Please help fix my itchy, oily scalp

[soopahgrover]

Help! My scalp is itchy and oily. It's flaky too, but not terribly so.

I suspect I might be reacting to shampoo chemicals, but then wouldn't it be worse on Day 1 after a wash? It's worse on Day 2, and I rarely make it to Day 3. It certainly looks greasy and gross on Day 3. I could never leave the house on a Day 3. :)

I have some Loprox shampoo that my dermatologist prescribed when I was in his office for something else (Get those black moles looked at, everyone!) It works really well for Day 1, but Day 2 is no different than any other shampoo.

I have used 100% natural shampoos. I've tried 2 or 3 varieties of Aubrey Organics, and I really like their 'Calaguala Fern', but I'm still itchy and greasy on Day 2.

My goal is to only wash my hair twice a week because I know water is damaging, and besides my hair doesn't seem to need conditioning as often as I do it. It's my scalp that's so demanding!

Suggestions? Comments? Interpretive dance?

[Kirin]

You may simply just have to shampoo daily. Many of us have found that going without daily shampooing leaves to a itchy oily and occassionally cradle cap like syndrome. Stopping washing for a few days, a few weeks, or even a year did not "solve" the problem.

Try finding a gentle, natural shampoo, with minimal ingredients and try washing daily to see if it alleviates the problem. Not everyone's hair can handle stretching out washes, I am one of them.

[rose_in_bloom]

Well, like Kirin said, not everyone can stretch washes. I need to wash every other day, and sometimes daily. To my knowledge, water is not damaging. In fact my hair loves water! :) However, hair is more fragile when wet -- so just be gentle with it and you shouldn't have any problems.

I don't know what your hair type is, but it looks like it might be fairly fine. Fine hair usually needs to be washed more often because it shows grease more quickly than coarse hair. When I first came here I tried washing only once per week and my hair was miserable. Then I tried twice a week and it was just as bad. Eventually I realized that to keep myself and my hair happy I needed to wash more often. I wish I didn't have to, but that's just the way it is. :shrug:

So I would suggest washing more often (maybe every other day?) and if your hair likes it, keep it up. I hope this helps! Let us know how it works.

[soopahgrover]

Hmmm. I do currently wash it every other day. I only get to Day 3 when I'm being very lazy and hermit-y. :) That isn't too often.

I like the idea of finding something without many ingredients. I shall look next time I'm at Whole Foods. Do you have any suggestions, Kirin?
I guess I could rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar, too. I haven't done that in a few years.

I was just hoping to wash less often because my hair is waist length, and it takes several hours to dry. But now that it's summer, that's less of a problem. It's just a nuisance, as you know.

Thank you for the suggestions!

[Darkhorse1]

I have this problem more in the summer than the winter. I attribute it to sweating more when I'm at work/riding.

I still wash every other day, but I find that if I use a clarifying shampoo too much, it's causing itchy problems. I switched to using a dandruff shampoo with zinc and it's MUCH better. I highly recommend using head and shoulders to see if it helps. It's not drying at all for the ends. I also find after washing and conditioning, a cool rinse really eases the itchies.

I also use a wonderful salon shampoo from the A/G line, and is available at beauty supply shops. It's a dandruff shampoo and WONDERFUL. Cures itchies and leaves hair gorgeous!

Good luck :)

[soopahgrover]

Thank you!

I just thought of another concern when I was in the shower. If I condition my hair every day, I think it would get limp/over conditioned. If you wash hair every day, do you use conditioner each time?

[iceyblue]

any suggestions for organic shampoo to help itchy and oil scalp?

[Lady Godiva]

My scalp is oily, too, and stretching the time between washes - trying for 5-6 days - never worked for me. I simply had super greasy hair more than ever, especially with so-called "gentle," non-sulphate shampoos. My schedule is similar to the OP's.

I also found AO shampoos did little to really clean my scalp, but I wound up having to wash more frequently to compensate for their inability to get rid of the oil and itchiness. In the long run, a good, strong SLS or SLthS shampoo may be kinder to your hair because you don't have to shampoo, scrub and detangle daily, as was my case with non-sulphate shampoos. Way too much effort and detangling!

[Idun]

I read that Bay (Pimenta racemosa) essential oil could be helpful. It is also said to promote hair growth. I have never tried it though, but maybe others here have experience with this oil? Could not find any thread on the subject.

[BlndeInDisguise]

I used to have trouble with this, but CO'ing has pretty much taken care of that for me. My scalp still gets greasy, but not as quickly. :)

[Delila]

After several years of experiments of one sort or another, I've realized that I need to use a fairly strong shampoo on my scalp. The itchies that I'd assumed were just part of life are gone now unless I go too long between cleanings.

I scalp wash using standard shampoos, and use fairly heavy conditioners on my length, with an extra detangling creme rinse at the end.

All the supposedly gentler products just didn't do the job for me.

As it is now, my routine is quite easy and effective, and my scalp has never been more comfortable.

[Caldonia Sun]

Loprox is usually prescribed for seborreheic dermatitis - did your dr. diagnose you with it? If so, that might explain the greasy, itchy, flaky scalp. It would also explain why you may need to wash every day. I have SD and wash with a very diluted shampoo most days to keep the scalp somewhat happy (although it's never completely happy). Do scalp washes so you don't have to get the length wet every day. And try the vinegar rinse. Sometimes vinegar makes me itch more, though. Lime juice is more helpful to me.

[serenitygal]

I would strongly suggest trying a dandruff shampoo and seeing what happens. I've been using a generic form of Head and Shoulders every 2-3 days. My wash routine is something like this:
-Detangle pre-shower (if I've worn my hair down--if not, there aren't any tangles, so I'll skip this step).
-Get in the shower, soak my hair with warm water.
-Apply conditioner from earlobes down, but comb from roots to tip to make sure there aren't any snarls.
-Use H&S on my scalp, scrubbing the scalp thoroughly.
-Let the shampoo sit on the scalp while I do a few shower-y things.
-Rinse all shampoo/conditioner out THOROUGHLY, and apply conditioner all over the hair. Comb thoroughly.
-Put hair back up, finish showerly duties.
-Rinse like crazy, followed by a cool rinse.

Finally, I try not to touch my scalp more than necessary. I've always been a "picker", and that does not help a cranky scalp!
For over a year, I avoided shampoo except for a very diluted shampoo every month or so to clarify. I kept thinking the oilyness and itching would get better, but it really didn't. A CO wash only works well for me if I have at least an hour to let the conditioner sit on my hair, and I generally don't have that kind of time.
I might add that I only trim perhaps 2-3 times/year, and while I wash my hair every other day or sometimes every third day (if I'm really stretching it), I have yet to see any splits. My ends will get a bit damage-y after six months or so, but it isn't anything that a half-inch trim won't cure. I have no splits ever, while I used (pre-LHC) to have dozens. Of course, part of this is due to wearing my hair up most of the time, but I'm sure the routine has something to do with it too.
Good luck!

[NurseMama]

What has worked for me is to do a CO with Head and Shoulders conditioner every other wash. I only wash every 4 days. On the non-CO wash I use Dairy Whip. Also, MN has helped quite a bit. I have SD that has in the past caused massive wounds and flaking, but it seems to be gone now!

[Blue Willow]

This is just my experience but i had the exact same diagnosis and nothing really worked so by instinct & deduction i decided to experiment and found that washing my hair every day with an organic shampoo & conditioner seemed to help a great deal and eventually i found after about 2 years that i no longer had the problem..whether this would work for anyone else i've no idea, in any case consistency is key and using heat or styling products seemed to aggravate my condition..whatever you decide, good luck!

[adiapalic]

I used to use regular shampoos a few years ago. I had the worst dandruff ever. My scalp itched all the time, I scratched and shed little "snowflakes" everywhere. Right now I've been using Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit. No dandruff, no itching--and it smells good too :) I wash my head maybe 2 or 3 times a week with it, and only on the scalp. No conditioner on the scalp--has helped keep my scalp from getting too greasy because I produced enough oils.

I also don't use my nails to "scrub" my scalp anymore, and only massage gently around with my finger tips. Hope that helps.

[earthdancer]

I also have a problem with an itchy, oily scalp. Dandruff shampoo didn't work. So far I've been able to get 90% improvement with the itch by using an all-natural shampoo bar (lots of choices; google it or go to Etsy.com). I was afraid with all the added oils in shampoo bars that they would make my scalp oilier, but they didn't!

Other benefits: my hair doesn't split nearly as much, and I seldom have to use conditioner anymore. My hair has more body and is wavier, too.

I don't have to worry now about washing my hair every 2 days since the shampoo bars have actually improved the condition of my hair.

[teela1978]

Some people do seem to have scalps that overreact to strong cleansers and start making excess oil, and many people on this site can vouch for having less oil production after switching to an alternate washing method. I think those people are a bit of a rarity among the oily heads though. I have to wash my scalp every couple of days, and it has to be a sulfate shampoo. If I use a non-sulfate 'poo I have to wash daily, and I get little pimples/sores on my scalp.

Where you live, your weather, and water quality will also affect how your hair reacts to things, but if you have an oily scalp you have an oily scalp. Not a lot to be done about that. I've always been jealous of people that can wash weekly. When I lived in colder areas it just sounded like a dream to be able to get away with washing less. Never quite worked for me though. Vinegar rinses actually seem to exasperbate the problem for me, they close off the cuticle, and I think sebum can't get into my hair shaft then, so it just sits on top and makes my hair greasy.

[earthdancer]

If I use a non-sulfate 'poo I have to wash daily, and I get little pimples/sores on my scalp.

I get those when I use commercial shampoos, which is why I tried the all-natural soap shampoo bars. My skin reacts badly to most artificial ingredients, including my scalp. The fewer artificial ingredients I expose my skin to, the happier it is.:cheese:

[teela1978]

I get those when I use commercial shampoos, which is why I tried the all-natural soap shampoo bars. My skin reacts badly to most artificial ingredients, including my scalp. The fewer artificial ingredients I expose my skin to, the happier it is.:cheese:

Isn't it odd how different heads of hair can be? Any 'natural' cleanser seems to be too gentle, doesn't get enough oil off my head, and I start having issues. I guess I did alright with doc bronners when I tried it, but then I had to vinegar rinse and still ended up kinda tangly compared to a cheapo bottle of suave.