Help! There's... um... things in my hair?

[.Amanaka.]

So, I was brushing my hair the other day, and I noticed these... spots. It kind of looks like someone dumped a saltshaker over my hair, and the grains stuck. I want to say that they look like eggs, but I have no idea what kind. My hair isn't too itchy - it is a little bit, but it's only in one spot, so I think it might have more to do with constant damp updos. They're more down the length of my hair than in the top, and you can barely see them when my hair is dry.

Does anyone have any idea what it might be? I have shampoo'd the length since I noticed them, and nothing seems to make them come off.

[Quixii]

Are they only at the end of individual strands? If so, then they're probably those white dot split ends.

[nowxisxforever]

Yes, possibly damage-- try cutting one hair off (so you don't loose the damaged end if it does snap) and see if you can pull it in half from the point of the white dot. If it breaks right at the dot, they're damage... if not, it may not be that, but something else.

[freznow]

If they're not coming off, it's probably damage.

[.Amanaka.]

No, they're all the way down the length. And I've been pulling at them, trying to get them to come off. My hair isn't snapping, which is good and bad. Good because I'm keeping my length, bad because... at least then I would know WTF is going on.

[Flynn]

You can't snap them at the points? Does the angle change funny where the white bits are?

If it doesn't, I'd do a lice treatment just to be sure. When I was in primary school, one of the two times I got lice I didn't get much itching, but I got them really, really badly. If it looks like something stuck to the hair, rather than a part of the hair strand itself, and they're big enough that you're comparing them to salt crystals, lice is a very big possibility. They can really stick like cement when they're still live eggs.

Been in contact with any little kids lately, or wild birds? 'Cause that'd kind of point that way kind of strongly...

(Also, if they are, don't fret. Lice like clean, healthy hair on clean, healthy people. It's a community "disease" and not your fault.)

It's probably not that, but I'd do a treatment just to be certain.

[.Amanaka.]

Flynn - I'm thinking that might be what it is. Which kind of confuses me, because I keep my hair up almost all of the time. Hm.

They're not quite as big as grains of salt, but that's what it seems like. Tons of these things on my hair. Well, crap. I'll probably do a treatment in the next few days just to be safe.

[DragonLady]

Have you washed your hair with eggs, honey, molasses or other sticky stuff?

I make a mixture of those and use it every week. But the first time I did I didn't rinse well enough, and when it dried I had exactly what you're describing. It looked like grains of sugar or salt stuck to strands all up and down my length.

[Flynn]

Acutally, that's a very good point, especially with the eggs! I've heard people complaining of that more than once...

[Wavelength]

My guess would be either egg white bits (if you've done a treatment lately) or lice eggs.

I hope it's egg whites! Good luck either way.

[Sigzephyr]

Found a picture of lice eggs in hair. Hope it helps.
http://www.visualdxhealth.com/child/pediculosisCapitisHeadLice-treatments.htm

[spidermom]

My doctor told me to use full-strength vinegar to loosen lice eggs and make it easier to get them out, then comb through with the nit comb. It worked and didn't damage my niece's hair, either.

[Flaxen]

Clarify your hair first before you do anything else. It's quite possibly build-up, not necessarily from eggs, and could also account for the itchiness, so do a good wash from root to tips.

[spidermom]

She said she shampooed the length since these appeared.

[Speckla]

It could be products that you've mixed together. I get white clumpy things when I mix certain leave-in conditioners and gel. They look like clumps of cottage cheese or even finer/coarser grains of salt.

[Flaxen]

She said she shampooed the length since these appeared.
I know, but if it was a no-sulfate or other very gentle shampoo, it might not be enough. Hence, the clarifying idea. :smile:

[spidermom]

I know, but if it was a no-sulfate or other very gentle shampoo, it might not be enough. Hence, the clarifying idea. :smile:

Too true. (more words)

[deko]

I would clarify, at least once. If the white dots were still there I would try some strong ACV rince or anti-lice-trearment-shampoo.

[Medievalmaniac]

lice.....it's my biggest hair nightmare. There's at least one infestation in the public school system here every year, and now Anna is loosed amongst all with her hip-length hair....scary. I know it's not a question of anyone's being dirty or unhygenic...we just live in the coutnry and have a LOT of bugs...but it still freaks me out just to think about. Probably because we have dogs and I know first-hand how hard it is to get rid of fleas!! I hope you figured it out and got everything taken care of!

[Poetic]

I am thinking it may be lice.