Scalp *issues*

[3Girls]

Ooooh my first real post (outside intro's!!) :)

I have had ongoing scalp issues for as long as I can remember, and I just thought I'd run it by you guys to see if anyone has something similar... I'm planning on getting a referral to a dermatologist next time I'm at the GP, but till then I'd love some ideas.

Ok, so I have very oily skin and when I was a teenager would need to wash my hair every 2-3 days to avoid looking like I'd tipped oil on my scalp.

From there, it got to the point that it was much the same, but at that 2-3 day mark it would be covered in this horrible thick white/yellowy, sometimes blood tinged, gunk - sludgey - and extremely itchy.

I stopped using poo and was just using bicarb/vinegar, but it didn't really make any difference - stuck with it for nearly a year, but my head/hair just never changed.

I mentioned all of this to my Biochemist and she suggested trying Ionil T (tar based shampoo with salycilic acid - designed for dermatitis and dandruff i think from memory).

Since using the Ionil T every 2-3 days, the thick gunk has gone but now I'm just plain flakey. I'm usually ok for about half a day after washing, but then the flakes are back, and within that 2-3 days its insanely itchy and flaking everywhere again.

Another thing that has helped temporarily in the past has been using an anti-fungal liquid (like the ones designed to soak your feet in for tinea) - apply to the scalp before bed and rinse out the next morning. This might help for a few weeks.

Of course I do have sensitive skin, and am prone to dermatitis everywhere, so have spent most of my life trying to work out what sets my skin off and what doesn't! I rarely use any form of soap/detergent anywhere near my body - wear gloves if I have to touch it etc.

The conditioner I use is formulated by the biochemist, for people with multiple allergies and multiple chemical sensitivity, and based on coconut and rapeseed oils.

So, I'm figuring there must be at least some fungus there for the antifungal to help, but I thought the Ionil T would help keep it at bay, unless the flakes that I'm experiencing now are from something other than fungal-dandruff...

And just to make it more difficult, due to my girls and I suffering MCS, we can't use anything that contains any type of fragrance/scent, and because of our allergies I have to be sure that any potential products are allergen-free, as well as helpful...:rolleyes:

Oh, and I take Biotin and Silica compound every day and my hair grows about 3/4" a month and I think its fairly health - straighten it maybe once a week and don't use any other products in it.

Sorry for the looong first post, but I'd love some suggestions to stop the flakes and insane itch and you guys seem to have so much knowledge here!

Thanks SO VERY much
T

[Flynn]

The yellowy icky stuff sounds like fungal dandruff. The flakes, if they are just dry flakes, sound like they could be normal sensitive-skin flakes and irritation. (I probably don't need to tell you how mind-breakingly itchy a plain old uninfected skin irritation can be!) The tar shampoo is probably not very gentle, and on sensitive skin I'd not be surprised if you are getting irritation developing.

I'd talk to your biochemist about ideas for trying a different, gentler formulation of shampoo. My experience with my skin (allergies, dermatitis, immune system issues, etc) is that part of the problem with the skin infections is that the irritation lets them take a hold again and again and again. It might be possible to try using one thing to clear it up, then transitioning to something that won't cause (as much) irritation to stop it from getting a foothold again.

I would not wait to get a referral to a dermatologist. They really work magic when it comes to sensitive, irritated and infected skin. They seriously know what they are talking about, and may even get you sorted out within weeks.

[3Girls]

Thanks Flynn - I love your siggie - mad scientist LOL

I'll try and get in to get that referral this week :D

[Fractalsofhair]

Probably your new flakes are a result of your shampoo drying out your scalp too much. You need sometime to cut the oil, but it can't be too strong. Try washing daily with a mild shampoo. You can wash your hair daily and have it be fine, esp. if you use a gentle shampoo. (Gentle could be soap based, a gentle detergent, or just diluted unscented SLS stuff)

[NurseMama]

It almost sounds like SD (seborrheic dermatitis). Something that I battle with as well. I also have tried the BS and ACV for about 6 months, but I wasn't thrilled with that. What has worked for me (amazingly well) is Monistat. I started using it to help hair growth (see the MN thread for more information), but soon realized that it really curtailed the SD and dandruff.

I wash now with Dairy Whip. I take a small amount of Dairy Whip and put it in a squeeze bottle with water and a couple of drops of tea tree oil. I apply that directly to my scalp and shampoo as normal. Once every few weeks, I can feel a little itch starting and I CO with Head and Shoulders condish which seems to help. My hair is in really good shape and so is my scalp. When I tried the tar shampoos my hair looked like crap!

[ChloeDharma]

That really does sound horrible to deal with!
I would try some neem oil which is great for scalp infections, especially fungal. The other thing i've found miraculous is a rinse of rosemary infusion used as a final rinse. It's always cleared my scalp up when i've used it, but i don't get anything near as bad as you described so it might take longer for you.
I would also add the essential oils of lavender and tea tree to your mix.
Good luck :)

[3Girls]

Thanks for the ideas!

