Alka-Seltzer rinse

[piratejenny23]

Hi, I'm pretty new here and am having fun reading & getting new ideas!

I've read about using aspirin for scalp health and I've been curious for a long time. I recently had a bad reaction to a hair dye and wanted to try something to get rid of the flakes & inflammation. I didn't have any aspirin in the house but did have a couple of boxes of generic alka- seltzer, which contains aspirin, citric acid & sodium bicarbonate. I've heard of citric acid rinses and I've used baking soda in my hair, so I decided to give it a try. I added a little vinegar to bring down the pH.

Wow...two days later and my hair still feels so smooth and tangle-free! I let my hair air dry and as an experiment have not brushed it, just finger-combed it, and I can still run my fingers all the way through to the ends! I usually can't get much past my chin. Very very smooth without being too slippery to style, and my scalp--recent dye disaster aside, I've had bad dandruff for 20 years--is feeling & looking very good.

Has any one else had good results with aspirin, and what do you think of using alka-seltzer?

[friskybiznus]

I'm gonna watch this thread -- very interesting! :)

[Elphie]

Sounds interesting. What proportions did you use?

[piratejenny23]

1 packet (2 tablets) in about a cup of water, with 2 T white vinegar. I shampooed, conditioned, then used this rinse, let it sit 5 minutes, then rinsed again.

[Carolyn]

Do I see the latest LHC fad happening? :D

[apynip]

i think there is. -chuckles- cause i want to try! I have flaky hair.

Time to take a walk down to Dollar General!

[piratejenny23]

apynip,

as i mentioned before, i've had my scalp problem for 20 years. i have tried SO many different supplements and products, and have not found a permanent solution :(

here are a couple of things that have been helpful:
--skinzinc (for excema), the liquid product. it comes in a kit of cream & spray, but there's a nice trade on ebay between people who only need the cream & sell the spray, & vice versa. it's the only treatment i've found that doesn't sting!

--liquid iodine. not kelp tablets!!! i bought a product called liqui-kelp at my local health food store for $5.49. i took 2 droppers full 2x a day, and in 48 hours i had ZERO flakes! i was so excited, but it came back after a few weeks...but i was taking less, and then it ran out & i tried a different brand. after my recent dye incident, i put some iodine directly on some of the bumpier areas, and they were much better the next day. you can test whether you need iodine by doing an "iodine patch test." in the first aid section of my grocery store i got a 1 oz bottle for 89 cents!

--i also tried milk of magnesia; it's very soothing when my scalp is unbearably itchy. however, it seems to cause a lot of sloughing, so i temporarily have more flakes. i brush them out and my scalp is very nice for a few days, but so far it hasn't "cured" the flakes.

the milk of magnesia is very alkaline, as are some other treatments i've tried like borax & baking soda. from some recent reading, it seems a low pH is better for the scalp, as it inhibits growth of fungi and yeast, which can be a cause for flakes. so THAT'S why there's such a big hoopla about vinegar??? lol...

btw, i get some of my weird home remedy ideas from earthclinic.com :D

[freecelt]

--liquid iodine. not kelp tablets!!! i bought a product called liqui-kelp at my local health food store for $5.49. i took 2 droppers full 2x a day, and in 48 hours i had ZERO flakes! i was so excited, but it came back after a few weeks...but i was taking less, and then it ran out & i tried a different brand. after my recent dye incident, i put some iodine directly on some of the bumpier areas, and they were much better the next day. you can test whether you need iodine by doing an "iodine patch test." in the first aid section of my grocery store i got a 1 oz bottle for 89 cents! The iodine in the first aid section is ok to use for a patch est but you don't want to ingest it, it's different than what you buy in the health food store. I never linked iodine to my scalp but my scalp is better and I've been taking iodine. I wonder if that's helped?

[Themyst]

What about the residue? As I recall, that doesn't dissolve. Was it difficult to rinse out at all?

[piratejenny23]

freecelt, thank you for pointing that out, sorry if it wasn't clear. i use two separate products, a supplement for internal use and the first-aid stuff for topical application only. iodine is often one of the supplements recommended for scalp problems (along with zinc & selenium) but often kelp tablets are listed as the best source, whereas I really like the liqui-kelp. it's much easier to take! I wouldn't be surprised if iodine is helping your scalp. in fact, my problems surfaced a year or two after i stopped eating seafood.

Themyst, there was no residue from the alka seltzer rinse. it dissolved quite well, like baking soda, and was easy to wash out.

it's been 3 days since i washed my hair and it still feels super-soft but very manageable!
my hair doesn't usually feel this soft after i wash it, and whatever extra softness it has from being conditioned wears off within 24 hours.

[bgarrison]

How is your scalp, piratejenny?

[piratejenny23]

pretty good, thanks. it seems to have healed from the dyeing. there are some flakes but not too bad and not as itchy as usual. i'm too tired to wash my hair tonight but tomorrow when i do, i'm going to do another alka-seltzer rinse :)

i had a really bad experience with henna about 12 years ago but i'm going to have to give up dye & maybe think about giving henna another chance!

[piratejenny23]

Yesterday I did my second alka-seltzer rinse. Once again my hair is very smooth and this time I noticed a lot less frizz. I have straight hair but when my hair dries I usually have a 1-2 inch "halo" of short/new hairs sticking out & curling up. This morning I was really happy with the texture of my hair.

My scalp seems better too. No visible flakes.

[suicides_eve]

interesting.. i'll be watching this thread as well

[Nicole.Amina]

I'm also going to watch this thread. I'm going to wait to see if any curlies chime in

[rchorr]

Cool! I've never thought of "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" for my hair. Of course, this is from someone who has honey and olive oil in my bathroom, LOL! :silly: I'll have to keep this in mind.

RCHORR'

[redneckprincess]

1 packet (2 tablets) in about a cup of water, with 2 T white vinegar. I shampooed, conditioned, then used this rinse, let it sit 5 minutes, then rinsed again.


does that mean teaspoons or tablespoons? isnt vinegar bad for your hair? does it change the color? make it stink if not washed out very well?

[redneckprincess]

Cool! I've never thought of "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" for my hair. Of course, this is from someone who has honey and olive oil in my bathroom, LOL! :silly: I'll have to keep this in mind.

RCHORR'
i have EVOO in my bathroom too

[atlantaz3]

Add another watcher to this thread. I only wonder if the soda part would be too drying after multiple sessions?

[piratejenny23]

does that mean teaspoons or tablespoons? isnt vinegar bad for your hair? does it change the color? make it stink if not washed out very well?

t=teaspoon
T=Tablespoon

no, vinegar is not bad for your hair.
it is very good for it; it seals the cuticle & makes it shiny. it also helps remove buildup, and lowers scalp pH (most conditioners are too alkaline). i don't know about changing hair color. after it dries it doesn't smell. in fact, vinegar is often used as a deodorizer. i know that sounds illogical! here are some examples:
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/householdsavings/qt/Air_Freshener.htm

simmering a pot of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water while you cook will reduce smells--really good when frying fish!

[piratejenny23]

I only wonder if the soda part would be too drying after multiple sessions?

one of the "no 'poo" techniques is to wash with baking soda, rinse with vinegar. so i think there are many people out there using soda regularly with good results. i tried it for a couple of months and got lots of compliments on my hair; it was much sleeker & less flyaway, i think because i wasn't washing off all my natural oils! i couldn't keep up with it though, because of dandruff.

i'm sure results vary depending on your hair type, other products you're using, weather, etc.