Can We Talk Dandruff?

[Tehillim408]

I've struggled with dandruff for much of my life. It wasn't until I discovered Neutragena's T-Gel shampoo that I was actually able to rid myself of this embarrassing problem once and for all! However, the stuff smells absolutely abhorrent!

Is there possibly an alternative that works just as well while smelling somewhat decent?

[chomsky]

My experience is that all shampoos that cater to problem scalp smell awful. I've not found one topical treatment for it that smells good. Selsun doesn't smell too bad, but I still hate it lol. The tar smell though, ugh I feel you on that one.

Adding tea tree to shampoo is nice, and it works for me, but I still need that dose of medicated shampoo once in a while. I've bought some nizoral but haven't tried it yet, but you can't really smell it outside of the packaging, like you can the others I've noticed. So many give that one a go?

I'll be lurking to find if others have better recommendations lol.

[MusicalSpoons]

Nizoral is ... not pleasant, but not particularly offensive - and for me the smell washed off when I rinsed the shampoo off. I did once try a different medicated shampoo that was sulphate-free, which smelled very strongly of antiseptic, and kept smelling on wet anddry hair until about 4 washes later (I only used it one time!) so I then appreciated how much the Nizoral didn't stink :grin:

[lapushka]

Nizoral smells OK to me. I have the 2% version, which is on prescription in the US, but you can get the 1% (which might not be strong enough, but you could try). Do follow the instructions to a T. You need to suds it up in your hair, then leave it for 5 to 10 min., then suds some more and wash the hair, then rinse.

[yahirwaO.o]

I think adding any essential oil of your preference can help a ton. Also ACV rinses mixed with rosemary could help too not only for the smell part but also to the drandruff itself.

I used to have extremely bad drandruff in my early 20's. Literal flakes all over, eventually I started adding ACVS, brushing my hair more often and ironically alcohol from my homemade spray mixed with honey have made it dissapear. Seriously my hair is 4th day old and it look a bit greasy but no flakes or white dots whatsoever!

[MoonRabbit]

My partner uses the new Dove Dermacare Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Invigorating Mint. It smells amazing!

[Tehillim408]

Ooooh! I'll be on the lookout for that one :)

[EdG]

My dandruff completely disappeared about a decade ago. At that time, I stopped using full-strength shampoo and started diluting my shampoo. It appeared that full-strength shampoo was causing the skin to flake. Water-only washing continued not to create flakes.

I also tried applying a small amount of vinegar to the scalp before washing. That seemed to help, but hasn't been necessary in recent years.

Dead skin cells will come off in one way or another. My scalp now gives off a fine powder during combing. The powder settles on horizontal surfaces and is removed by vacuuming or mopping.
Ed

[Glitch]

My dandruff completely disappeared about a decade ago. At that time, I stopped using full-strength shampoo and started diluting my shampoo. It appeared that full-strength shampoo was causing the skin to flake. Water-only washing continued not to create flakes.

I also tried applying a small amount of vinegar to the scalp before washing. That seemed to help, but hasn't been necessary in recent years.

Dead skin cells will come off in one way or another. My scalp now gives off a fine powder during combing. The powder settles on horizontal surfaces and is removed by vacuuming or mopping.
Ed

Same here - using very stripping shampoos gave me a dry scalp which would excessively shed a lot of dead skin cells. Now I use a balanced mix of sulphate and sulphate-free shampoos, but make sure to always massage the scalp really well while washing to get rid of any flakes (also stimulates the scalp a lot so sebum is produced earlier on after, eliminating the dry scalp thing). Haven't had any dandruff for some years now :)

[ReptilianFeline]

It seems that sometimes, dandruff is a reaction from the scalp on schampoo ingredients or how drying they are. I used to have a lot of it, and over the years from time to time have tried some medicated schampoos, but not smelly ones though... and they never seemed to really help. Going no-poo seemed to have been the solution for me, so no need for smelly shampoos at all. It's one option, but dandruff has many causes, and the shampoo (or no-poo) has to match the reason for it.

[Doom]

I think adding any essential oil of your preference can help a ton. Also ACV rinses mixed with rosemary could help too not only for the smell part but also to the drandruff itself.

To whoever has just stumbled upon this thread and reads this: make sure to distinguish between dandruff (dry, powdery flakes that come off with a little scratching) and seborrheic dermatitis (often sticky, slightly yellow flakes that stick firmly to the scalp). Seborrheic dermatitis is caused by a yeast that feeds off the sebum on your scalp, and if you put any oil on that, you will give even more food to the yeast. If you suspect that you have seborrheic dermatitis, go to a dermatologist.

[lapushka]

To whoever has just stumbled upon this thread and reads this: make sure to distinguish between dandruff (dry, powdery flakes that come off with a little scratching) and seborrheic dermatitis (often sticky, slightly yellow flakes that stick firmly to the scalp). Seborrheic dermatitis is caused by a yeast that feeds off the sebum on your scalp, and if you put any oil on that, you will give even more food to the yeast. If you suspect that you have seborrheic dermatitis, go to a dermatologist.

Definitely, couldn't have said it better myself!

If your hair is naturally oily, chances are that you aren't suffering from dry skin and that it might be more towards SD. You definitely need a dermatologist for this issue; as often the medicated shampoos are prescription.

[waff]

I use Nizoral. I have had an embarrassing dandruff problem all my life and it's the only thing that helps control it. I happen to like the smell and the bottle lasts for a whole year even though I use it every week consistently.

[MusicalSpoons]

Definitely, couldn't have said it better myself!

If your hair is naturally oily, chances are that you aren't suffering from dry skin and that it might be more towards SD. You definitely need a dermatologist for this issue; as often the medicated shampoos are prescription.

Technically speaking, dry skin is skin without enough natural oil, so this is correct. However, what people commonly think of as 'dry skin' is often actually dehydrated skin - which if you're trying to control oiliness, is a very distinct possibility. (And can also be actual dryness to an extent, if the natural oils are being stripped.) It's an important distinction to make, because treating dry skin and treating dehydrated skin is (or can be) quite different.

But yes, I do agree that with oily hair, SD should always be considered as a possible cause of anything that appears to be dandruff.

[lapushka]

I use Nizoral. I have had an embarrassing dandruff problem all my life and it's the only thing that helps control it. I happen to like the smell and the bottle lasts for a whole year even though I use it every week consistently.

Do you use the 1% or 2%? Over here in Belgium we only carry the 2%. It is only obtainable at the pharmacy (at around 12 euro a tiny 100ml bottle), but it is OTC (over the counter). We don't get the 1% at all.

[olivetime]

Head and shoulders used to be my go to shampoo because of dandruff. I now use a plant based shampoo, diluted with rosemary and cedarwood essential oil and it does the job!

[waff]

Do you use the 1% or 2%? Over here in Belgium we only carry the 2%. It is only obtainable at the pharmacy (at around 12 euro a tiny 100ml bottle), but it is OTC (over the counter). We don't get the 1% at all.

I have the 1% which I got from the drugstore. the 2% is bought by prescription over here in the US. That's interesting! I always wondered if I tried the 2% would it help my scalp more because I cant skip a wash without using Nizoral, otherwise the dandruff is back full force :/

[MusicalSpoons]

I have the 1% which I got from the drugstore. the 2% is bought by prescription over here in the US. That's interesting! I always wondered if I tried the 2% would it help my scalp more because I cant skip a wash without using Nizoral, otherwise the dandruff is back full force :/

I don't know whether the instructions are the same for the 1%, but on the 2% it says to use every 3-4 days for the first few weeks to clear it up, then once a week to prevent a recurrence. If you're only using the 1% once a week (unless I misinterpreted your previous post) I doubt it would be effective enough to clear anything up, just maybe keep it at bay.

ETA: not everyone finds it necessary to stick to the instruction of once a week forever, once it's cleared up. But the initial treatment most likely should be done according to the instructions.

[lapushka]

I have the 1% which I got from the drugstore. the 2% is bought by prescription over here in the US. That's interesting! I always wondered if I tried the 2% would it help my scalp more because I cant skip a wash without using Nizoral, otherwise the dandruff is back full force :/

Do you let it sit 5-10 min., according to the insert? Some people just tend to wash with it while you need to suds it up, let it sit for a while, then suds more/wash and then rinse.

[waff]

I don't know whether the instructions are the same for the 1%, but on the 2% it says to use every 3-4 days for the first few weeks to clear it up, then once a week to prevent a recurrence. If you're only using the 1% once a week (unless I misinterpreted your previous post) I doubt it would be effective enough to clear anything up, just maybe keep it at bay.

ETA: not everyone finds it necessary to stick to the instruction of once a week forever, once it's cleared up. But the initial treatment most likely should be done according to the instructions.

I started using Nizoral two years ago, and in the first few months I was washing my hair twice a week with it. Back then my dandruff was waaay worst. It got so much better and the dandruff went away completely for the first time in my life, it was amazing honestly. But in order to maintain the results I have to use it on a weekly basis, if I skip using it one week the dandruff comes back right away :/

and the way I use it is similar to what lapushka said. I scrub my scalp with my fingers (and with a scalp massager if I am feeling it), I leave it in for 10 minutes while doing other shower duties.

[MusicalSpoons]

I started using Nizoral two years ago, and in the first few months I was washing my hair twice a week with it. Back then my dandruff was waaay worst. It got so much better and the dandruff went away completely for the first time in my life, it was amazing honestly. But in order to maintain the results I have to use it on a weekly basis, if I skip using it one week the dandruff comes back right away :/

and the way I use it is similar to what lapushka said. I scrub my scalp with my fingers (and with a scalp massager if I am feeling it), I leave it in for 10 minutes while doing other shower duties.

Ah, I see. In that case, since you know the 1% works for you, it might be worth asking for a prescription for the 2% to see if it's more effective in the long run (if you want to and are in a position to do so, of course).

[lapushka]

Ah, I see. In that case, since you know the 1% works for you, it might be worth asking for a prescription for the 2% to see if it's more effective in the long run (if you want to and are in a position to do so, of course).

I agree. I think it is worth it asking for the 2%. Explain that the 1% works well, but seems a little weak. I'm unsure in what country you're in but if in the US, you need to see a doctor for the 2%. Can be your GP, or a dermatologist.