Scalp Dry Patch?

[Berúthiel]

I'm actually posting this for my mom - she has a red and flaky dry patch at the base of her scalp close to her neck. A dermatologist just told her to "scrub it will shampoo really hard" to make it stop itching/go away... she said that only works temporarily. I converted her to CO washing only and that made it go down a bit but now we are trying CV shampoo bars and it seems to have come back more prominently. (We'd like to continue to use the shampoo bars though since they don't have any chemicals). Does anyone know what could be causing the patch or what she could do about it?
Thanks!

[Fractalsofhair]

Well, if it's just dry skin, an oil treatment on the skin itself for an hour or so before washing is a good idea. Double sudzing with the shampoo bars will clean just as well as SLS, so make sure she really cleans that area.

I have to section my hair out to wash it.

[MAO]

Moisture, moisture, moisture. I would stick to CO and oiling it. It sounds like maybe she has a patch of eczema and shampooing it will only make it drier. I have a red scaly patch of eczema between my index and middle finger that comes and goes depending on how moisturized I keep it. Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning Cream (I know, its supposed to be for hair! I used cocoa butter instead of shea butter) has helped it tremendously. Its gone away in my two days of using it.

[Longlocks3]

snip....A dermatologist just told her to "scrub it will shampoo really hard" to make it stop itching/go away... she said that only works temporarily......snip

I'd find a different dermatologist if possible. This is RIDICULOUS! A dermatologist of all people should know that this may be symptoms of SD or psoriasis, not 'poor' hygiene. In fact, scrubbing hard may damage/aggravate the skin more.

If it is a small patch of SD or psoriasis, I found that SLS shampoos aggravate the situation. So shampoo bars are probably a great idea, depending on the brand. Also CO has done wonders for me too! But there was a time when I needed topical medication and at it's worst I had a week of oral steroids. I DEFINITELY recommend cutting out SLS/ALS and using gentle products before going for medication. Do scrub the scalp well but not enough to scratch/damage the area. Trust me it makes it muuuuch worse!

[ChloeDharma]

I agree with the oiling idea (no surprises there! lol :p) I'd use something like sweet almond which is quite soothing and add some lavender essential oil. You might want to add a base oil rich in essential fatty acids like evening primrose, hemp seed oil or something similar.
I'm also wondering if this patch coincides with trying a new product or an existing product being reformulated. The nape area is the part of the scalp most likely to show a reaction to irritation.....when colouring hair it was usually that area that became most red or would develop raised irritation or scaling after a colour treatment with most clients.

[friskybiznus]

I get that, as well. Believe me, "scrubbing it really hard" is not the way to make it go away. For me, it just gets worse. I use an over the counter product called Scalpicin. It works great.

[sibylla]

I recommend you try rubbing gently on some vaseline. That helps my dry patches. Hope this works for her as well. It´s at least atopic exzema or SD. I think she should see another doctor about this.