Anyone here beat dandruff?

[CurlyOne]

:shrug: Really just that, has anyone here ever totally overcome it or is it something that once you have it you are stuck for life? :( I have had itches and flakes as long as I can remember but I want to know if it is possible to actually win.:luke:

[zelah]

I have never had it myself, but DBF has had it as long as he can remember. Nothing OTC has really worked for him, so before he goes and gets the prescription stuff (which he's not even sure will work) he's decided to try out some "hair concoctions" which I've made for him. I don't know if it's a forever thing, but I'll let you know if anything seems to actually work!

[nate]

Changing my wash from hot water to cool greatly reduced my flakes and itchies. (About 50% reduction.) At the same time, I also changed the mechanical method I use to wash, but I do think the colder water was helpful. (I'm WO, by the way.)

Also, I have more dandruff when I wash more frequently. Since I've been doing one wash per week or less, the flake count has decreased about 25%.

The combination of these two effects has brought my dandruff down to a level that most people would call "kind of okay, maybe a little on the heavy side." From this, you can deduce that I used to have a REALLY bad problem.

Overall, though, if you have dandruff you're probably stuck with some level of it.

[TheHippieChick]

I second the cooler water...it made ahuge difference in my itchies.
BUT
Old Fashioned Pine Tar Soap...omg...it really works great! It is used for exzema, so I figured it would work for dandruff? It did! I have been flake free for about 2 or 3 months.
I also Mix baking Soda in w/ my conditioner and rinse with vinegar and water. I would do that once a week before I found the Pine Tar Soap. Both work, but the soap really works great! This is also the best my face has lookied in ages! clean and clear...and my pores have shrunk!!! Anyway, good luck!

[manderly]

I have been having some serious flakies for the last couple of months. Like, I look in the mirror and go OMG@!!#@#@#$#$

I had been doing diluted scalp washes with head and shoulders after coating my length in conditioner. It seemed to help drastically (I love the tingly feeling) but the flakes seem to have popped back today.

I have no idea what the hell is going on and I hope to god it goes away soon.....

[zelah]

It just came to mind that I have been told other things by other people. The woman at the herb shop I go by sometimes said her brother had mad dandruff, and after he cut sugars out of his diet, the problem began to resolve itself. He has now been dandruff free for years. My roommate (studying for N.D.) also said a lot of external problems are caused by internal deficiencies, and also suggested things like getting enough fatty oils and vitamins. Just another suggestion I thought I'd drop your way. :shrug:

[Nevermore]

Conditioner only (no cone, but it may not matter), cold final rinses and cooler water in general. I used to have dandruff like the rest of my family, but CO and cold water have pretty much killed it.

[marajade]

Make sure your dandruff isn't an continual allergic reaction. I stopped using traditional commercial shampoos and switched to au naturale shampoos (burt bee's is my current fav) and it stopped my flakes. I've had this since I was a kid for crying out loud. No one bothered to check me to see if it was an allergy. And I believe it was/is. Getting lots of good fats and vitamins in your diet is always good. Also, try massaging jojoba oil etc in your scalp to see if its a moisture issue.

[rubyredslippers]

I kind of wonder if I have dandruff. I mean, how soon do flakes need to appear for it to be dandruff? For me, they start to appear/itch/really snow the the second or third day after washday. Mind you I don't scritch or anything.

Just curious. Wondering to what extreme I should take anti-flake measures.:luke:

[Gecko]

Dandruff is a chronic condition, but can be controlled with a dandruff shampoo....

[TheHuman]

Tea tree oil has "cured" my flakes and itches. However it is drying to my hair so I'm working on a way to combat the frizz and keep my scalp from freaking out. You can read my blog entry if you are curious.

[Alley Cat]

:shrug: Really just that, has anyone here ever totally overcome it or is it something that once you have it you are stuck for life? :( I have had itches and flakes as long as I can remember but I want to know if it is possible to actually win.:luke:
I am wondering that myself a lot lately, dandruff is the ban of my life and has been for ages. :brickwall:


I second the cooler water...it made ahuge difference in my itchies.
BUT
Old Fashioned Pine Tar Soap...omg...it really works great! It is used for exzema, so I figured it would work for dandruff? It did! I have been flake free for about 2 or 3 months.
I also Mix baking Soda in w/ my conditioner and rinse with vinegar and water. I would do that once a week before I found the Pine Tar Soap. Both work, but the soap really works great! This is also the best my face has lookied in ages! clean and clear...and my pores have shrunk!!! Anyway, good luck!
Not heard of using Pine Tar is that like Pinetarsel?:ponder:
We get that stuff here it stinks to high heaven.
How did you use it?:)

[artgeek]

I am a lifelong dandruff sufferer and I 90% cured it with a combination of conditioner only washes and brown sugar scrubs. I personally think I have adverse reactions to SLS, as I can't use toothpaste with it either, but your milage may vary.

Also, make certain to rinse your scalp throughly after doing either of the above, as leftover product can become flakes!

[sahiba]

My son had severe dandruff and he is completely cured after following 2 rules .
1- wash hair with little shampoo every alternate day,
2- mix coconut oil with lemmon juice and put on hair nicely.
Try it . I am sure it will be quite effective.

[Dacia]

It just came to mind that I have been told other things by other people. The woman at the herb shop I go by sometimes said her brother had mad dandruff, and after he cut sugars out of his diet, the problem began to resolve itself. He has now been dandruff free for years. My roommate (studying for N.D.) also said a lot of external problems are caused by internal deficiencies, and also suggested things like getting enough fatty oils and vitamins. Just another suggestion I thought I'd drop your way. :shrug:

That's true. When I was on strict diet (no sugar or flour, with lots of raw vegetables and proteins, EVOO, avocados, multivitamin and mineral supplements) it didn't matter what hair products I was using: very clean scalp, glowing skin. I shoud try this again.:)

[anna1850]

I beat a flaky scalp, which I'd always thought was dandruff but it turned out my scalp wasn't acidic enough.

I started using ACV rinses months ago and I'm 100% flake free. No more anti-dandruff shampoo for me :)

[seabear]

I find it interesting that Nevermore cured dandruff with CO, as I NEVER had dandruff in my life until I tried CO.... and now it is a chronic problem, even though I've gone back to using shampoo.

I may try cutting out the sugar and see if that helps. I have been wanting to quit sugar anyway, perhaps the thought of curing dandruff will be enough for me to finally follow through.

[khyricat]

I've 99% cured my lifelong dandruff with a) henna, b) a cassia poo bar and c) a tea rinse- removing all chemicals from my hair care routine has drastically reduced hair shed/loss as well as the dandruff, both of which I am fairly certain were an allergic reaction to SOMETHING, but even the natural conditioners I tried with my poo bars had the same problems, so... I just quit it all... and am MUCH happier.

Amie

[Blueneko]

I conquered dandruff (or dry flakes, or whatever they were) with baking soda scrubs and switching to shampoo bars only.

I use a CV rosemary and lavendar bar and the Squeaky Green Lush bar with Veganese conditioner.

I am not sure if mine was season related, but I stopped the baking soda scrubs a month ago and I am fine.

Good luck!

[CurlyOne]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice everyone!:D :cheese:

Well I tried CO and WO, my hair really didn't like either of those. Currently I am working on bringing my hair down in washing. I am going from everyday to every other day. I would like to get to once every 3-4 days or more would be great. I already know my hair doesn't like harsh shampoos/conditioners so I stopped using them a while ago, it may have helped a little but not much.


after he cut sugars out of his diet, the problem began to resolve itself. He has now been dandruff free for years.
I have wondered about that. I know someone who is gluten free and she says a number of things cleared up on their own. It just sounds so hard!:o


I started using ACV rinses months ago and I'm 100% flake free. No more anti-dandruff shampoo for me
That's interesting Anna, I used to do ACV rinses a lot more and that did seem to help! I did a little digging and found this, the guy says he cured his dandruff with straight vinegar. :shrug: Maybe it's worth a shot. http://beatdandruff.tripod.com/method.htm

[Tapioca]

I use Garnier Fructis dandruff shampoo, and I'll add two drops of tea tree oil to my daily amount. No itchies, no yuckies. It also helps if I let my hair dry almost completely before putting it up. I'll mist the ends to get them re-moisturized, but the scalp must be dry.

[mommy2one05]

my dh uses head and shoulders and the newer ones are great cause I use them occasionaly when I am running low on my regular stuff