Very dry scalp

[MOOBUG]

HI,
I had a look around and couldnt find anything specific. I suffer from a very very dry scalp. Not dandruff or psoriasis, just super dry, MAJOR flaky scalp. all i have to do is toss my head and there is a little snow storm (and sadly im not exagerating). Often i wake up in the morning and there are flakes all over my pillow.

Dandruff shampoos make it worse and iv tried castor oil (for shedding) and it seemed to make a small difference. I have gone CO which has made my hair really soft but ironically, made the scalp dryness worse. Any thoughts? my skin over all has a tendency towards dryness.

Thanks

[musicallberrii]

Have you tried oiling your hair and scalp with coconut oil? Maybe you could shampoo and really massage your scalp to remove excess flakes, and then apply coconut oil at the scalp and leave it on a while. I would even apply coconut oil every couple hours and not wash your hair for a day or two (I suggest do this on a weekend when you don't have to leave the house because it will look gross and oily). Then wash out the coconut oil and then condition well. I don't have dry scalp, but coconut oil always makes my skin super soft (I have dry skin) and moisturized when I use it.

[musicallberrii]

I forgot to add this too, but tea tree oil shampoo/conditioner helped my boyfriend's dry scalp a lot and got rid of the flakes.

[MOOBUG]

I have given coconut oil a go and it sadly did nothing. My hair really doesnt like it. although, maybe i need to try the same thing with a different oil. I have also tried tea tree oil shampoos (both with and without sls) same.

Thanks though

[GingerBoy'sMom]

Oil of oregano works very well for flakes. You can use it straight up or add it to your shampoo or conditioner.

[Teazel]

Have you tried massaging aloe vera gel into your scalp?

[Firefox7275]

What does your dermatologist recommend? There are different forms of dandruff, they don't all respond to the same treatment because there are different causes - have you tried shampoos containing zinc pyrithione, coal tar, urea, or an antifungal agent? Does your scalp itch and do you scratch? If it truly is simple dry skin eliminating surfactants (all shampoo) should improve matters. CO-washing making your scalp shed more may indicate a sensitivity to or irritation from an ingredient in the product you used.

Oils should seal in the moisture but they will also act as a barrier to the chemical onslaught of hair products. My eczema has responded really well to unrefined shea butter, which has healing properties as well as moisturising ones - it's certainly working as a barrier for my elbow patch, stopping shampoo which runs down my arm. Creams containing 5-10% urea - one of the skin's natural humectants - are usually less greasy. Are you consistently treating your skin from the inside out - plenty of oily fish, fruit and vegetables, water, no sugar or refined white carbs, limit caffeine and alcohol?

[mneh]

After trying every dandruff shampoo i could get hold of, in the end, apple cider vinegar rinses and conditioner washes fixed my dry, itchy scalp. Have a read of the CO-wash thread for some useful info :) Maybe it will help you too.

[Eolan]

I strongly recommend you have someone look at it, if you haven't already.

[littlenvy]

Is your skin dry too? or is it only your scalp?

If its only your scalp it might be few things going on. Forget castor oil (its drying), try oiling and massaging (very important) with coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. The ACV rinse should help as well to restore the pH level of your scalp.
Honestly, I would not CO wash for a while since it migh be due to product build up or worse, reaction to one or more of the ingrediance.
How is your diet? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating enough fat/lipids?

If you don't see any changes after two weeks of oiling and ACV, I would advise seeing a doctor.
Good Luck :) Hope its back to normal soon.

[MOOBUG]

Thanks Firefox. I dont actualy have a dermatologist but I am seriously considering seeing one. I have tried every manner of dandfuff shapoo and have also tried CO with various different condish. Some natural, some not. Still nothing. There is no itching at all.

I tried coconut oil on my scalp overnight. No change. as soon as my hair is dry (i air dry) the snowstorm begins. :(

Littlenvy - My skin overall has a tendancy towards dryness and does get a little flaky during winter. I am probably not drinking enough water. Also this has been going on for a very long time through very many products.

