Frustrated with shedding and dandruff!!!

[AnimaSola3o4]

I'm going insane. My hair is shedding like never before. (for the past maybe 9 months, but it's doubled or tripled in the past 3.) I've never had this problem before. Until recently I also never noticed hair balls all over my clean clothes. The hairs are all over my clothes and they go through the wash like that and they ball together. Also when I wash/condition/comb/do ANYTHING to my hair, anywhere from 20-30 come out at a time. That's multiple times a day. Now, I know that we can lose an average of 100 hairs a day, but sometimes it's less and sometimes it's way more than that.

I also am having such a hard time with my scalp. My dermatologist (who didn't even look at it) said it was the same as the eczema I get on my body. He prescribed me betamethasone dipropionate liquid to put on my scalp. It doesn't seem to help much. So far the only thing that works is Nizoral but that is SO expensive I can't afford it. I am not sure if it's true dandruff or not, but I am relatively sure it's fungal. Monistat does help a bit, but not enough to invest in it as it too is fairly expensive.

Has anyone had any luck with getting rid of 'dandruff' in any non-expensive or natural type way? I was using H&S but it did absolutely nothing.

Would I be crazy to try no washing at all? Or maybe I should go to the baking soda/acv rinses first and then step down. I just know that the longer I go between shampooing the more itchy and flaky my scalp gets. It's terrible! I just don't want to assume it's dandruff and not just a really dry irritated scalp. I want to try some other things before I concede to shelling out such big bux (that i don't have) for nizoral and/or monistat constantly.

ETA: Has anyone considered buying ketoconazole tablets and making a paste out of them instead of buying nizoral? I believe it may be cheaper....

Here's a photo of one example of my scalp problem. I admit that it looks vaguely like ringworm, but it isn't. This is at the very front of my scalp in the middle. Which is the general area where this problem is the worst.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s183/AnimaSola3o4/086.jpg

One more pic:

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s183/AnimaSola3o4/094.jpg

[aksown]

If you are sure it's fungal, unrefined coconut oil is anti-fungal as is tea tree oil. Olive oil is anti-inflammatory and very soothing. Raw ACV will burn on raw flesh but it's good for fungus as well. I hope you find something that works!!

[Sheltie_Momma]

I use Giovanni Triple Treat shampoo and let it sit for a few minutes. I keep it off the rest of my length though.

[Darkhorse1]

I had this exact same thing--it's itchy and painful isn't it? You scratch it/take the scab off and it hurts.

This is from stress--at least it was for me. It was also the reason I was losing tons of hair. So, good news--the hair grows back :)

For me, my doctor prescribed a steroid based drop and I used all of 2 drops for 2 days and it cleared up.

Sadly, NOTHING helped it in regards to over the counter shampoos (Nizoral wasn't around back then). I would stick with what you know works---Nizoral worked for me with my last bout of dandruff, but it also made my scalp itch too.

There IS a head and shoulders product with 2% zinc pyrothine instead of the usual 1%. That did help me a year ago for a mild outbreak. It may be worth a shot? The bottle is navy blue. However, I have a feeling judging by what I saw, you have a higher end of dandruff, which is severe, which is why nizoral is the only thing working.

When using the medicated shampoos, you must leave them on your scalp for 2 minutes. It has to penetrate under the scalp, which is where the fungus lies.

Hugs!! I hope you find some relief. I found cool water rinses helped with my itching.

[reishka]

I have this EXACT same problem! The only difference is that my scalp doesn't usually look red/inflamed. I usually part my hair down the middle, and I only get this dandruff to the right and left of the part, and only on the front 1/4th of my head (so, from the hairline on the forehead back about 2 inches). It's large & flaky - once I pulled off a piece the size of a US dime.

I don't know what to do about it either. It started maybe 5 months ago. I tried parting my hair in a different place, I tried going cone-free; then I tried using H&S (going so far as to take a bath and letting it sit on my head for 30+ minutes). I tried washing only once a week to washing every other day -- I eventually just threw my hands up and gave up because I don't know what to use to take care of it. Every day or every other day I'll take a very fine-toothed comb and rub the teeth against the area to get the flakies to come up and then brush it out with a boar bristle brush. :(

[x0h_bother]

Honestly, I would try an antifungal which helps with dandruff, shedding, and other scalp conditions. There are some OTC creams, and Nizoril shampoo is an antifungal for hair.

[spidermom]

Perhaps the Nizoral would still work for you if you dilute it a bit; make your expensive purchase last longer. Under no circumstances should you try baking soda. I found a study that concluded using anything alkaline on your scalp or skin - like baking soda - makes you more vulnerable to fungal infections because it disrupts the acid mantle of scalp and skin. Your acid mantle is what protects you from infection.

[Calaelen]

I have the same type of outbreak on my scalp right now, and I've had it in the past. One thing I'd like to ask all the gals in here that have this same type of scalp issue is do you have stomach issues at all? Pain, gas, bloating, constipation or loose bowel movements? I know this seems like such a strange question, but I know that what is wrong with my scalp is related to the flora in my stomach. I have Eosinophils in my stomach causing me to be prone to yeast infections in my stomach. The yeast in my stomach is also causing the problem with my hair. Basically I have a yeast infection on my scalp, and it looks just like this.

You might want to evaluate how your stomach is doing and consider lowering if not eliminating starchy carbs, then adding a pro biotic pill and or yogurt. For me, it really is helpful.

Other things I can recommend are making sure that your hair is completely rinsed after washing (AVC for this) and to let your hair completely dry before putting it up, or going to sleep. The moisture creates a better environment for any scalp issues.

Also, the person that recommended virgin cocnout oil is right it is helpful too, for it's anti-fungal properties, just make sure to get it well rinsed off and air dry when you do it.

Hope this helps. I really believe there may be a stomach connection for some or all of you. Have you been on a round of anti biotics in the last year? If so, this stomach connection is even more likely to be part of the problem.

[Squeak toy]

It sort of looks like psorasis which is like eczma. A steriod should work for that but only after a few days of using as directed. With steroids you do not want to miss doses or they do not work as well. It could also be fungal and scalp fungal infections are treated by family doctors all the time. They may want to do a culture. For a fungal infection on the scalp you need an oral antifungal. Fungus can be persistant and most START to clear after 2 weeks. I would go to your family doctor 1st to avoid multiple two week trials of treatments.
For regular dandruff I use nuetrogena t-gel original and it is amazing.

[Cupofmilk]

I have also heard about virgin cocnut oil and teatree. I am going to try this myself soon. I am sls/paraben and cone free which started to help but I think I have a yeasty head - to match yeasty skin etc! Oh and Calaelen I do have a dodgy bowel!

[Cleopatra18]

maybe you should try sweet almond oil on your scalp? it's supposed to help with dry,flaky skin.
personally,i wouldnt suggest tea tree oil because it might be too strong for your scalp which seems to be extra senstive right now.i used it on my scalp (which wasnt in a bad condition)and it gave me tons of problems (even though used very small amount).
imo,i would advice you to never use any shampoos/conditioner on your scalp till you're done with these issues.your scalp looks very irritated to me and you dont know what more chemicals will do on it right now.
the only hair tonic i can recomment is elu lipacid hair tonic,for dandruff and alopecia...this thing is magic,for real.though i suggest you ask your doctor about it first.best of luck with your problem:)

[reishka]

One thing I'd like to ask all the gals in here that have this same type of scalp issue is do you have stomach issues at all? Pain, gas, bloating, constipation or loose bowel movements? I know this seems like such a strange question, but I know that what is wrong with my scalp is related to the flora in my stomach.

I can't say that I've had any tummy troubles at all lately - and none going back 5 months (when this stuff started showing up). I've not been on any antibiotics, either. :hmm:

[liselle]

perhaps try probiotics.
They help eliminate dandruff/seborrea/ and infections.

also the night before you wash. use an eye dropper with jojoba oil to saturate the area. so when you wash, the scabs will slide off, rather than rip out precious strands.

I have totally eliminated my scalp problem with taking probiotics. 2 X 25million capsules.

Remember, things like this are always internal.
And MORE washing is better. Not less.
An overly oily scalp left unwashed, will just continue to breed bacteria.

Best of luck to you. i know how frustrating it was for me.

:)

[Brat]

My dermatologist prescribed some Derma-Smooth FS. It's an oil that goes directly on the scalp under a plastic cap overnight and gets washed out in the morning. He asked how often I wash my hair, and I said twice a week. He said to do this twice a week and use T/Gel shampoo on the roots only if I wash without the oil. I coat the length with conditioner. He said the coal tar in the T/Gel helps a lot. I have been using the Derma Smooth once a week and it's helped. I didn't last week and it's itching again :( It's prescription only, and I was able to fill it at Wal Mart. The other pharmacies didn't have it.

[AnimaSola3o4]

Okay, so I ended up giving in and buying Nizoral today. I will use it full strength twice, then dilute it. I remember that two washes was what it took to basically clear things up and then it was just a matter of maintenence.

My scalp is extremely dry, never oily. I have in the past gone 10 days between washing and never saw any greasy scalp to speak of. It just got flakier and itchier. So it's perhaps a problem with my pores or my sebum is a strange consistency or something?

I also will likely only use the Nizoral in the front of my scalp where the problem lies, except for maybe the first few washes, and then after that I'll just use very diluted Nizoral on the back of my scalp. I am wondering what I should use for condish though. For all I know it could be the cones that are the problem for me, even though I try desperately to keep them off my scalp. I might look into some more natural condish.

Another thought that I appreciated while reading this thread was the TTO. I used to use it for my skin condition (a different one, sigh.) and I loved the stuff. I would only try to use it on my scalp once I have the flakies and irritation under control though. But it might help moisturize and help with the fungal aspect of it. Jojoba oil was useless for my scalp. My length loved it, but i had a weird problem with the bottle I had bought, it leaked or something because no matter how tightly it was closed it would end up soaking through the label and i couldnt even handle the bottle. I finally threw it away. I bought it at GNC.

