Water Only - Terrible Dandruff

[Kivamaki]

First off, Male here.

I did cut off all my long hair a couple weeks ago, now it's short. But I've still stuck with the Water Only method. Probably on the 6th or 7th week, maybe a little more. I rinse my hair maybe once a week or every two weeks, sometimes with Apple Cider Vinegar. But I'm having the issue with terrible dandruff. If I notice a little, I'll comb it to get it out, but it makes it so much worse, I can comb and comb and just watch the dandruff fall off my head like crazy and it never stops, and it's all in my hair.

Any idea what I can do?

[Kivamaki]

About to be on the 4th page, doubt a response unless I bump it.

Bumpify.

[Gabriel]

Welcome to LHC!

You'll probably get some responses if you post your question in the water only thread.

(Official) Water Only Thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=3412&highlight=water+WO&page=121)

I don't have any advice for you. I never tried water only as a wash method. My scalp gets gunky sometimes so it's not something that would work for me.

[Annalouise]

Water only didn't work for me. I have to clean my scalp just like I have to wash my face. If you are encountering problems like buildup on your scalp of sebum or dandruff then my opinion is that you should wash your scalp and get it clean. If you leave it dirty and oily you'll get clogged pores and then your hair will start to fall out. That is what happened to me. And I did use a bbb but to no avail. My scalp produces way to much sebum to not wash it ever with a cleanser of some sort.
My advice is to wash your hair.:)

[Tressie]

Try a mild (non sls) diluted shampoo, and a vinegar rinse. When my scalp gets bad, I do an ACV rinse. You could use full strength acv and do a light cold water rinse. The smell will fade. Hope this helps! (o: I couldn't do WO, because my scalp is too itchy even with my current routine of once weekly washing! Good luck!

[Red_Wednesday]

Sadly, I couldn't do the WO either. My scalp got itchy, I developed little pimples on my back hair line, and I started to shed like crazy:(. I guess I just produce too much oil or something. I tried using the BBB, but that didn't work either.

I suppose you could try some of the other suggestions, but they didn't help me much. I can understand you wanting to try it though. Other than my scalp, my hair felt great, but since the scalp is the "motherboard" so to speak, I pretty much figured if I didn't keep my scalp happy, it wouldn't be long before all of my hair would end up plotting revenge.

[Misti]

Kivamaki, if you want to avoid shampoo completely, you might try rubbing dry baking soda into your scalp with a little water, let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse it completely, then rince with a mild acv rinse and a cool or cold clear water rinse. That might get the gunk out--it works for me. I do occasional WO washes, but if I don't use the BS/ACV at least every other time my hair gets really dirty.

[bumblebums]

I am a happy occasional WO person. I use only water every other time I wash. I suggest not touching your scalp except right before a wash, and then give it a good scritching. That means a vigorous scalp massage done with the finger tips, not finger nails. Then use lots of water, preferably not piping hot, to rinse out your hair. I always follow a WO wash with an acidic rinse. In your case, I would recommend a vinegar rinse (diluted 1 tbsp to 1 cup of water) with a few drops of tea tree oil, and maybe lavender essential oil.

You can also try massaging your scalp with coconut oil infused with tea tree oil before a wash. Don't worry about your hair getting too greasy--the oil does get absorbed into the scalp and the hair, and water actually gets quite a bit of it off.

ETA: some people use a salt scrub. Don't use kosher or coarse sea salt, just regular table salt.