Help my wife's scalp

[mra1984]

Dear all,

My wife has a very flaky scalp.. the best shampoo we have found so far in the UK is one by head and shoulders - one for itchy scalp

And then she uses the itchy scalp conditioner

But she still gets flakes after a few days...

Any advice / recommendations from anyone??

Would really appreciate it

Thanks
Matthew

[Mairéad]

Give tea tree oil a shot. I've found it useful for flakey scalp.

[restourceful]

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinses do wonders for itchy flaky scalp. Dilute about a teaspoon in 16 oz cool water and pour over.

[Anje]

Another thing worth trying is a final rinse with dilute vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is popular around here. Dilute it about 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water, give or take. This helps restore the acidity of the scalp, and it seems to help a lot of people who generally have scalp issues.

It's worth trying to figure out if her flakey scalp is due to dryness or something else like dandruff or cradle cap/seborrheic dermatitis. If it's dryness, something as simple as oiling the scalp with something like coconut or jojoba oil might take care of a lot of the problem.

[MinderMutsig]

I would start by tossing the Head & Shoulders. That stuff will bite the paint off a car, waaaaaay to aggressive!

[mra1984]

Thanks.. everyone replied so quickly!

I think we will start of with the Apple Cider Vinegar then! I'll try find some online later..

Also if head and shoulders is bad, any other suggestions (UK ones)?

Thanks a lot
Matthew

[feralnature]

Also, good diet, enough protein. Perhaps fish oil, biotin and multivitamin and minerals. Also, keep hands away from head as touching scalp makes problem more noticeable as flakes loosen and fall. And no smoking!

[GRU]

My flakes went away when I stopped using shampoo -- I just wash my hair with conditioner, making sure to massage my scalp well. (I also use ACV rinses.)

Try reading the CO-washing thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898) for more information.

Also, she may have seborrheic dermatitis rather than "dandruff flakes" -- does she ever get scab-like sections?

[BrightEyes7]

I get a itchy flaky scalp if I put conditioner on my scalp or don't rinse it off well enough. Does she condition her scalp? This may be an issue... :shrug:

[nemileo]

Lightly oiling of the scalp might work too... I use coconut oil and give my head a good massage the night before I wash it. And if you do it for her you`ll get nice partner-points too;)

Just remeber to use a small amount of oil (just shine your fingers with it) in the beginning, so she does not end up with the greasies for several days. Conditioner before shampoo works the best to get the oil out of the hair.

[Marjolein]

Hmm, you may be a bit confused now. One person tells you to not touch the scalp, another person says to do massages. Somebody tells you to skip the shampoo and only use conditioner, another person says to steer clear of conditioner. As you might have understood: there's no one miracle cure. But these are all good suggestions that have helped a good percentage of the people on these boards. Just try one at a time and see if it works for your wife.

Oh, and getting rid of the Head and Shoulders shampoo is probably the best advise in here. Horribly agressive stuff.

[feralnature]

Hmm, you may be a bit confused now. One person tells you to not touch the scalp, another person says to do massages. .

I suggested not picking at the scalp. Too many folks pick pick pick at their flaky heads making it worse, even creating little sores with scabs. That is different than a gentle massage. :)

[nemileo]

Good summary :D

But things tend to work differently for everybody, so I guess you have to find the thing that works for you. But the advices posted earlier are not harmful in any way, so I don`t think it will do any harm to try them?

[nytquill]

Personally I have found that what I thought was "dandruff" was really more "dry skin flakes." Once I stopped using the harsher shampoos that over-dry the skin I stopped having the itch or as many flakes.

When I was using Pantene I would get this insane scalp itch after washing my hair. On more than one occasion I scratched myself raw, even drew blood - it just itched that uncontrollably I couldn't stop myself.

I started out researching what was in the shampoo that might be making me itch, once I finally realized it was the shampoo that was the problem! (that in itself took a few years). I read a lot about sulphates and how they are basically these sort of all-purpose detergents and for some people can be too harsh and drying to skin and hair. It seems like that was the case for me. I switched to a sulphate-free hair care routine - you can buy sulphate free shampoos, or use only conditioner to clean your hair, or a few other things I've tried along the way - and the itch has been gone ever since, and I'm noticing less flakes too.

I think that many people see any kind of skin flake coming from their head and think "it's dandruff." When in many cases it may actually be overly dry skin from too much washing and harsh shampoo ingredients. And then they switch to a dandruff shampoo which is often just as drying or more so. But it depends, because scalp flakes can be related to so many things. So as has already been said the best thing is to try each method that interests you, one at a time for at least a couple of weeks each, and see which ones help the most, and let that inform you as to what you might want to look into further :) Good luck!

[mra1984]

Thanks nytquill (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=26130)
and to everyone else too!

Lots of great advice there

[pepperminttea]

I'd suggest bringing it up next time your wife sees her GP - a lot of things can look like dandruff which aren't. I've got psoriasis on my scalp, which likes ACV rinses (a bottle should only set you back £1-something at Sainsbury's). Be careful of baby shampoos, they have high alkaline levels to combat cradle cap.

If your wife decides to switch shampoos, it's worth trying to use one diluted - about 50/50 with water, shaken up in a small bottle to help with the lather, is plenty powerful enough to do the job. In general, most shampoos you'll find in a supermarket aren't too dissimilar - they normally have sulphates and often silicones. The supermarket's own brands are often no worse or better than Pantene and the like, so don't worry about spending more unless you're going to try and find one that's sulphate-free. (Shampoo and conditioner needn't match; whatever combination works.)

Good luck! :)

[Blueneko]

A brown sugar scrub followed by apple cider vinegar rinse is what I have used in the past for itchy flakes.

[eezepeeze]

When I had a similar problem, I used Neutrogena T/Gel or T/Sal medicated shampoo. They treat different problems, and I'm not sure if they're available in the UK, but they did help. Eventually, I had to see a doctor and he gave me topical skin cream that cleared it right up. She may have psoriasis or some other skin condition.

In the meantime, make sure she does not wear a wet ponytail or wet bun or wet braid. The moisture may contribute to her problem, as it did mine. Fungus loves warm, moist areas. Tea tree oil may help with that.

I suggest trying one thing at a time, depending on what seems to suit her needs best. But, really, an appointment with a doctor would shed the most light on the problem. Hope she feels better!

[Marjolein]

I suggested not picking at the scalp. Too many folks pick pick pick at their flaky heads making it worse, even creating little sores with scabs. That is different than a gentle massage. :)

Ok, sorry for misreading your post :blossom: