could be causing more build-up than your routine can handle.

[Madora]

Trust me, it's DEfinitly not shampoo I need. That makes it 100 times worse. I don't use a comb (other people who bbb look at me like I'm crazy when I say that but my hair doesn't get any more tangled than what a finger finger comb can't get out. Not even in windy weather) but I've been using my soft bbb for a few months now. I rinse it with water almost everytime I brush and wash it out every other day but sometimes I'm lazy n do it every 2 days. I eat a okay diet, not super good, but not bad. I do remember to take my multivitamins every day though. I rarely put anything but water on my scalp, when my scalp gets to bad though I put a tiny bit of a oil mix I made on it and leave it in for a few days. The mix is olive oil, vitamin e oil, and coconut. About once a month, sometimes every other month I do a distilled white vinegar rinse, very diluted though. Besides that no products go on my scalp. Also thought it might be good to add my water isn't very hard so it's not that that's causing my problems. I put alittle oil on my ends every few days and often put water on the last inch or so then put my oil over it. To help keep the moisture in. I think that about sums it up.

I have a sneaking suspicion that your problem is due to what you are putting on your scalp. The scalp's natural ph balance should never be messed with as nasty things can happen as a result.

Your scalp needs to be cleansed at some point - with a shampoo of some sort. Since you evidently have a bad association with shampoos, then I'd recommend you see a dermatologist and find something that will work for your condition...and I'd definitely stop putting anything on your scalp. If you want to apply a tiny bit of oil to your ends, there's nothing wrong with that.

Here's an interesting video that includes a section on PH balance...and the differences between Apple Cider Vinegar and White Vinegar as it pertains to your hair/scalp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT9axA0A6_Q

ps: And I'd definitely wash your bbb with shampoo or a little bit of hand soap..every time you use it, for there's no use putting a dirty brush back on to dirty hair. Using plain water to "wash" a brush isn't getting that brush clean. Just put a dab of soap on a nail brush, then apply the soapy nail brush to all areas where the bristles sit, brush thoroughly, rinse with cold, running water. Then shake out the brush, fan the bristles with your fingers to remove excess water, wipe the other parts off with a towel, then place the brush bristles side down on a lint free cloth, away from direct sunlight. When dry, place brush in a baggie to keep it fresh.

[Anje]

Sounds like the story of my life. My face and scalp will get dry, start peeling and itching, and produce annoying quantities of oil to try to counteract the dryness. The dryer they are, the oilier they are. As a corollary , I end up needing to wash my hair more frequently in winter -- all the dry air contributes to the dry skin.

My scalp rather likes CO washing, and I'm trying to get back to that after having gotten into the shampoo thing for a while. (Had bangs, they needed more cleansing and therefore shampoo... Habits happen.) My usual variety is Suave Naturals Aloe and Waterlily, which seems to rinse clean in my combination of water and hair and builds up very little. I smear it right on the scalp -- figure it's pretty similar to lotion in composition, after all!

Oiling doesn't seem to do my scalp or skin a lot of good on its own, so I keep that pretty limited. I did mess around with an oil-saturated mixture of honey and brown sugar as a scalp scrub, and found my face and legs benefited from it too -- somewhere between the scrubbing off the dead skin, the humectant qualities of the honey, and the oil, I got more benefit than from oil alone.

So anyway, that's my suggestion. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Your oil production will go down if your skin isn't freaking out because it's totally dry.

ETA: Do make sure you're drinking enough water. Not that I'm one to talk.... most of my fluids seem to be in the form of coffee.