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levelek
September 23rd, 2010, 02:06 PM
Gosh, I haven't posted on this board for a while! I am looking for advice for my SO's scalp and hair. Warning: possible TMI ;)

I've never seen anyone's hair get greasy as fast as his. Depending on the shampoo, it will look greasy by the end of the day when he washed it (!), or at best the day after. His scalp is also prone to breakouts. His hair (1b) is fine and thinning - no bald spots yet, but it really is very thin.

We have tried no sulphate shampoos, and there was one brand that helped him stretch washes out a tiny bit longer, but it was discontinued three months after we discovered it :lol: His shampoos are not especially drying, so I doubt that's the culprit.

I am thinking of getting him to try CO washes in case that might help. In the meanwhile, does anyone have any ideas on what to do especially about the grease factory aspect? Anybody with similar problems? Anything we try would have to be simple, too, otherwise he'd never get it done.

TIA! :flowers:

Antipodienne
September 23rd, 2010, 02:33 PM
Sounds EXACTLY like my husband. He's greasy within hours of a wash!
I switched him to baking soda washes with ACV rinse and aloe vera gel applied directly to the scalp. He's now going up to 4 days with no sign of grease and he says he doesn't feel itchy like he did before. I suspect the underlying cause is actually a too-dry scalp that has to overproduce oils to save itself. Give it a shot--we're really happy with it!

Chiara
September 23rd, 2010, 09:06 PM
WO for 8 weeks :)

It worked a treat for me- I went from having to wash every 2nd day, to washing weekly. It did get very oily looking, and got a weird waxy build-up which magically disappeared at about week 6. I rinsed every day or two, and I used mild vinegar rinses to make sure that no nasty beasties were able to proliferate on my scalp. I wash weekly now because I just prefer the look of my hair that way. If I could, I would be WO...

levelek
September 24th, 2010, 02:45 PM
Thank you, Antipodienne and Chiara!

How interesting that baking soda worked for your husband - I would have thought it would be very drying! Perhaps adding aloe vera to the routine itself could help.

I am afraid I just could not get him to do a WO experiment - he needs to be among people at work to start with, he just can't go through the period of extra greasiness at the start.

ktani
September 24th, 2010, 03:16 PM
Gosh, I haven't posted on this board for a while! I am looking for advice for my SO's scalp and hair. Warning: possible TMI ;)

I've never seen anyone's hair get greasy as fast as his. Depending on the shampoo, it will look greasy by the end of the day when he washed it (!), or at best the day after. His scalp is also prone to breakouts. His hair (1b) is fine and thinning - no bald spots yet, but it really is very thin.

We have tried no sulphate shampoos, and there was one brand that helped him stretch washes out a tiny bit longer, but it was discontinued three months after we discovered it :lol: His shampoos are not especially drying, so I doubt that's the culprit.

I am thinking of getting him to try CO washes in case that might help. In the meanwhile, does anyone have any ideas on what to do especially about the grease factory aspect? Anybody with similar problems? Anything we try would have to be simple, too, otherwise he'd never get it done.

TIA! :flowers:

If his hair is thinning and oily he may benefit from seeing a dermatologist in case there is a treatment available and his breakouts need attention for other reasons.

RadiantNeedle
September 24th, 2010, 03:20 PM
Increasing the amount of water I drink is certainly helping me combat the greasies.

levelek
September 25th, 2010, 05:27 AM
If his hair is thinning and oily he may benefit from seeing a dermatologist in case there is a treatment available and his breakouts need attention for other reasons.

Well, his hair is thinning because he's getting on in age :) He saw a dermatologist when he was younger and was prescribed antibiotics, which helped but only on a temporary basis. Understandably enough he doesn't feel like taking antibiotics for the rest of his life.

The breakout is not a massive problem now, the greasies are a bigger issue. I included the rest more to indicate that his skin is generally sensitive.

He drinks lots of tea, but I'll remind him to be more conscious of how much he drinks. All the same, that probably wouldn't solve the issue.

SlightlySoprano
September 25th, 2010, 05:29 AM
This sounds a lot like what I have, Seborrheic Dermatitis. Going to a dermatologist may not be a bad idea!

Lamb
September 25th, 2010, 06:43 AM
I wouldn't try CO if shedding is a problem. In my case, CO only made it worse, and I think a lot of people here gave up CO because it made their hair fall out quicker.

A dermatologist should attend to those breakouts, sometimes the answer is as simple as a medicated shampoo, but you need to see a doctor for that.

I hope the problem can be remedied soon! :flower:

ktani
September 25th, 2010, 07:02 AM
Well, his hair is thinning because he's getting on in age :) He saw a dermatologist when he was younger and was prescribed antibiotics, which helped but only on a temporary basis. Understandably enough he doesn't feel like taking antibiotics for the rest of his life.

The breakout is not a massive problem now, the greasies are a bigger issue. I included the rest more to indicate that his skin is generally sensitive.