Quick question - does neem oil have a smell at all? EO's are completely out as they would really affect my girls and I :(

And, as an Aussie, what is Dairy Whip? I'm imagining some kind of whipped cream in a can but honestly have no idea!! LOL

Is there a list of "gentle" shampoo's anywhere here? I'll go searching!

Thanks again
T

[Flynn]

Thanks for the ideas!

Quick question - does neem oil have a smell at all? EO's are completely out as they would really affect my girls and I :(

And, as an Aussie, what is Dairy Whip? I'm imagining some kind of whipped cream in a can but honestly have no idea!! LOL

Is there a list of "gentle" shampoo's anywhere here? I'll go searching!

Thanks again
T

I, myself, would avoid neem oil with my skin, knowing that it is an excellent fungicide, pesticide and pest-repellent. I am also under the impression that it does not smell pleasant. It should also be kept away from children.

I think Dairy Whip is a whipped soap. Have you ever tried a goat's milk soap? I'm pretty sure it's a lot like that, but with more smelly things in it. You can get (pure, unscented) goats milk soap fairly readily here... ask at your health food shop.

Shampoos? Alchemy very gentle unscented works for me, but there's a trick to using it without using too much, because it doesn't lather very well at all (it's sulfate-free). It's gentler than most things, maybe worth a shot, but on the expensive side. Most chemists' have it.

Grahams (http://www.itchy.net.au/main/) make products intended for eczema sufferers. I use their conditioner, which I find to be excellent. I've heard good things about the shampoo, too, but haven't tried it, though I can tell you it smells of honey and coconuts. The ingredients can be found on the site there, if you're interested. (Product information page, about halfway down.) Most health food shops seem to stock Grahams products.

[wintersun99]

................

[3Girls]

Ahhh - glad I asked!! Sadly a goat milk allergy (along with sheep and cow and a million other things) means I can't try it :(

I was just looking at one of the Alchemy shampoo's - its got a corn derivitive in it so I just need to check with my biochemist as to how processed it is - my eldest girl has a major corn allergy so it has to be avoided at all costs anywhere near her but if its refined enough that the protein is completely gone it may be OK.

Gee we are difficult to please aren't we LOL I think this is why I have so much issue with my skin and immune system in general - so many things set me off and it doesn't take much to just throw my whole body out of whack and then its extra sensitive to everything again... a vicious cycle...

I'll go looking through all of those threads now though - I'm sure there will be *something* that will be worth a try.

Thanks for your help
T

[Flynn]

Ahhh - glad I asked!! Sadly a goat milk allergy (along with sheep and cow and a million other things) means I can't try it :(

I was just looking at one of the Alchemy shampoo's - its got a corn derivitive in it so I just need to check with my biochemist as to how processed it is - my eldest girl has a major corn allergy so it has to be avoided at all costs anywhere near her but if its refined enough that the protein is completely gone it may be OK.

Gee we are difficult to please aren't we LOL I think this is why I have so much issue with my skin and immune system in general - so many things set me off and it doesn't take much to just throw my whole body out of whack and then its extra sensitive to everything again... a vicious cycle...

I'll go looking through all of those threads now though - I'm sure there will be *something* that will be worth a try.

Thanks for your help
T

The one I use is Unscented Very Gentle. It's ingredients are:

Aqua (purified water), Sodium cocoyl sarcosinate (from coconut), Disodium cocoamphodiacetate (from coconut), Lauryl polyglucose (from corn & palm), Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine (from coconut), Lauryl sulfoacetate sodium (from palm), Sucrose cocoate (sugar and coconut), Glycerin (from palm). Present in less than one percent: Sodium cocoyl glutamate (from coconut & tapioca), Disodium EDTA (food grade), Sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate (amino acid derived), Lactic acid (plant derived), Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) extract.

You should be able to get full information about processing and impurities from the Purist company themselves, to supplement any information you get from your biochemist.


The Grahams one:

Purified water, Organic Coconut oil, Coconut Betaine, Glycerine (vegetable), Coconut dea (vegetable), Chamomile extract, Citric acid, Sodium Chloride, Manuka honey, Organic Jojoba oil, Olive leaf extract, Wheat germ, Vitamin E, Panthenol B5, phenoxyethanol.


Good luck with it all... I know how absolutley infuriating this can be! (I'm back to using oats-in-a-sock -- my fall-back think I know I won't react to -- as a facewash at the moment... thankfully I've at least managed to find an okay shampoo!) I wouldn't go ordering anything expensive from overseas or anything; I'd just be looking for something to tide you over until you see the dermatologist. They will often (probably even most of the time) know of something you can safely use.