Scalp damage from bleaching?

[Yuuki]

I bleached my hair 3 times back in April 2014. Since August 2014, I haven't touched a box of hair dye and I've been growing out my natural colour since then (making lots of progress.. and actually liking my natural shade! Bonus is my hair seems to be growing faster, too!)

Since bleaching my hair almost a year ago... my scalp hasn't been the same. It's ALWAYS flaky, especially around the front of my hairline. I've tried using medicated shampoo/shampoo for dandruff but nothing seems to work. I wondered if anyone had any tips? Could I have caused permanent damage to my scalp?

[lapushka]

Maybe it's time for a doctor visit. I knew when I had bleach/dye damage (chemical burn), I got a cortisone lotion for my scalp. Nothing that lasted that long, though.

It's either flaking, or dry scalp. Maybe try oiling it before you wash?

[Johannah]

I second oling your scalp regularly. If that doesn't work, go to the doctor.

[Mya]

It's not permanent, but it sounds like your scalp became more sensitive. Bleach and aggressive stuff did that to my scalp too. My problem went away when I started using a gentle SLS/SLES free shampoo. Look for a shampoo like that, with as less ingredients as possible. It may be worth to have a look at organic stores too.

[meteor]

I'd go to a doctor for a diagnosis.

Sounds like you disrupted your skin's barrier function quite a bit there, which bleach can certainly do... :(
I agree with the oiling recommendation, but make sure you use only oils that you know your skin is very comfortable with, that never give you a reaction, and please avoid any essential, fragrant oils - they can irritate and sensitize your skin further.
Personally, I would probably use baby oil (mineral oil) and/or castor oil to help create occlusive barrier on scalp and give it time to heal.

And do wear a hat/scarf/buff when outside: UV light damage is something recovering skin needs to avoid even more than healthy skin.

[stachelbeere]

I use a citric acid rinse (1/2 tsp citric acid to 500 ml water) on my scalp and lengths - otherwise my scalp gets abit itchy and flaky after a couple of days. I hope you'll find out what's going on, good luck!

[endlessly]

Speaking from experience, it is definitely possible to damage your scalp as a result of bleaching your hair. Depending on the strength of the product you used, how frequently you had used it in the past (or even if it was a brand new product to you), and how long you left it on your hair, it can cause a variety of ailments. The one and only time I used bleach was as a "bleach wash" to remove excess dye buildup and while I only had it in my hair for 2 minutes, my extremely sensitive scalp did not like it in the least. Now, I already do have scalp issues (eczema patches, such a joy), but the small amount of bleach definitely made them worse.

If you're still noticing problems, I would recommend bringing it up to your doctor as soon as possible just to be sure you didn't accidentally give yourself a chemical burn from the bleach. There are some prescription-strength products your doctor or dermatologist might be able to prescribe that would help you so much better than anything you can get over the counter. As a side note, I also wouldn't recommend experimenting with anything too much in case you do cause further damage. Best of luck to you and hopefully you can get everything sorted out!

[lapushka]

Speaking from experience, it is definitely possible to damage your scalp as a result of bleaching your hair. Depending on the strength of the product you used, how frequently you had used it in the past (or even if it was a brand new product to you), and how long you left it on your hair, it can cause a variety of ailments. The one and only time I used bleach was as a "bleach wash" to remove excess dye buildup and while I only had it in my hair for 2 minutes, my extremely sensitive scalp did not like it in the least. Now, I already do have scalp issues (eczema patches, such a joy), but the small amount of bleach definitely made them worse.

If you're still noticing problems, I would recommend bringing it up to your doctor as soon as possible just to be sure you didn't accidentally give yourself a chemical burn from the bleach. There are some prescription-strength products your doctor or dermatologist might be able to prescribe that would help you so much better than anything you can get over the counter. As a side note, I also wouldn't recommend experimenting with anything too much in case you do cause further damage. Best of luck to you and hopefully you can get everything sorted out!

Yeah. This. ^^ Wise words!

[Yuuki]

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. I'll try oiling my scalp with some baby oil (I use it on my body, anyways) for now, and mention the issue to my doctor as soon as I can. :) It's just so frustrating - before this whole bleaching experiment I had never really bleached my hair other than getting highlights at the hairdressers once! Oh well, you live and learn I suppose!

[lapushka]

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. I'll try oiling my scalp with some baby oil (I use it on my body, anyways) for now, and mention the issue to my doctor as soon as I can. :) It's just so frustrating - before this whole bleaching experiment I had never really bleached my hair other than getting highlights at the hairdressers once! Oh well, you live and learn I suppose!

Watch out with mineral oil near your scalp. It is going to be a pain to wash out. Mineral oil is great if used sparingly (a few drops) on damp lengths after a wash, but for your scalp it is going to be too heavy. Rather use a natural oil near your scalp, such as olive oil or coconut.

[meteor]

Watch out with mineral oil near your scalp. It is going to be a pain to wash out. Mineral oil is great if used sparingly (a few drops) on damp lengths after a wash, but for your scalp it is going to be too heavy. Rather use a natural oil near your scalp, such as olive oil or coconut.

I don't know, all oils are going to be heavy on the roots anyway. Oiling scalp is something to be done before washing or just a couple drops on very wet scalp.
Olive oil is so rich in oleic acid, and there is some research that suggests that oleic acid is a skin barrier disruptor, penetration enhancer (e.g. here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16293379), implicated in Malassesia fungus-driven seborrheic dermatitis and in inflammation and longer healing times (http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1308503), so I would be hesitant to apply it to skin already under stress.
And here's what Paula Begoun has to say about it: "Olive oil used alone has been shown to be somewhat problematic for skin because, used alone, it seems to reduce skin's barrier integrity and delay healing of injured skin, especially when compared to sunflower seed oil, a plant oil whose fatty acid profile is markedly different from olive oil. It is believed that olive oil's high oleic acid content may be responsible for this, but this plant oil maintains a low potential for irritancy or allergic reaction (Source: Pediatric Dermatology, January-February 2013, pages 42-50; Dermatitis, November-December 2008, pages 308-315; and Contact Dermatitis, January 1997, pages 5-10)" (http://www.paulaschoice.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/olive-oil)

Mineral oil, however, is very inert (being inorganic) and is often recommended by dermatologists as a risk-free oiling alternative because fungus doesn't feed off it, unlike organic oils.
By the way, slightly off-topic, but it's recommended to apply Vaseline (which is essentially made of mineral oil) on scalp prior to bleaching or dyeing or perming or relaxing hair specifically in order to protect the scalp from being damaged by these chemicals. It's extremely important to protect the scalp during such treatments. :flower: