Trying to stretch washes but running into awkward problem. No answers when searched.

[Fantak]

Hello there,

I have been washing my hair every other day for a few years now and have been happy with it.

My problem is that on washday (second day?) I start to get little white flecks in my hair which are more obvious around my hair line on my parting. This means I have to wash my hair first thing in the morning if I don't want speckled hair!

The problem has recently gotten worse, I believe this is due to hormonal shifts as all my skin is drier, and I think the flecks are dry skin.

I have tried a brown sugar+oil scalp scrub and switching to a hydrating shampoo (I was already using a very mild gentle shampoo that could be used on babies!). I have also tried a clarifying shampoo. The results have always been exactly the same, flakes on the second day.

I would really like to stretch washing one more day, but can't see that happening, so I would at least like to be able to spend an extra 20 minutes in bed instead of having to rush into the shower to wash the bits out!

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?

Thank you!

F

[Kaorin]

I also try to stretch washes and am getting some white flakes. But I get mine more randomly, not because of the wash stretch itself (have had dry spots as long as I can remember). I put aloe vera gel on my dry spots and I must say it has improved alot. I still get a little flaky sometimes, but not often at all anymore. I use it about once or twice a week only, so not every wash (been sloppy the last couple of weeks, but still no flakes though).

[ravenreed]

Baby shampoo isn't all that gentle, just so you know. It is usually formulated not to hurt their eyes, but they often end up with cradle cap, which is dry skin on the scalp. Have you tried conditioner only washing? It irritates my scalp so much less than any shampoo I have found. I also find that an ACV rinse helps with itching and flakes.

[parkmikii]

You could try scrubbing your scalp with a comb while shampooing gentle. Also are you using oil on your scalp or using a sulfate shampoo? I have had the same problem but I managed to reduce them with an antifungal cream with sulphur. I can link you to my thread.

Eta: here it is, maybe it helps you too :)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=133756

[Alma Petra]

Are the flakes on the hair or on the scalp? Could it be that you are experiencing buildup from a certain product and you need clarifying? Or that you are using two products that interact together by producing flakes? I used to use a gel that would flake with my leave-in.

[Fantak]

Thank you everyone.

Kaorin: I've tried aloe vera before and my hair shedded in locks :( thanks for the suggestion though!

ravenreed: thanks for the heads up on baby shampoo, I was actually surprised at how well it cleaned my hair! The non-sulphate shampoos I tried before were very harsh for some reason, I distinctly remember the fekkai one, is there any sulphate free shampoo you recommend? Comditioner on my scalp also makes it shed like crazy I'm afraid :( I'll look into an ACV rinse though.

Parkmikii: ughhh I was hoping it wouldn't need anti fungals -.- do you think I'll be ok with castor oil? I remember using it for a while for 10-15 mins 2-3 times a week but found I couldn't get my scalp clean when I tried to wash it out and didn't want to double wash because my hair would be fine after the first wash :/

[Fantak]

Alma Petra: It's on my hair, I though it might be the gel I use to tame my baby hairs but they're still there even after I stopped using it :/

[ravenreed]

Unfortunately, my hair doesn't get on well with non-sulfate shampoos. Good luck on your search!


Thank you everyone.

Kaorin: I've tried aloe vera before and my hair shedded in locks :( thanks for the suggestion though!

ravenreed: thanks for the heads up on baby shampoo, I was actually surprised at how well it cleaned my hair! The non-sulphate shampoos I tried before were very harsh for some reason, I distinctly remember the fekkai one, is there any sulphate free shampoo you recommend? Comditioner on my scalp also makes it shed like crazy I'm afraid :( I'll look into an ACV rinse though.

Parkmikii: ughhh I was hoping it wouldn't need anti fungals -.- do you think I'll be ok with castor oil? I remember using it for a while for 10-15 mins 2-3 times a week but found I couldn't get my scalp clean when I tried to wash it out and didn't want to double wash because my hair would be fine after the first wash :/

[Nique1202]

Do you have fairly densely packed hairs on your head? I have something similar, flakes of skin between and around the hairs but only fairly close to the scalp. I had it all my life, anytime my hair was longer than my earlobes, and it doesn't respond to any dandruff shampoo or change in routine. My best conclusion is that it's not actually dry skin (because my scalp is oily) but just DEAD skin. You know how the top layer of skin cells sheds off everyone all the time? Especially with longer and thicker hair, it seems that these shed-off skin flakes can get trapped between the hairs, unable to escape on their own.

My solution was just to start brushing and massaging my scalp with a paddle brush thoroughly before every wash to manually loosen more of the skin flakes and work them away from the scalp a little bit to where I can wash them all out, and also massaging my scalp with my fingertips as hard as I can while it's all sudsy from the shampoo to loosen even more and rinse them away. This has SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the appearance of the flakes, to the point I only see them if I go a couple of extra days between washes. Even if your problem is dry skin and not just dead skin buildup, this kind of routine might help a lot since it's the same idea, getting rid of the flakes before they shed off and appear.

[parkmikii]

Parkmikii: ughhh I was hoping it wouldn't need anti fungals -.- do you think I'll be ok with castor oil? I remember using it for a while for 10-15 mins 2-3 times a week but found I couldn't get my scalp clean when I tried to wash it out and didn't want to double wash because my hair would be fine after the first wash :/

You could try also mixing a few drops of essential oil in your castor oil. Tea tree, lavender, rosemary are particularly good antifungals.
Or perhaps you'd like to try a scalp scrub? The one I used was recommended by meteor who linked it to me on the sciencey hair blog here:
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ro/2011/12/itchy-scalp-some-easy-remedies.html?m=1
This one:
"Sugar scrub: mix equal parts olive oil and sugar - it should be on the oily side, massage into dry scalp and leave on for at least 10 minutes, then shampoo out. "

It left my scalp flake free and I also mixed in a few drops of rosemary and lavender essential oils for extra effect. If you try the scrub remember to scrub gently as if you would do a scalp massage.