[suicides_eve]

I have something similar to this and the Monistat helps clear it up very quickly. I always thought my itchy,scabby scalp was brought on by sleeping with a damp head. I just know it hurts and is very bother some.
good luck to you

[AnimaSola3o4]

I have something similar to this and the Monistat helps clear it up very quickly. I always thought my itchy,scabby scalp was brought on by sleeping with a damp head. I just know it hurts and is very bother some.
good luck to you

Thanks, from a fellow 'Makeup Master' :)

[beachlover]

I went to a dermatologist that recommended p&s liquid, It did help when I used it along with Nizoral shampoo, do an online search. Head and shoulders never worked for me either, and always made the itching worse.

[beachlover]

Like one of the other posters mentioned, Derma Smooth is good too, it has a mild steroid in it for the itching, available by prescription. I've tried that as well in the past. It seems like I always have to change things up a bit because what works for awhile stops working and then I have to try something new and then go back to the others. I hope you get some relief soon, I know how annoying it can be!

[ChloeDharma]

Virgin coconut oil is a good choice, neem oil is an excellent anti-fungal though and usefull for most skin conditions. Lavender essential oil is also very good and gentler than tea tree oil and has properties that reduce inflamation and relieves itching.
You might want to look at your diet too and check the quality of the fats you eat. A lack of EFA's and an excess of poor quality fats can cause this dry sebum you describe and eating a diet with too many refined carbs can encourage fungal issues.

[AnimaSola3o4]

Update:

Well, the itching and flaking have all disappeared, i mean if I go to long without shampooing the itch will come back but it's more like a normal itch and not at all unbearable.

The shedding however, has not slowed down at all. In fact tonight I finally measured for the first time in a long time (denial much?), and I have lost an inch of circumference. Now, that being said, it's still over 3 inches, so I mean my hair doesn't really LOOK thinner, but it is. I decided to measure more often, and always when my hair is wet just to get a more consistent measurement. I saved all my sheds from after my shower tonight and I might count them and check them for roots. I am almost wondering if my hair is breaking and I'm not feeling or noticing it.

I am considering going back onto hormonal birth control to see if I can regulate my hormones and maybe it will help. And looking at my diet is an excellent idea, its a good idea for me in general, lol. I do definitely eat too many refined carbs, that's one of my biggest vices lol.

[etihwtibbar]

So after I decided to go organic because of years of itchy scalp I developed a dandruff problem. No more itchy scalp, but over a period of six months, my dandruff got worse and worse and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get rid of it. I had horrible dandruff (mine was not caused from dry scalp, mine was caused from the yeast like fungus known as Malassezia furfur) and shedding and began to develop the worst and somewhat embarrassing hair thinning problems on some parts of my head.

So in ONE day I fixed my dandruff with this recipe:

about 1/2 cup of organic Sunflower seed oil (carrier oil, light oil, good for mixing)

Neem oil 2 to 3 tablespoons (yes, it smells!)

30-40 drops of tea tree oil (the magic ingredient)

10 drops of organic Sage EO for moisturizing and fragrance (can use rosemary and lavendar as well which are also excellent for hair)

a tablespoon of castor oil

1 to 2 capsules of vitamin E that I poked and drained the oil out of


I rubbed this extensively for about 10 minutes into my scalp. I worked it really well into my scalp and made sure it was saturated with the oil mixture, then I put my hair into a flat bun then wrapped it about ten times in plastic wrap.

I left this on for about 14 hours! I had it on for about five hours, after which I slept with it for about eight, and left it on for a few more hours in the morning for good measure.

I then washed it out with my soapnut solution (here's a great link from mellie:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=95

Soapnuts are amazing and have natural saponins (stuff in soap that makes you clean) they are naturally acidic (and close to ph of skin and hair) and don't strip your oils from your hair or skin. I like to add about four drops of tea tree oil and and a few drops of EO to the mix, I noticed it works better for maintaining foam and and better at cleaning. After six months of constant experimenting, these are the only things that I can afford and maintain for my organic hair and body wash care (and clean my clothes). They are pretty much can be used on anything.


I looked at my scalp after my hair dried. No flakes at all. I even extensively scratched my scalp--still no flakes. 5 days later and still no flakes!!:cloud9::disco: I'm going to keep up this oil soak about once a week for preventative measures but use it on my entire mane of hair since it made it so incredibly soft. Some online sources of mine recommend using a tea tree oil/neem mixture about 2-3 times a week for two to three weeks. The great thing about this mixture is that it moisturizes your hair and scalp as well. Good luck!! =)

[milagro]

It's a great news you've been able to battle the flaking :flower:
About shedding I think unless it's hormonal (you're very right to get tested and take measures if necessary) it will pass and you'll have new growth. I experienced about a year-long hair shedding after I'd lost my mother, it was stress and grief induced and I was losing huge amounts of hair, it blocked shower drain before I was half-through washing my hair! And mind my hair was barely reaching SL then. It stopped eventually and I can't say if my hair is still thinner than it used to be, I didn't measure it before joining TLHC :) Maybe a little bit but it looks and feels restored.
About washing maybe you need throw in some WO in between regular washes? I find that water-rinsing along with little gentle scrubbing with finger pads is quite sufficient to get fresh feeling if the scalp is not really greasy (every 4-5 days with me) HTH and good luck!