Where my Asians at?

[cho_chang]

So I have pretty typical Asian hair/scalp - gets oily really easily, I need to shampoo frequently, etc.
I know that this board is all about minimalism when it comes to washing - less often, and use as gentle a method as possible.

However, I also have really horrible SD (seborrheic dermatitis aka dandruff, which manifests on me and many Asians as an oily, crusty scalp :-/) which is pretty prevalent among Asians, in my experience. It's gotten a bit out of control lately, especially as I've been experimenting with gentler shampoos - because, I think, thoroughly cleaning helps keep it more at bay. I used to be able to have a relatively flake/crust-free scalp right after washing, but now even right after washing, it's already crusty.

I'm kind of at my wit's end now - fellow Asians, what hair routines work for you? [Unless you are one of the lucky few that doesn't struggle with any oiliness or other issues of the scalp :P]

PS: I don't mean to sound gross! lol you probably have this image of me as monstrous and disgusting - you can't really see most of this. My hair looks perfectly fine, it's just that, say, when I scratch my head or something, there's stuff in my nails... :(

[ravenreed]

I think a lot of us suffer from ick on the scalp, not just Asian people. Have you tried a vinegar rinse? It helps my scalp a lot. I also gave up SLS in shampoos and that has cut down on my oiliness and scalp buildup.

I wash about every three days, but some people here still wash every day. What ever works for you is best.


So I have pretty typical Asian hair/scalp - gets oily really easily, I need to shampoo frequently, etc.
I know that this board is all about minimalism when it comes to washing - less often, and use as gentle a method as possible.

However, I also have really horrible SD (seborrheic dermatitis aka dandruff, which manifests on me and many Asians as an oily, crusty scalp :-/) which is pretty prevalent among Asians, in my experience. It's gotten a bit out of control lately, especially as I've been experimenting with gentler shampoos - because, I think, thoroughly cleaning helps keep it more at bay. I used to be able to have a relatively flake/crust-free scalp right after washing, but now even right after washing, it's already crusty.

I'm kind of at my wit's end now - fellow Asians, what hair routines work for you? [Unless you are one of the lucky few that doesn't struggle with any oiliness or other issues of the scalp :P]

PS: I don't mean to sound gross! lol you probably have this image of me as monstrous and disgusting - you can't really see most of this. My hair looks perfectly fine, it's just that, say, when I scratch my head or something, there's stuff in my nails... :(

[Lamb]

I suggest you change the title. As ravenreed said, there are plenty of people here of all sorts of ethnic backgrounds who have the problem you describe, and they may be more inclined to click on the title if it's not addressed to Asians only. (I never heard scalp issues were prevalent among Asian people, all I knew was they usually had strong, resilient and dark hair!)

ETA: A lot of people with really long hair wash their hair every day. Here's a thread I started on the subject:
http://www.forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=37847

Searching for "seborrheic dermatitis" and "oily scalp" should also give you some answers. Good luck!

[ravenreed]

I am nosy so I clicked! :p

[cho_chang]

I guess that's true (that non-Asians have this issue too), but in some other forums I'm tried, the solutions that other people posted just don't usually work for me...

and yes, my actual hair is pretty strong and resilient and whatnot as is typical of Asian hair, but I think Asians do tend ot have oily scalps

[ravenreed]

I didn't take it personally. I understand that all types of hair have their peculiarities. I hope you find something that works.

[adiapalic]

I have no problem with the title of the thread. If Asians have similar hair type, then they're probably more prone to similar scalp type--a bit oilier being this case. I've read that, in general, people with straighter hair tend to produce more oil, (The Curly Girl Handbook, and online).

She's just looking for a routine that works for Asian hair and scalp type, no harm done. :)

[Sara_1987]

I feel like i have the same problem (I'm not Asian by the way).
My scalp tends to be itchy, flaky, gross feeling... And I'm just so confused whether it's dandruff (and if so, what type of dandruff?) or product buildup or maybe I need to wash more often (I wash two times a week usually)?

It gets so annoying because I don't want to wash my hair too much because the length tends to be dry, but my scalp gets yucky feeling and I do use regular shampoo and conditioner and quite bit of styling products so I might have lots of buildup...
I tried a vinegar rinse once and also tried a green/bentonite clay treatment and even baking soda wash for my scalp, but I didn't feel like it did much and I'm afraid of drying out my hair.

I have read great things about Redken's cleansing cream. Maybe that's a solution to our problem?
I think I might go buy it this week. I currently use Redken Smooth Down shampoo and am happy with it, but the steep prices are holding me back from buying more Redken products.:(

[tig-man]

i just use whatever shampoo is on sale, i dilute it though. 2 parts water and 1 part shampoo. I shampoo/condition two to three times a week. only use enough shampoo mix to get a lather going, no more. Hair usually gets oily by end of day two. By day three, i'm sportin' a pony tail.

[rabbitsu]

I have oily hair as well. I used to wash everyday with shampoo to try and get ride of that icky oily feeling, but it was stripping all the oil out and would make the scalp produce more oil - vicious vicious cycle! now I limit the shampoo to once a week and wash with conditioner as much as I want, I really get my fingers (the pads not the nails) into the scalp to make sure it's clean, if I do a final rinse in cold water over the scalp and hair it seems to get rid of that greasy conditioner feel about it and it doesn't seem to get oily as fast. You could give that a go? Another tip is to run a comb over your scalp to loosen up the gunk before the wash.

I'm asian, but I don't have that strong hair that most associate with asians. Mine's fine/breaks easily and very envious of thick hair on other people :(

[bubbles_87]

Okay Im asain! haha well my scalp can get flaky and oily at the same time. This product that I have used is really pricy. Its by Rene Furterer I think I spelled his name right. The product is called Complex 5. It really helped my scalp and it lasts for months and months! it lasted me a lil over a year and my hair has become healthier. My scalp is less flaky and it smells good too. Im sure you can find other oils that are cheaper with similar ingredients but if you got a lil money to burn you should definitely get this product.

Oh and btw...is that your hair in your avatar? its so shiny! i love it

[urara12]

hi! I am Asian too & SD ( just itchy no dandruff or flake) Oily scalp ( esp around above neck area)

I start to not shampoo everyday cuz
washing hair everyday is not good, then my hair start to shed a lot & so itchy. so I went to see Dr , I got liquid medichine for SD scalp from Dr,it's really helped my scalp.
my scalp got really good condition after I did apply the mdecine 3 times.after my scalp healed. I did changed all S&D.
now I am using

I've been using Nizoral <- when my scalp get so itchy.
also Nioxin scalp recovery <- I feel it's more mild than Nizoeal
but I only use it once a week. also I use paul M's tea tree.

about shed matter. I am going to wash my hair everyday
as my Dr told me that it's good to wash hair everyday if you have SD, however better to really rince well & not use heavy conditioner on the scalp.
also many SD people reacting with S&D.

[cho_chang]

thanks all! @bubbles, yep :) thanks!

[joiekimochi]

Yay I'm Asian too!

I don't know where people get the impression that Asian hair is thick and coarse...my hair is so thin and fine you could get a paper cut with a strand of my hair. I soooo envy those who have thick hair!

I only very rarely have any dandruffy symptoms (only during puberty I had something vaguely resembling dandruff but they weren't flakes...they resembled baby powder and I could easily shake them out. There was only 1 episode in my life (I was 18-20) when I had an oily, crusty scalp and my hair was super thin and limp and lank plus dry at the ends because I kept using clarifying shampoos thinking that it would help my scalp.

My scalp improved somewhat after using Asience and then later Tsubaki shampoo and conditioner, but while the oily and crustiness was gone, my hair became terribly straw-like. I switched to sulfate-free and cone-free products and I used Avalon Organics Biotin Thickening Shampoo with Giovanni Deep Conditioner. I also stopped shampooing every day. The results? Soft, silky ends and a clean, healthy scalp. My hair also stopped shedding.

Right now I take biotin daily to boost the growth. I'm also experimenting with shampoo bars and ACV rinses, since I want to go as natural as possible. I also cut off my butt-length stringy layered hair to a BSL blunt cut. Hopefully I can reach my full potential thickness and length!

[guccixx]

I'm asian! :waving: My hair doesn't really get dirty fast, but when it *is* dirty because it's so straight, my hair will just hang there and look nasty.

I also take biotin to help with my hair because it's gotten kind of thin. But yeah, I have the fine, straight hair that joiekimochi has too.

[Heian Beauty]

Our background is pretty mixed (yay for 'exotic looks' and green eyes XD), but I get flaky/greasy and my Mum gets severely scabby dandruff.
For me, it's only mild, so I just wash my hair normally when it gets like that. My Mum's is like cradle cap though. We've tried olive oil, baby oil, and coal tar shampoo, but what's worked for her is Head & Shoulders!

[Sara_1987]

Our background is pretty mixed (yay for 'exotic looks' and green eyes XD), but I get flaky/greasy and my Mum gets severely scabby dandruff.
For me, it's only mild, so I just wash my hair normally when it gets like that. My Mum's is like cradle cap though. We've tried olive oil, baby oil, and coal tar shampoo, but what's worked for her is Head & Shoulders!

Head and shoulders worked for me too.

Yesterday my scalp was so incredibly itchy and yucky feeling.
I oiled my overnight like I usually do so I could wash it in the morning, but it was hell. My scalp was soooo itchy I actually woke up scratching it and it hurt! I almost got out of bed to wash my hair at 3AM but stuck it out.
This morning I washed my hair with H&S menthol and the cooling sensation was so nice and my scalp feels way better now (although my hair is a bit dry).

[Ranee]

I'm east asian (Indian) and I use head and shoulders as well. It's the only thing that keeps the itchies and flakes at bay. I only use it once a week and only on the scalp. Hope you find something that works for you!

[melikai]

My boyfriend is not Asian, but has very similar problems. He uses non-sulphate shampoos, but washes his scalp very thoroughly twice. It took his scalp a while to adjust to the less stripping shampoo, but that is to be expected. He is able to go 3-4 days before really needing to shampoo now.

Make sure you aren't expecting immediate improvements - these things can take time. Also, don't try to stretch your washes AND switch to more gentle shampoos all at once. First try to adjust to the shampoo and then try to extend washes (if that's what you're going for).

[cho_chang]

thanks so much for all the advice!

I think it might actually be the water at my college :( I'm back on spring break and I feel fine... my scalp has only gotten realy bad the past year, coincidentally my first year at college, so go figure :-/

[sonng]

In highschool I used to have really bad dandruff, (I'm Asian :P and have that slippery straight shiny Asian hair. ) and I would wash my hair with harsh shampoos to remedy it but it was actually making my hair worse. Now I just wash my hair every other day and sometimes wash with amla powder. It helps but I still have dandruff time to time. I don't have oily hair but really really really dry hair. It's a curse! D:

[vindo]

I guess I half count..
My hair used to be very oily and I had to wash it daily, but with milder detergents I was able to stretch to washing weekly without much of a problem.

Maybe that could help your problem too.

I used to Henna but stopped last year to go back to my natural darkbrown. My hair always liked henna though, and it also likes oil. I keep it fairly simple.

I think whats most weird about my hair is the extreme slipperyness, combined with 'stiffness", that makes updos so hard (don't stay put) and my hair tends to look like a "cows tail" in certain do's, very compressed, the ponytail no thicker than the elastic. :p

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_b2U-2Uet0mw/SqxEGf5ynlI/AAAAAAAADkg/4MhMY-7OANg/s144/IMG_0885-1.JPG
That was my hair before I got ill (still with henna)

[GoddesJourney]

My hair is like this. I worked it down with daily washing with non-sulfate shampoo and cone free conditioner (Trader Joe's). Over a few months my scalp finally gave up producing so much oil. I still have oily hair, but I can actually tolerate it now. I've switched to mostly CO and the occassional not washing day just because I'm lazy. My hair seems to be liking it and my scalp is slowly getting used to it. As long as I CO daily, it takes care of the oil. Through this transition, my hair has become as oily or less oily with CO than it used to be with heavy sulfate shampooing. I tried stretching washes when I was still a sulfate washer and it was DETRIMENTAL to my scalp. I had incurably dandruff for several months after that. I simply wasn't ready for it.

On a side note, I hear that Asian hair and scalp does well with things like beer or vinager rinses.

[joiekimochi]

Last night, I oiled the ends of my hair lightly, washed my hair with JR Liggett's shampoo bar and did a hair rinse with a 1:5 vinegar water solution. Not only did it stink to high hell, my hair dried super oily and the vinegar smell still remained. I had to keep my hair in braids today!

I think I should just go back to CO washing.

[Leabhar]

What are you using right now, OP? I used to get greasy hair quickly when I used sulfates; now that I use sulfate-free shampoos (and diluted, at that!), my scalp is a lot happier. I still have to wash it and make sure to dry my scalp every day (buns hold a lot of moisture, lol), but greasies and scalp gunk only happen if I'm stretching a wash.

FWIW, I use Trader Joe's sulfate-free shampoo (diluted a lot) and a variety of cone-free conditioners with a white vinegar rinse before the final water rinse. (My hair is fine with cones but my skin doesn't like it so much, lol)

[joiekimochi]

Hey fellow Asian sisters and brothers, any one of you have lightened your hair before and then returned to black (assuming you started out with black hair) permanently with henndigo? I've decided to do away with chemical dyes and go back to black!