Scalp trouble-horribly itchy, very flaky. How to wash?

[BigDreams]

It is slowly beginning to drive me insane :S
I do CO washes (use shampoo every 1-2 weeks) usually every day or every other day. I also grease my ends once or twice a week.

I can't afford more product right now, I have to use what I have. Is there a different way I can be washing it that will help the dandruff and itchyness? Shampoo helps get rid of it, should I just suck it up and shampoo every day for awhile, but make sure I condition well? I've ben trying to get away from the shampoo and it's working, this is the first time I haven't had to wash my hair every day :o

[Loreley]

This doesn't help but I have the same problems and almost the same routine (I CO wash but don't use shampoo). I'll keep an eye on this thread. :eye:

[hmmm]

Scalp oiling helps a lot with the itchiness, to me at least. My scalp gets flaky when the weather is dry, it only goes away temporarily with shampoo and washes but comes back in a few days. I've learned to live with it. Apart from oiling, you might want to try aloe vera gel on the scalp (pre-wash, used like oil), or herbs like henna or fenugreek if you use them. Fenugreek helps with my scalp issues, but scalp oiling is the most effective I think.

[bumblebums]

It could be a number of things: (i) dry scalp/psoriasis, (ii) a fungus infection, (iii) an allergy to one of the ingredients in the products you use...

To see if it's (i) or (iii), I would try to take some more time between washes. Is it necessary to wash daily? Spacing washes out might help if your scalp is dry, and it would help if it's an allergy. If, on the other hand, it's a fungus infection, oiling and moisturizing will not help and might even make it worse. If you can, go to a dermatologist.

[lapushka]

If shampooing alleviates it, I'd use CO a few times less and replace it with shampoo. So instead of constantly doing CO, you'd be doing CO a few times, then shampooing, and so forth...

[ShadowSwallow]

Do you have coconut oil? That's a mild antifungal and moisturizing, which kills two birds with one stone. :)

I also agree on shampooing every few washes. You could be getting conditioner build-up on your scalp.

[getoffmyskittle]

Shampoo helps me a lot. I used to CO, but switched back to (heavily diluted) shampoo due to scalp problems and shedding. For some reason, sulfates combined with coconut oil and ACV alleviate it a lot. For a while, though, I was COing with unscented conditioner mixed with honey (antifungal), and that helped too. There are a few ways to attack this, but if you don't want to buy anything new, I'd say bite the bullet and switch to CWC or something. It won't kill your hair, I promise. :shrug:

[Heidi_234]

I've read some people swear by ACV rinses to calm their itchy scalps down.

[spidermom]

Have you tried CWC - apply conditioner to length, wash scalp, rinse, condition again? You can dilute the shampoo in some water also. I saved an empty shampoo bottle and dilute my shampoo most of the time.

I've never had flakey scalp problems though, not even when I did simple shampoo and condition nearly every day.

[AstrayStar]

I am in the process of figuring out what works for my scalp, and so far I have found that doing a leave-in-tea rinse with calendula has helped my itchies the most.

[ratgirldjh]

I can't CO. When I do it for more than like once in a row - I get horrible build up and my head starts itching too.

For me a poo bar with an ACV rinse works best - but my hair hates conditioner! It feels smothered even when I rinse, rinse, rinse!!!

I've found a tulsi, neem poo bar greatly helps with the itchies!

Also you might try the VCO on your scalp and leave it overnight and then wash with a poo bar or shampoo. Many people find tea tree oil (Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat) and conditioner to really help with scalp itchies ;)

btw - I am allergic to the fragrances in almost drugstore conditioners! They make my head itch and even sting like crazy! This happens even if I rinse them out well....

[Gvnagitlvgei]

Could the CO washes be causing the trouble? I know of folks who CO-washed and then developed a scalp problem. Maybe try coconut oil infused with tea tree oil as a hot oil treatment and forego the conditioner on the scalp for awhile?

[danacc]

It sounds like your scalp does not like conditioner. This is not uncommon.

I second (third?) the recommendation for CWC--basically, a CO for your length while your scalp is cleansed with shampoo. Diluting the shampoo should help you to continue to go longer between washes. It won't be as stripping that way.

[rhubarbarin]

Sulfate shampoo is the only thing that solved this problem for me. I also saw decreased shedding when I no longer had an itchy, flaky scalp (and didn't have to scrub my scalp so hard to get it clean).

Sulfate shampoo is the norm for a reason. A lot of people get the best results from it. My hair isn't dry (I replenish the natural oils with conditioners, olive oil, etc) and looks it's best with shampoo too.

[Ce'Nedra]

I had that problem when I CO, so I went back to shampooing every day and using the conditioner on my length to calm the itchiness. Just recently, I switched to CWC. I am going to get Apple Cider Vinegar tomorrow to see if it will help with my dandruff problem since ACV had good reviews here at LHC.

[CaityBear]

ACV is amazing!!! I always get a horribly itchy and flaky scalp in winter and ACV calms down the itch immediately. I've always recently started using Listerine and that is pretty amazing for itchyness as well.

I know for me if I wash my hair very well (I CO, too) and do that every day then it helps. I do it every second day at the time being and if I go even half a day over two days then my scalp beings to get insanely itchy and flaky again.

[Leabhar]

I second all the suggestions. It could be the CO, it could be the winter/dry air, etc. The vinegar rinse is an excellent idea, and another option would be for you to switch some of your washes to a warm WO, as that has helped me this year with my winter-dry itchy scalp.

What condish and shampoo are you using, btw?

[Ash]

I don't get flakes but my scalp does often itch. I mix about a dime size amount of honey into a palm sized amount of conditioner and use that for a CO making sure to scrub my scalp well. That gets rid of the itch.
My SO had bad flakes once and I simmered some rosemary and thyme in some ACV and scrubbed his scalp with it after it cooled slightly. He rinsed it out after about 5 minutes and the flakes almost completely went away.
If you are in a position to buy new products any time soon, perhaps you could try a natural conditioner if you are not using one already? I had awful problems using chemical conditioners on my scalp, perhaps this could be the cause of your issues?

[Loreley]

Hmmm... I have very strange scalp then. ;)
I CO wash every second day and I hadn't had any problems til I had to wash my hair with my SLS shampoo (because I bought an organic conditioner which made me a buildup) which I used before with no problems. But this time my hair became flaky. I continued CO washes and in two weeks it was over. Last week I rinsed my scalp with ACV and since then it's been flaky again. I think my scalp doesn't like these. I hope if I'll go on with CO washes it won't be flaky. :rolleyes:

[Belisarius]

Sulfate shampoo is the only thing that solved this problem for me. I also saw decreased shedding when I no longer had an itchy, flaky scalp (and didn't have to scrub my scalp so hard to get it clean).

Sulfate shampoo is the norm for a reason. A lot of people get the best results from it. My hair isn't dry (I replenish the natural oils with conditioners, olive oil, etc) and looks it's best with shampoo too.
Funny, my scalp is lessitchy with a natural shampoo. Which i wanted to suggest to the op. Iguess everyone's hair is different.

[ShadowSwallow]

I had horrific dandruff with SLS shampoo, but it completely went away when I dropped it for SLS-free stuff.

[NiAosSi]

Heavily diluted shampoo, CWC, no conditioner on scalp, and ACV works wonders for me.

[spidermom]

Hmmm... I have very strange scalp then. ;)
I CO wash every second day and I hadn't had any problems til I had to wash my hair with my SLS shampoo (because I bought an organic conditioner which made me a buildup) which I used before with no problems. But this time my hair became flaky. I continued CO washes and in two weeks it was over. Last week I rinsed my scalp with ACV and since then it's been flaky again. I think my scalp doesn't like these. I hope if I'll go on with CO washes it won't be flaky. :rolleyes:

Could you please make your font bigger? Some of us are getting old and can't see that well anymore.

[rhubarbarin]

Funny, my scalp is lessitchy with a natural shampoo. Which i wanted to suggest to the op. Iguess everyone's hair is different.

Everyone's hair (and scalp) sure are different. Which is why so many of us here on the LHC do a lot of hair-care experiments.

In my case I had been doing CO for many years before I came here, and when I went back to shampoo last year I realized how much better it was..

[piratejenny23]

i had itchy flaky scalp for years, and what really helped me was "Sea Breeze" facial astringent.

my hairdresser recommended it to me and i bought the bottle but didn't use it for about a year, because i thought it would dry my scalp.

however, when i finally stopped being stubborn/suspicious, the Sea Breeze soothed the itchiness, and the redness and flakes disappeared soon after. if i get a little spot, i dab it on my scalp with a cotton ball or makeup pad. if my whole head is driving me crazy, i put it in a bottle with an applicator tip (like a hair dye or Scalpicin bottle) and drench my scalp. i have washed it out after an hour, and i have left it on overnight with no problems.

i don't know what it does...maybe it gets rid of oil buildup on your scalp, like it would on your face, and then your scalp can balance itself out. maybe it kills off some bacteria or fungus. i don't know, but i have used every home remedy on my scalp from vinegar to witch hazel & Listerine mouthwash, and the Sea Breeze has not only helped but has ELIMINATED my dandruff by at least 95%. so even though this has some ingredients that you might not normally want on your scalp, as an occasional treatment it is very effective.

it is very cheap (10 oz less than $5) and one bottle will give at least 10 full scalp treatments or dozens of spot treatments!

ETA: i CO also. i had scalp problems when i used shampoo, so for me it's not the CO that caused the problems. in fact i think CO is helping because it is less drying than shampoo.

[julliams]

I have suffered an itchy flakey scalp for most of my adult life. Just recently I have found that using a little olive oil on my fingertips and massaging it through my scalp has helped alot. I was using desert flower shampoo by Misessence and it made a big difference to my scalp. I ran out of it recently and have changed to a different cone free, sls free shampoo but the itchiness is returning. I guess my scalp is dry again.

I'm going back to the Miessence shampoo, various conditioners, coconut oil in the ends and occasionally on the scalp + an olive oil massage once in a while. If I can keep an itchy scalp at bay I will be a happy girl.

Juliette

[Katze]

I have suffered from sebhorreic dermatitis on my scalp for over 20 years.

Going more natural, occasional vinegar or honey rinses, and occasional sulfate washing, makes a big difference.

I found that CO and other 'no poo' washing really made my scalp worse. My scalp seems to need regular sulfate washings, and is better off if I do not handle my scalp much (massage, scritching, oiling, etc) or put conditioner on it.

SMTs really help me too, or any wash or rinse with honey (sometimes I just do a scrub with crystallized honey) because it does seem to calm the condition down.

Finally, eating a better diet and avoiding stress (ha!) also seems to help.

good luck!

[pelicano]

I have seborrheic dermatitis too. I use a non-SLS shampoo every few days, but in between I do water washes, with conditioner just on the ends. My scalp absolutely hates conditioner - if it was just my scalp I was concerned with, I wouldn't use conditioner even on the ends, and even just using it on the ends I have to be very careful which ones I use.

The best thing I've found for my scalp is glycerine.