[MOOBUG]

After trying every dandruff shampoo i could get hold of, in the end, apple cider vinegar rinses and conditioner washes fixed my dry, itchy scalp. Have a read of the CO-wash thread for some useful info :) Maybe it will help you too.


Will definitly give this a try!

[wavykisses]

Mmmm dandruff shampoo made thing worst for my scalp, I had itchy scalp and some flakes
and thought it was dandruff after using head and shoulders the itching was way worst.
What calm my scalp was oiling and using a very diluted low sulfate shampoo and wash my hair every other day no more dandruff, drying or itching, if coconut oil didn't work for you try another oil, maybe EVOO or sweet almod oil.
For my dry scalp I have to do a pre oiling before washing my hair ,and leave the oil there a couple of ours or overnight.
Try a low sulfate shampoo I use the body shop rainforest moisture very diluted or if you deon't have hard water try shampoo bars.

[Chiara]

Hi MOOBUG, I feel your pain!

I found what helped me was decreasing shampoo washes to once a week, and doing water only rinsing in between. I use a gentle sulfate-free shampoo. My scalp also seems to get worse with conditioner use (plus my hair gets lank super quickly). So now I only put conditioner from the ears down. Dandruff shampoos seem to work for 24 hours and then I get major flaking (and I always found them really harsh on the skin on my hands and face too). I actually went water only for about 2 months, out of sheer frustration with the flaking. It certainly helped alot with the flaking, but in the end I decided that I just prefer the look of my hair when it is shampoo'd.

Other things that might help are diluted shampoo (didn't get my hair clean enough but works well for some), and trying milder shampoos (did work well for me). Manual exfoliation can also help- I use a wooden brush to very gently 'needle' my scalp (ie it should not hurt, it should not make your scalp red and it should not pull your hair). I find this works well at clearing any incidental flakes that are on the scalp (so then I brush it out) plus it feels nice. If I scratch my head with my finger nails, however, it's a disaster! Others on LHC also use sugar as a scalp scrub.

[Sheltie_Momma]

Mine was like this until I figured out I am allergic to avocado oil. I can eat avocadoes without a problem (thank goodness)

[HairFaerie]

I get this problem too. I wash everyday and I think it's just dry skin on my scalp. It's not dandruff, it's just dry, flaky skin like what you are describing.

I use neem oil on my scalp when this happens. It seems to work for me. I don't mind the smell, some people hate it though.

[McFearless]

CO washing really cleans the scalp of oil. That is probably what happened to you. I agree with those who mentioned ACV rinses. It is the only thing that keeps my dandruff and itchy scalp away.

[ratgirldjh]

I must say that my scalp is usually not dry - but CO washing made it dryer than any other method.

Usually however I oil my scalp lightly the night before washing with a soap bar and ACV rinse.

CO dries out my hair too. I think for me CO cleans even more than soap!

[Anje]

Might sound strange, but have you tried not washing your hair? Maybe just give it a quick rinse under the shower, but if it's not looking oily, just don't wash it. Let the sebum build up a little, maybe oil your scalp. (Shampoo makes my scalp feel dry and tight, and it tends to get flakey if I keep it up. Not many complaints about CO, though -- it seems more moisturizing for my scalp. But I'll agree with Ratgirldjh in that it's definitely still cleansing!)

[AuburnTresses]

Okay this may seem like a dumb question but how do you get the oil on your scalp and not all over your hair? :o

[MOOBUG]

Okay this may seem like a dumb question but how do you get the oil on your scalp and not all over your hair? :o


Iv been using a little medicine dropper that came with the bottle.

Thanks so much for all your imput. I really appreciate it. so im thinking that possibly the CO is making it worse (and to be honest, my length isnt really loving it) Seems like a reaction, alergic or otherwise, could be to blame. Going to try WO and see what happens.

THANKS!!
x

[AuburnTresses]

Thanks for answering my question. I hope it works for you! :flower: