Underwashed? Stretched washes & yuckiness

[ectothermicfaun]

Well i'll admit. I have very little idea what I'm doing.

First things first, I'm in Alaska. It is currently -9 outside, with humidity at 19% indoors.

At the time of writing, i havent washed my hair in a solid 5 days. I've kept it braided, restrained to protect it, but other than that I've had a leave it alone approach.. (for most of my life actually).

It itches so bad, and its oily. It doesnt flake though, when I scratch I get a moist oily gunk (with substance not just oil!) under my nails. Sometimes a liquid comes out when I scratch it? Given there is basically no humidity I don't think thats good.

I don't use any products of any kind. I do cwc when I do. I use aussie miracle shampoo and 3mm for conditioner every time I wash. I condition from ears down like a good girl ;) that's it though. So I know the scalp nastiness is not product build up, and I'm starting to think I must be doing it wrong somewhere.

As for the hair, It's pretty freakin dry. When I do wash it, it stays moisturized for maybe 6 hours. Then the drying out continues. I can SMT and it'll dry out again in maybe 12 hours.

Commence question bombardment!

How the heck are you supposed to keep moisture in your hair in these environments?

How long do people stretch their washes? Sometimes I think it's just nasty because it's unwashed :/ is there a proper way to wash the scalp. I'm not aware of one if there is.

Why does my scalp hate me so much? I have this pretty much all the time, but it's definitely worse in winter. It doesn't respond to any dandruff shampoo (head and shoulders, nizoral prescription strength). I'm starting to think it's just not fungus.

Is there such a thing as a bacterial infection of the scalp?

Can too much sebum even be a problem?

I've read good things about tea tree oil, would there be a reason not to try that? If not, anyone have a link on how to do that properly?

Im feeling pretty uneducated...

[Beeboo123]

Spritz your hair regularly to moisten it, and oil it to keep the moisture in!

[ggallagher27]

Sounds like you are having a tuff time. I'm not sure that I feel experienced enough to offer much, but I often know that one of the first solutions is to do a clarifying wash - I thought to I must not need this, but it did help me. I know what you are talking about with the scalp, but I don't really know how I fixed mine, other than a product change and the clarify. Might do a search and read some about pre shampoo oiling, and rinse out oil methods. I recenetly also changed to wash condition condition to add extra moisture. Hang in there - hopefully you can get some help here.

[Mafmi]

I don't have an answer to all your questions, but I would highly recommend buying a humidifier if the humidity in your home is that low. Even if you only run it in your bedroom when you're sleeping, it will make a huge difference in your skin and hair!

[Lady Stardust]

I'm no expert on scalp issues or stretching washes so I'm afraid I can't offer much help there. The first thing that comes to mind though is humectants - do you put aloe and honey in the SMTs? They will both hang onto moisture, and when the humidity is low, my understanding is that the moisture will leech out of your hair.

As far as shampooing goes, does your scalp still feel yucky after you've washed it? I would stop stretching washes until you've worked out what the cause of the problem is. It might be that the shampoo is too harsh, maybe diluting, or changing to sulphate free would help? Try one change at a time if you can, it'll be easier to work out what's going on.

It's probably best to sort the scalp out first and then work on moisture after - the LOC/LCO method might help the lengths.

[cjk]

This is not scientifically perfect but it's easy to understand.

Your body is smart. But slow to respond. You wash your hair, scrub your scalp, and remove not only the dirt but the sebum as well. Your body is aware of this and starts to make sebum to replace what was lost.

But it hasn't been allowed to self regulate. The moment the sebum is back, poof, you strip it away once again. So it keeps producing it and, since the sebum is vanishing "obviously" you need more, so it kicks production into overdrive.

And you wash it more frequently which makes your body think it's even drier, and so forth, etc. It's a vicious cycle.

Your body WILL self regulate. But as I said earlier, it's slow to adjust. And, right now, it KNOWS that your hair is dried out and your skin needs moisture so it's producing that stuff in huge amounts. Overcompensating.

Water will wash away dirt. It will keep your hair clean. Scalp too. And hot water will spirit away excess oils...notice the word excess. Right this moment you have a mess, but this is an "awkward stage" in the process. Even the gunky stuff from your scalp is easily predictable.

I've not washed my hair with shampoo in a year. It's unnecessary. And my hair is shiny and full of life. My body self-regulated. But it took time and until my scalp sloughed off the excess, it was a bit of a mess. The process was assisted by manipulating my scalp, combing across it, back brushing my hair in other directions to help manipulate the follicles, and so forth.

If your intention is to get away from shampoos, do it. But be aware, the transitional period...sucks. Con-poo is viable in the meantime.

[Obsidian]

Some people just can't stretch washes and thats ok, you might just need to wash more often. Have you ever had a doctor look at your scalp? It could be something that needs medication.

[The-Young-Maid]

It's okay to wash your hair more frequently. Not everyone can or should stretch washes. I learned this the hard way; my buildup was the same as yours and caused increased shedding over a couple years. I wash daily now and my scalp is very happy(= tons of regrowth! lol). I agree I don't think this is product buildup. How often do you usually wash? I'd go back to that and see how your scalp responds(scrub really well). Just keep using your old products. For your ends I'd suggest using an oil after washing to help seal in moisture. Any oil you have is fine, I use coconut oil. And maybe a serum on top of that if you want. Hope this helps!

^a humidifier sounds like a great idea

[lucid]

Sounds like you need to wash your hair. Having a greasy, itchy scalp is not good for the follicles, and can lead to excess shedding.

[ectothermicfaun]

Thanks for all your responses!

I'll answer those asked so far and hopefully we'll get closer to unraveling the mystery.

1) I had not thought of adding oil. It seemed counter intuitive since I have so much on my scalp but a quick search of the articles here and I definitely can see its merits now. Just have to not oil the scalp of course.

2) I will get a spray bottle. I can't believe I didn't think of that before. Thank you for mentioning that!

3) humidifiers have been a no go in the bedroom because it gets down to roughly 60 degrees in there at night. That cold, plus water, plus the poor air quality (due to the sealing off of ventiliation we have to do to survive the winters here).... equals respiratory infections. It does suck

We do have two humidifiers in the living room but even then we can only bring it up to about 35%. Better than nothing but still not enough. Lotion does tend to be ones friend for the skin, but one can not lotion the hair :/

4) honey and aloe is added to the smt, I use the formula provided here with 3mm as the conditioner part.

I have tried water only washing and crazy enough it's

[*Wednesday*]

If it feels dirty and itchy, wash it. If the itch is from something else like irritation or dandruff is another matter. Lack of washing and the scalp is oily and dirty = time to wash.

I wash my hair twice weekly, Sunday and Wednesday, I have too or it starts to feel itchy, especially after exercising and sweating. After both full washes while my hair is wet I oil it. I also oil the length in-between washes to seal in moisture.

In Alaska, dry cold hair, you should moisturize and contain in a bun or protective style to protect the ends which is more vulnerable to the elements. My two cents.

[Lady Stardust]

I think you should stop the SMTs until the humidity is high, as they'll be drying out your hair in low humidity. You could swap for a store bought deep conditioning treatment.

[ectothermicfaun]

Got cut off there sorry, anywho.

Water washing only actually makes the itching more intense as it dries.

I also had a crazy idea to mix some conditioner into the shampoo and wash that once. I regreted that within the day. Much gunkier.

Do you guys think I should clarify? Ive got the suave clarifying shampoo my hubby uses. Would it help to do that and report back? Is there a trick or tool to scalp cleaning?

[lapushka]

If your scalp is starting to itch, you really should be washing your head. Itch is no good either. Don't wait for the flakes to develop. 5 days is a good stretch of time to go.

[MusicalSpoons]

I have a couple of suggestions that might help a little:

For scalp cleaning, when you wash, you could try to rub really very thoroughly with the pads of your fingers. [Scratching is not generally recommended but it is a totally natural response to do so! If you do have to scratch, really try to limit it to relieving the worst of the itch. I used to scratch until it wept (I think the same as the liquid coming out you mentioned - oh so common in eczema-type situations. Even if it's not eczema, dry skin usually = itchy skin => scratch => inflame/damage => itch more etc. etc. A vicious cycle!) or until it bled, on a few occasions.] The rubbing / scalp massage tends to be good for circulation too :) Many times it's been said on here that if your hair doesn't look/feel clean after washing then it isn't. The same goes for the scalp - it doesn't have to be stripped until it's squeaky clean, but it does need to be however 'clean' feels for your hair and scalp.

Your climate sounds very different from here but I too find rinsing any skin with just water makes it very itchy if left to dry by itself. If your scalp is irritated it is unlikely to appreciate being quite literally dried out, especially if you have low humidity.

I've recently found for my lengths that the rinse-out oil method helps SO much. It's generally reasonably humid here (according to the weather app, anyway) but I have to whack my heating up rather high in winter which dries out the air, and I realised it was also drying out my hair. (And skin, which in fact has really benefited from creams containing occlusives, best applied while slightly damp to seal in moisture - same principle as oiling the hair before it dries out :D ) Since trying the ROO method I can go a week between full washes* and my lengths will still feel okay. Before that, my usual oiling with trusty almond oil just wasn't doing the job for winter.
*I have to wash my scalp in between - even if I don't need to look presentable, the scalp still needs a decent wash at least every four days. 5 days would be asking for trouble!

I'm no expert on clarifying, but from what I understand it probably won't hurt to try :) It usually benefits lengths the most, but theoretically if you had buildup from shampoo ingredients on the scalp, it could help with that too.

Also, honey and aloe are very effective humectants (sorry if that was already stated before) so in low humidity, very effective at putting the moisture from your hair into the surrounding air. Like LadyStardust said, maybe stop those for now. Even using just your usual conditioner in the same way as an SMT (body heat and time) would probably do more good in the current weather.

Hope that makes sense and helps even a tiny bit :)

[Corvana]

Don't SMT, as if your air is dry the humectants will pull moisture out of your hair instead.

Keep your hair oiled, and bunned if possible! There's little reason not to, such as if your hair just hates it or it irritates your scalp (having oiled hair, which is heavier, all up on it in a bun), and the oil can help keep the moisture you've gotten in it to not be pulled out as badly.

You could try a scalp only wash, if your ends are too dry for washing more often but your scalp needs it. You basically braid your hair, loosely at the scalp so you can wash it of course, and then wrap the braid in a plastic bag or something to keep it dry, and then wash!

[Kitt3n]

I tried water washing in-between using a shampoo bar but I was also getting this creamy oily stuff that I could scratch off my scalp. I ended up using a natural conditioner with no silicones and cowash it almost daily but use the shampoo bar about every 5 days. When I use the conditioner I wash my scalp, like I'm using shampoo. After I rinse with Warm/hot water I do a rinse with cold to seal the hair follicle. My hair isn't dry, actually it's better then when I was trying to stretch washes with only water. I do add peppermint oil to my conditioner and to my vinegar water rinse, when I use the shampoo bar.

I don't know if my routine would help you but it works for me. :]

[Dark40]

I totally agree with The-Young-Maid. It's okay to wash your hair more frequently. I have chemically-treated hair, and I still have to wash almost everyday or everyday because of product buildup or oiliness, and I've noticed that I have less shedding and breakage, and more growth whenever I keep it clean.

[Robot Ninja]

My scalp kinda gets like what you describe sometimes. It means I should have washed my hair yesterday. Some people can go five days without washing their hair, some can't. Wash your hair when it needs it.

As for the dryness, have you tried damp bunning? I find it helps in winter. You might also try using a bit of your conditioner as a leave-in, just on the length, not anywhere near your scalp.

[pandabarrier]

Do you guys think I should clarify? Ive got the suave clarifying shampoo my hubby uses. Would it help to do that and report back? Is there a trick or tool to scalp cleaning?

I vouch for Suave clarifying shampoo, it works for my hair and scalp to remove oil.
My scalp gets very oily in the winter because of the indoor heating.
You could try dividing your hair into 4 sections when washing, back, left, right and front. Part your hair with your fingers, it doesn’t have to be exact, and add one dollop of shampoo for each section. Massage the shampoo with your fingers into your scalp in each section, and rinse well.
I noticed that the spots I didn’t rinse the shampoo well get itchy faster. I also find that the right and left sides of my head are the oiliest, so I focus on washing and rinsing them very well. I gently lift portions of hair with my hand with stretched fingers, so that the water can get to my scalp, and not just the top of my head. Hope this helps.

[ectothermicfaun]

Hey guys! I wanted to do an update to tell you that I've had wonderful progress.

So here's what happened. It really started hurting. It has been but i always thought it was because i was scratching it. So I went to the doctor thinking maybe I could get some professional help, like a referral to a dermatologist... she didn't even look at my head, just said hey buy some head and shoulders... ugh. Disappointed and frustrated, I scratched and showed her the ooze, "you really think this is normal?! It's was yellow on the tissue I wiped it on, like a liquid-y pus.

She saw it and obliged to look at the scalp, back top of my head (where I can't see it). She said, "we're going to need a sample". Sure as snow, she did a test on the sample and it came back as MRSA.

I have MRSA of the scalp. Didnt think that existed but man, I'm glad it got found!

Heres a link to more information on scalp MRSA. In case anyone might be curious if they have the symptoms.

https://healthfully.com/recognize-symptoms-mrsa-infection-scalp-6083725.html

Treatment is actually not too bad.

1) first you have to STOP using anything antifungal. Head & shoulders will kill off the natural flora that help fight off the bacteria. That sucks because people who keep being told that they have 'dandruff' will use it and the 'treatment' will actually make it much worse.

2) I had some nasty buildup resembling craddlecap, (a product of the itchy scalp cycle) and my sister was kind enough to scrape this off with a steel lice comb. I was worried it would hurt, but it was awesome. It feels like it is 'breathing' now. Definitely do that if it applies to you.

3) the doctor will prescribe a liquid hibiclens to massage into the scalp, just follow the directions.

I've had two treatments now. My scalp feels a little sore, probably a combination of being scraped, washed, and treated with antibiotics, but the pain feels closer to a scratch wound than the mild burning sensation that it used to.

...and the itch is practically gone already! I dont have a brutal compulsion to scratch anymore. The scabs will have to heal, and I'm still going to have to deal with the dry hair issues but for two days it's really been a major improvement.

I am a little worried about what the treatment will do to the hair long term, and I welcome any suggestions on that.

For now I'm just so glad my scalp is breathing and no longer hurting. :)

[pandabarrier]

ectothermicfaun, that’s good news you got correct medical diagnosis and your scalp is better! :cheer:

Do you have any follow-up appointment with your doctor? IMO, you got a serious scalp condition, it’s better to ask your doctor about what the treatment will do to your hair in long term.

[FrayedFire]

Wow! I'm glad you caught that. I was gonna ask if you'd tried scritching and preening, but a yellow pus definitely needs proper attention.

[Flowerness]

Holy moly! I hope you (and your scalp) are well soon! Please take care of yourself, and know that we are all rooting for a healthy, and itchy scratchy free scalp soon!

Hugs!

[lapushka]

OMG that had to have looked horrible. :( And you had cradle cap on the scalp too. I mean... are they blind?

What if you finish the treatment? Are you supposed to go back? Maybe it's SD that has just gotten out of hand? What did she have to say on that?

Your scalp is what matters now. :flower: Do NOT worry about your hair. It is perfectly fine for your hair. Don't start messing this up because you think your hair is going to suffer somehow, because it isn't!

Healthy scalp, healthy hair, not the other way round. ;)

ETA after reading the information - be careful around other people, treat your blankets and bedding (high temperature), and do what you're supposed to be doing, if they said wash daily with that special shampoo, then just do it! It's not worth it; honestly it isn't. This is nothing to mess with.

[2gaits]

Wow. MRSA that is scary reading. Take care of it. For what it's worth the most I can stretch washes is every other day. My hair is just yucky beyond that. Don't stress about washing more often. I think dye and heat styling is what is so damaging to me more than washing.

[MusicalSpoons]

Yikes! I'm so glad you went and got it checked and didn't just let the doc shrug it off! Well done you :)

I understand apprehension about what the treatment will do to your hair - I really resented even Nizoral because it made my hair so much greasier so much quicker, and sitting with foamed shampoo for 5+mins meant I couldn't contain it to just a scalp wash. But, ultimately, your scalp is more important than the hair! Once it's sorted you can again freely concentrate on healthy hair. However, it depends on what exactly this Hibiclens is - if it is just to massage on your scalp, that makes it much easier to still take care of your hair. And if there is any damage from the treatment, babying your hair as far as possible will help it stay in better condition for longer :flower:

[Vegan_Mama]

I just found your thread after posting my own thread about stretching washes. You poor girl!!! That must have felt awful! I hate that doctors prescribe head and shoulders. I was once told that head and shoulders actually coats the scalp which holds all the dandruff and everything on it and can cause hair loss in the long run due to build up. I have steered clear ever since!! Have you always had problems with your scalp or was this something that happened recently after you tried stretching your washes?

[lapushka]

I just found your thread after posting my own thread about stretching washes. You poor girl!!! That must have felt awful! I hate that doctors prescribe head and shoulders. I was once told that head and shoulders actually coats the scalp which holds all the dandruff and everything on it and can cause hair loss in the long run due to build up. I have steered clear ever since!! Have you always had problems with your scalp or was this something that happened recently after you tried stretching your washes?

Whoever told you that was just sucking it out of their thumb, IMMHO. ;) :) I have never had issues with H&S shampoo.

[Wendyp]

Nightblooming garden sells a scalp scrub ..I love it. I have an oily scalp and recently pimples due to hormone changes. I bet it would feel great on your scalp!

[Chromis]

I just found your thread after posting my own thread about stretching washes. You poor girl!!! That must have felt awful! I hate that doctors prescribe head and shoulders. I was once told that head and shoulders actually coats the scalp which holds all the dandruff and everything on it and can cause hair loss in the long run due to build up. I have steered clear ever since!! Have you always had problems with your scalp or was this something that happened recently after you tried stretching your washes?

That seems like some weird urban hoax. I'm not sure how you could get build up with H&S, it is pretty harsh.

You could get shedding if sensitive to sulphates like I am (the board seems pretty evenly split on sulphates/versus non)

[ectothermicfaun]

Well guys, my hair is breaking off at the scalp in some places :(

The very worst parts, where the real nasty oozy stuff is. Honestly I'm not sure if it would not have happened anyway. The hair there was 'growing' baby fine at best. I think it was just being choked out.

Im pretty sure I've figured out how I got it. I went to see my daughters grandmother (ex's mom) in the nursing home before she sadly passed away from complications of a stroke she had on my daughters birthday. :(

The patient next door had a red biohazard sign on the door. I think it was probably a warning for MRSA, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to it. The nurse come from his room, met with me, shook my hand as I thanked her for her faithful service in taking care of my ex mother in law. I didn't see her use the pump hand sanitizer thing though. She was clearly in a hurry. I think I got it on my hand, then due to the dry weather scratched, and introduced it to my scalp.

Seems to make sense to me. This is a pretty rare condition.

To respond to some other things about how I'm handling containing the infection... well I've shut myself in. Put a sign on the door. It's only fair to warn people. I thought about sanitizing all my hair accessories but in the end decided to toss 99% of them. I have a set of silk scarves that I sleep in at night, these get washed in 150 degree water and dried in the dryer on high daily. I use a digital meat thermometer to temp the water :D every piece of clothing, bedding, I've used or even touched in the last month got high heat sanitations.

I've set up a seperate clothes hamper for anything that touches me, the shower gets bleached after every treatment. I have children, so biosecurity is a high priority.

I've checked my children and spouses scalp and bodies for any signs of the redness or patches. Despite probably having this for a month or so now, no one else appears infected, thank god!

I wasnt aware of it at first, but Mrsa is actually pretty serious. I started catching on to that when they asked me to have weekly check ups with the doctor scheduled for a month. She's very uncomfortable with having this infection so close to my brain. If it were to get into my blood, I would die within hours. That's scary for something that was initially dismissed as dandruff... :/ You really got to be your own advocate sometimes.

I wasnt intially, but now i have also been given a ten day course of oral antibiotics too. Kind of a safe gaurd against sepsis.

I do follow the treatment plan to the letter. And despite the unfortunate fall out, I will continue to do so. I'd rather be bald than potentially dead, and it will grow back after the treatment so meh, it's what needs to happen. Priorities are in check :)

To answer the question, Hibiclens is actually an antiseptic that anyone can buy (at non prescription strength) over the counter at any pharmacy and many grocery stores. It's a surgical scrub. Strong stuff, stains things a bit pink if you don't dilute it. It kills everything, good and bad alike. My hair hates it, its very drying, and there is nothing i can do about it. Moisture helps the bacteria grow so dry it is.

I am winning the fight though. my scalp is getting visibly better. All but the worst of the lesions are nearly gone. I imagine they will disappear in the next few days, but the big one will probably fight for a little while. The cradle cap has not returned at all. I think everything up there is being basically nuked.

In other news I've become rather fond of my steel hair sticks. They're the only hair accessory I kept since I know I can completely sanitize them. I feel it's more responsible to keep my hair up, loosely of course, for now. Ive been looking up youtube videos for hairstyles that use sticks. It's neat because I never saw myself as a hair sticks kind of gal, and now I do.

Thanks for reading and following me on this journey to scalp health. you guys are the best :)

[ectothermicfaun]

Have you ever had a doctor look at your scalp? It could be something that needs medication.

Been meaning to thank you, obsidian. It was because of this comment that I went to the doctor. I know it probably wasn't your intention, but you may have saved my life. So thank you!!

[Obsidian]

Oh my gosh, I don't know what to say. I'm actually moved to tears. I'm so very glad you went to the DR instead of trying DIY treatments like so many people do. MRSA is scary but it sounds like you have a good handle on it, hope it clears up quickly.

[lapushka]

Phew, narrow escape on that one! Thank goodness you went to the Dr! Yes. :agree:

I'm glad you're following the directions up so closely and taking this super serious, and I'm glad they gave you oral ABs as well; this is far too important.

Good luck; and keep us posted.

[Ophidian]

..."You really got to be your own advocate sometimes."

That is what really struck me about reading your story, and go you for having the guts to question the Dr's initial dismissal of something you knew wasn't right. Seriously. It isn't always easy to be your own advocate, but as your experience illustrates, it can be a game changer. Sounds like you're on the path to recovery and taking good precautions, so rock on and be well! :cheer:

[ectothermicfaun]

Next update of the mrsa scalp journey. I have lost a patch of hair now, about the size and shape of my thumb to the first knuckle. It was the hair that was growing through the main lesion.

I'm actually glad it's gone. During treatment I could feel the hair 'pulling' on the scalp with the weight of gravity, making the scab shift and break back open. My scalp must have finally decided to shed it so it would close. It didn't break. I found it in my bedding this morning, tags still attached. Fortunately the spot is hidden well under all the rest of the hair so cosmetically it's all good.

The minor lesions are completely gone, as if never there. Now that the hair is gone the major lesion has scabbed over and is no longer weeping.

the great news, for the first time in a long time, I don't feel my scalp. Its comfortable. It doesnt itch, hurt, burn, anything. It doesnt-anything. Even if I do think about it, I feel nothing. Gotta say that's really, really nice. It's like the kind of relief you get from pulling a hangnail.

And on another good note, my spouse gifted me a pair of (devenomated) african porcupine quils. I had a lovely collection of hair sticks and it was heartbreaking to toss all the ones I knew I couldnt sanitize. My two favorites were my quils and my handcarved caribou antler double stick. He bought me new quils to give me back a piece of what was lost. I think I might have to keep him, sigh....

[Ophidian]

So glad to hear that your recovery is going well, and yes, your spouse sounds like a keeper :)

[lapushka]

the great news, for the first time in a long time, I don't feel my scalp. Its comfortable. It doesnt itch, hurt, burn, anything. It doesnt-anything. Even if I do think about it, I feel nothing. Gotta say that's really, really nice. It's like the kind of relief you get from pulling a hangnail.

Keep doing the treatment if they want you to though, because I have that with my SD, I used to get to a point where I thought, oh this is fine, I'll stop washing with Nizoral, yeah... right. That hit me in the face a few times. In any case, you don't need me to tell you all that. ;) Good luck with your treatment.

