Dandruff - symptom of stress???

[julliams]

It was about this time last year that I joined LHC which was out of desperation at having a very itchy and flaky scalp. After trying various remedies and using olive oil on my scalp I found that it cleared up. Changing my shampoos and conditioners to less SLS and silicones seemed to help too. I was boasting a completely dandruff and itch-free scalp for ages.

Well, here we are in September again and I'm finding that my dandruff has returned. My routines have changed a little in that I have brought silicones back in (but that has been going on since April this year).

So, I'm wondering if it is in fact actually more of a stress issue. I have two children in primary school (year 6 and 3) as well as being a flute tutor myself in primary schools. This term is notorious for being a "non-stop term" where there is so much packed in sometimes you don't know which end is up.

Anyone else pondered this? I'd be interested to hear from those who find that stress is the cause for their dandruff and what might be done to combat it.

[torrilin]

Dunno about dandruff, but for my partner's psoriasis, stress is a serious problem. You can actually track how difficult work is for him by how many patches he has and how much they're growing. Getting adequate light therapy helps, but it's just as important to make sure he gets time to play basketball and ride his bike and veg out trying to read every book in the world.

He's not unusual. A lot of chronic medical conditions are aggravated by stress. It's common for diabetics and asthmatics too.

We've put in a lot of time and effort to get my partner's disease under control. A lot of the time, the way we've made progress is by me asking him "well, do you LIKE doing that?" If the answer is no, we work together to figure out a solution.

[tanya222]

Hmmm it is very possible that there is a connection...

I know that myself, I've recently started noticing some dandruff which I've never had before. It could be because I've just recently started CO-ing, but I've also recently started a new job, and not all my co-workers are nice, which stresses me and I'm an anxious person to begin with, not to mention that I don't have enough hours to live on so had to apply for assistance. All those little stresses add up. So I can definitely see that all that could contribute to skin/scalp issues...

[jera]

julliams, I've never gotten dandruff from stress before, but inflamation, which is triggered by stress, can cause excessive dryness, and dryness leads to dandruff in some people. Perhaps this is what you're experiencing? :confused:

[Roseate]

My dandruff/other nasty scalp issues are still pretty mysterious to me. When I first switched to no-SLS, my scalp 100% cleared up and I thought "great, problem solved, I won't have to worry about that again!" Ha. I wish.

Though it's never been as bad as it was on SLS, it acts up from time to time and I can't find a reliable remedy. Scalp oilings work sometimes, ACV rinse on the scalp works sometimes, but it's not consistent.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a psychosomatic component. If so, I suppose any stress-reducing technique could help- yoga, meditation, cardio exercise.... but when I'm really stressed I usually feel like I don't have time for that! Vicious cycle!

Not the most helpful post, but I feel your pain! ;)

[Chiara]

My skin problems definitely flare up in response to stress, but that is often because when I get stressed my diet is not as good, and that is what causes the problem. Also, I'm wondering if there is a connection with spring...flowers...pollens. It could be an allergic response as well.

[julliams]

Hmmm - it is spring here in Australia. That could be a factor too.

[Rose Angel]

Change of climate could be the issue, including any change in diet. How's your diet been in last few weeks?

[julliams]

Hmmm - it is spring here in Australia. That could be a factor too.