He drinks lots of tea, but I'll remind him to be more conscious of how much he drinks. All the same, that probably wouldn't solve the issue.

Yeah, I hear you about the antibiotics. Years ago, when I had cystic acne, that was the treatment. Doctors are very reluctant (here in Canada, from my experience now) to be so blase about recommending them long term for anything. One becomes immune to strains and then if they are needed, it can be a serious problem.

Drinking tea can be a problem. I have a sensitive skin and I can still break out on my scalp once in a while. For me it is diet related. If I drink more water and less really acidic beverages that does not happen.

Shampoos and conditioners with fewer additives may help to some degree. There are many lines of products that have all kinds of oils in them close to the front of the ingredients label that will not help those with an oily scalp or hair.

My brother-in-law uses this shampoo and conditioner by Aveda, Scalp Benefits (http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY10515/PROD5941/Hair_Care/Shampoo/index.tmpl). His scalp was giving him problems and this line really helps him. I tried the shampoo and my scalp felt great! Unfortunately, the shampoo stripped my catnip stain. That was the only reason I stopped using it though. It is a good product and you do not need to use too much at a time. Although pricey, the product does last a while used properly and it is not harsh.

This review from the Scalp Benefits link sounds just like your SO's problem,
"The only shampoo that works for oily hair ... "My hair has gotten oilier and oilier as i age, plu it is thinning. ... Usually i wash my hair every morning and by the afternoon it is super oily, which makes my already thinning, fine hair even more limp, plus bits of my scalp show. This is the only shampoo that keeps my hair looking good until the end of the day! and it is not harsh at all .... This product is best for: Oily hair, Fine hair"

levelek
September 25th, 2010, 03:46 PM
Thank you for these replies! Lamb, you've got me re-thinking this CO idea. I've never really researched it so I didn't know that it can increase shedding. We definitely don't want that! I was only thinking that it would be less stripping if that is the problem.

The shampoo brand that worked for him before it was discontinued was called Mother Goose :) and it was without sulphates; but other sulphate free shampoos failed for him. Ktani, I'll see if I can find that Scalp Benefit shampoo over here! Thank you for mentioning it!

ktani
September 25th, 2010, 04:53 PM
Thank you for these replies! Ktani, I'll see if I can find that Scalp Benefit shampoo over here! Thank you for mentioning it!

You are most welcome! Good luck!

klcqtee
September 25th, 2010, 06:42 PM
Try Conefree. I went cone free and my hair stopped getting greasy so fast, and stopped breaking out. Come to find out, I'm allergic to 'cones.

Chiara
September 26th, 2010, 08:31 PM
I think with these kind of problems, you need to be very systematic. Try the easiest option first, give it a month or 6 weeks (unless it is clearly not helping!). And then tweak the regime... Oiliness can be caused by diet problems, over-cleansing, fungal or bacterial issues, or a combination of the three. I do think (and this is my opinion) that oiliness is more likely to be the result of these things then just genetics. Genetics might give us a tendency to react by getting oily, but the environment has to be there to actually bring out that tendency.

eg things to try in order of least complicated to more complicated (and can I say that judgements relating to complicated are totally personal :))
1. Anti-dandruff shampoo (the fungal beasties that cause flaking can also cause seborrhea, or excessive oil production)
2. No sulfate shampoo
3. No sulfate shampoo with acidic (eg ACV or citric acid) rinse
4. Conditioner only, maybe with occasional shampoo wash
5. Oiling scalp and then washing with CO or shampoo (coconut oil can actually kill some of the nasty bugs that cause scalp problems, I read the other day)
6. WO or ACV rinses daily with reducing washes (eg wash twice a week, with water every day)
7. Applying anti-fungal cream the night before CO or shampoo washing (using wash of choice)
8. Applying plain yogurt with cultures a few hours before washing (don't laugh, this works for some!)
9. Herbal cleansing or alternative shampoos (eg you can cleanse very successfully with egg yolk!)

Plus diet changes. In my experience, diet changes take 6 weeks to really show effect. Eating more veg, fish, lean meat and unrefined grains, and less sweet stuff and caffeine can't hurt! Also, some people report that too much dairy can cause skin (oil) problems.

Oh, and I should add that I worked right through-out the time I went WO. It did not smell, although it did look as though I had a lot of product eg gel in my hair. So it is not necessarily a socially unacceptable option!

motormuffin
September 27th, 2010, 12:42 AM
You know, I find that taking zinc and omegas are really helping with oily skin and scalp. I take 50 mg of zinc and 3000 of omegas each day. And drink lots of fluids. I drink a ton of tea...I try for more green and herbal to cut down on the caffeine.
Might try Tsal for shampoo. The one I have doesn't list any sulfates. I rotate in the Tgel like twice a month and it seems to clear that layer of stuff off my scalp. I wash about 3x a week.

Natalia
September 27th, 2010, 01:13 AM
I would look into baking soda washes. Sorry im not of much use but they do help me stretch out my shampooing or COing in a mostly WO routine.