I'm sad the patch came off, but it will grow back and it will grow back healthy.

What does your doc think of the progress? How's that going?

[FrayedFire]

Glad to hear you're no longer suffering, and that you got some nice new sticks.

[OhSuzi]

just read this from beginning to end - most dramtic thread ever! Super Glad there seems to be a happy ending / new beginning to your hair journey now your scalp is recovering!

[MusicalSpoons]

Great news to hear treatment is going well! It must have been heartbreaking to throw all of the hairtoys you couldn't sanitise (though well done for doing it, not taking the risk) and I'm glad your spouse seems to recognise that. Definitely a keeper! It sounds like your scalp is recovering very well, which is great - happy scalp → happy hair :)

[lapushka]

Great news to hear treatment is going well! It must have been heartbreaking to throw all of the hairtoys you couldn't sanitise (though well done for doing it, not taking the risk) and I'm glad your spouse seems to recognise that. Definitely a keeper! It sounds like your scalp is recovering very well, which is great - happy scalp → happy hair :)

Very true! Keeping your scalp happy is half of the journey!

How are things going, OP?

[ectothermicfaun]

Hello again loves,

I'm happy to update that my scalp has healed! Went through a bit of shedding, and my poking up hairs are a twinge itchy. Kind of like what it feels like when you shave then two days later it itches as it pokes through. Had a bit of a chuckle when I realized if that's the worst I've got I can live with that. I did have to get it checked for fungus too. When you wipe out the bacteria of a part of your body, fungus can take over in its place since there is nothing to balance it with. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be an issue with my scalp at the moment.

For posterity, if you go through this, be prepared to treat your hair very delicately as yes, the process is damaging- mostly because you really need to keep it dry to make the environment inhospitable for the bacteria. I think this is why i didnt catch the fungus either- too dry for both. So yeah Its damaging, but no more than a hair dye or perm though. Don't panic. It's manageable.

In hindsight I did learn somethings that I think might have prevented this from happening. So I'll offer them to future readers 1) wash hands before scratching ones scalp 2) scratch with the fingertips, not the fingernails 3) scalp itches for a reason, and not everything is dandruff. Weeping, burning, and itching is a problem. If anything milky comes off your scalp that's a doctor's visit asap. Make the doctor look if you think something is wrong, even if they dont. If youre wrong no big deal, you've spent another minute of their time. If you're right and you don't make them do it, you've risked your life. So don't be shy.

On a more personal note, ive decided that stretching washes this far isn't for me. I'm going to wash 2x a week now (up from 1x a week) at least until summer. My spouse has been finding all sorts of creative hair sticks as of late. I now own porcupine quills, a pair of knitting needles, a pair of crossbow bolts, a pair of garden hedge anchoring spikes, a pair of 8" concrete siding nails, and a pair of gun cleaning poles. Its like he if he sees an object thats the right size and shape well, its now a hair stick. Men are so cute when they try to be helpful <3

[Decoy24601]

Hi there! I grew up in Alaska, in very similar conditions. I had to wet my hair frequently throughout the day with my hands just to keep my hair from clinging to everything due to static in the dry winters. I would suggest filling a water bottle and spray your hair down with it and use a drop or two of a hair serum or oil to seal in the moisture afterwards. Don't use humectants, those tend to get crunchy and stiff in low humidity.

[lapushka]

I'm glad you're doing well! :flower:

Yeah, a little dandruff and a bit of an itch you can still manage but anything beyond that gets problematic. I agree with you! :)

I hope everything is smooth from here on out!

[enting]

Oh my goodness, what a story!

You've just convinced me that I must get a second opinion of my scalp. My current dermatologist did the same as yours initially, just told me it's dandruff without looking. The second time I saw her she looked, but from across the desk and just added a tar shampoo. I've been waffling on seeing another doctor since her prescriptions did nothing for me and now I'm not waffling anymore.

I don't understand how doctors can just diagnose and treat without examining the problem. If you hadn't challenged your doctor... Just wow. That's scary.

[lapushka]

Gosh when I think about this, I can't believe what a close call that was for you, OP! Thank goodness it was discovered when it was, and thank goodness you persisted with the dermatologist.