[Anje]

I'd try switching to a different shampoo. I've gotten flakes from time to time when I used a product that just wasn't right for my scalp. Sometimes I've done a round of dandruff shampoo, but like you I think what I end up with is dry skin rather than dandruff. Tiny little non-greasy flakes.

What's been working well for me for a while is just plain old cheapo Suave Naturals shampoo, diluted. It's SLES, so not terribly harsh to begin with, and the dilution makes it much gentler. Ideally you don't want to keep the diluted stuff for a long time because things could grow in it, but I haven't seen that happen yet. I put a squirt of it in an old bottle, fill the rest of the way with water, mix, and then use a much as I need to get just a tiny bit of lather.

My hair gets oily slower this way than if I use full strength shampoo, but I have a scalp that gets greasy fast if I dry it out. Not everyone does, so YMMV.

[Fantak]

Nique1202: I think you might be onto something. I also have an oily scalp but dry skin was the only thing I could think of, but I think you're right it is probably dead skin. I think when my hair is more oily it stick to my hair and doesn't brush out as easily as it does when it's dry. I'll try a paddle brush.. If it doesn't help I'll gibe a BB brush a go.

Thank you

[Robot Ninja]

A BBB really helps get rid of my flakes and lets me stretch washes for a few days longer than I otherwise would be able to. I'm also a 1c/2a, so I use it before bed, then mist my hair with water and bun it overnight to tame the ensuing poof. I brush right before a wash too, to loosen up all the potential flakes and make sure they all wash out. I'm pretty sure mine are just dead skin too.

Good luck!

[cat11]

I struggle with this issue too, around the end of my wash cycle. I was every Saturday. It's only a little bit of big flakes I get which aren't noticeable when my hair is up.

Thursday or Friday I can start seeing flakes every once in awhile. Especially around season change. I think this is normal, skin sheds. I second those who say comb and massage. I find that if I make sure to detangle once a day and really massage my head with the comb by running it over the scalp, it keeps it healthy and prevents dead skin from building up, thus preventing the dandruff. A head massage prior to washing to loosen everything up and get the follicles flowing also helps.

Generally, If I don't stimulate my scalp for days, that's when this problem happens.

If I find that I have a week or so where those things aren't enough, then I just put some tea tree oil in a clarifying shampoo and really rub it into my scalp, letting it sit in the lather for a bit.

[EdG]

Like Anje, I found that diluted shampoo eliminates scalp flakes. I put a small amount of shampoo in the bottom of a large plastic food container and fill the rest with water. Stir and apply. Use it all in one shampooing.
Ed

[Fantak]

Thanks everyone for the tips!

I'm going to try a few things over the next couple of weeks and let you know if anything works!

[meteor]

Do you have fairly densely packed hairs on your head? I have something similar, flakes of skin between and around the hairs but only fairly close to the scalp. I had it all my life, anytime my hair was longer than my earlobes, and it doesn't respond to any dandruff shampoo or change in routine. My best conclusion is that it's not actually dry skin (because my scalp is oily) but just DEAD skin. You know how the top layer of skin cells sheds off everyone all the time? Especially with longer and thicker hair, it seems that these shed-off skin flakes can get trapped between the hairs, unable to escape on their own.

My solution was just to start brushing and massaging my scalp with a paddle brush thoroughly before every wash to manually loosen more of the skin flakes and work them away from the scalp a little bit to where I can wash them all out, and also massaging my scalp with my fingertips as hard as I can while it's all sudsy from the shampoo to loosen even more and rinse them away. This has SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the appearance of the flakes, to the point I only see them if I go a couple of extra days between washes. Even if your problem is dry skin and not just dead skin buildup, this kind of routine might help a lot since it's the same idea, getting rid of the flakes before they shed off and appear.

^ Yes. :agree: I certainly agree with Nique1202 and with others who suggested massaging/brushing the scalp. :) That dead skin needs to shed in some way, and dense hair can "trap" it (especially if it's oily or has product on it or isn't brushed too often). I notice a huge difference if I massage scalp well before and during washing versus just washing it without much scrubbing. Another thing is: I have to wash at least twice: the second time lathers things up much better and removes dirt, product, dead skin even more effectively.

Another thing is: there is a possibility that it could be SD or some other skin condition... SD makes skin shedding cycle faster than normal. In that case, I'd recommend seeing a dermatologist and trying an anti-fungal shampoo (e.g. ketoconazole-based Nizoral or Regenepure Dr, etc, sometimes you need to combine multiple anti-dandruff products - http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2015/03/medicated-shampoos-and-conditioners-for.html) or maybe adding a couple drops of anti-fungals to shampoo (enough for just one use, in a separate bottle): for example, tea tree oil, neem oil, peppermint oil or citrus oils...

Whatever it is, I hope you'll find an easy solution and your scalp will clear up soon! :flower: :D

[Tobasco]

I agree with those who suggest a boar-bristle brush. I get the best benefit from mine if I do it at night, as a morning brushing with it tends to leave it looking a bit oily, but at NIGHT that "oily" goes away by morning. I also like the idea of diluting your shampoo. I, too, have always found baby shampoo to be VERY drying and harsh. Have you tried cleaning your hair with only conditioner? If you use a clarifying conditioner (or some other non-moisturizing heavy conditioner), all the way to the scalp and use plenty of it, that can remove the oils from the hair strands without stripping the scalp of its natural oils and making it feel dry and flaky. You may have to try several conditioners to find the one that works with your hair, your scalp and even your water, but it is a nice, gentle way to clean your hair.