Sebum plugs

[happybear]

Hi there,

I have a problem with sebum plugs, well I think I have a problem, I don't really know if everyone has them, but i don't like seeing a nice healthy hair fall out with a giant glop of white sebum on the end of it. And I see this a lot

From what I understand, the plug forces the hair out prematurely and I don't like it. I have thin hair, I don't need it falling out prematurely

I am assuming that sebum plugs occur when their is an overproduction of sebum. I have an oily scalp and have been trying to reduce the sebum somewhat. I used to over-style, shampoo eveyday etc. I stopped doing that and switched to CO washes, stopped styling my hair. I have been doing this since February and I have seen no reduction in sebum and have not been able to stretch my washes at all. When I try to, I am faced with grease and more hair shedding out with sebum balls on the ends, so I wash everday still.

I have come to the realization that my scalp is just naturally an oil slick. I am ok with that, but I am not ok with sebum plugs pushing my hair out.

Has anyone ever had this problem, if so have you ever been able to reduce the sebum plugs?

Is there a way to get them out without losing a hair with them?

I am going to try using indian hair herbs more often to clean out my scalp, because I have noticed that my scalp (and facial skin) gets super cleaned out when I do an amla treatment, but how often is too often?

I have never scritched, will this help? does scritching pull hairs out?

[MeganE]

Got any vacation time coming up? You might need to try not washing for a couple weeks in order to slow down the oil production. I don't know if that would work, but I'm guessing that switching from shampoo to conditioner doesn't really affect the rate of oil production. It's still being removed from your hair on a daily basis, so your scalp might still be producing more than it needs in order to compensate for that.

I have a hard time stretching washes myself. Seems like in order for it to work, you sort of have to resign yourself to at least a day or two of oily hair every time you go through your routine. If you try to keep your hair clean all the time, the oil starts coming back sooner and sooner each time you wash it.

If I go for four days without washing, seems like my hair starts getting oily on the third day. If I wash it on the third day the next time, then it seems like it starts looking oily again on the second. I may be growing out my bangs just so I can get away with stretching washes longer than I can right now.

But I guess our scalps just want our hair to be oily? I'm not really sure myself. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[Siiri]

I always thought it's normal to have a small dot in the end of your hair when it naturally falls out of your hair. Part of it is dead skin cells and part sebum, I think. I have had this always, and I don't have oily scalp and I don't shed a lot.

ETA: Switching from shampoo + conditioner to CO didn't affect my sebum production.

[happybear]

Hi,

haha I wish I did have vacation time, but I don't and the reality is that I can't walk around in public or go to work with oil slick hair, because you see scalp when my hair is oily (i don't have much hair). Some people can just pull it up, but i can't it will look like I am going bald

Whenever I have not washed on a weekend, I pretty much don't leave the apartment, and get grossed out when I see my hair shed out with sebum plugs attached...It makes me think that my hair HAS to be washed everyday to clean out my follicles.

[happybear]

Hi, these things are big globs, and when I pull them off the hair, they are hard.

They look noticeably different from the other hairs that fall out, which have a white dot too, but it is tiny

[spidermom]

I can recommend the CWC with diluted shampoo method of washing.

I have never heard of a sebum plug pushing a hair out of its follicle before it's natural time to shed. It is pretty normal to have a little bulb-looking thing on the end of a naturally shed hair.

Are you getting enough healthy oil in your diet? Enough water? You want your sebum to be as free-flowing as possible. I notice that mine can range from kind of tacky to oily.

I don't think that scritching pulls out hairs. One of the things I like to do is bend forward and drag the blunt tines of my hardwood comb against my scalp. It feels really good!

[headtrip_honey]

Hi, these things are big globs, and when I pull them off the hair, they are hard.

They look noticeably different from the other hairs that fall out, which have a white dot too, but it is tiny
I have this problem as well - stretching washes absolutely did not work for me. I have to wash every day, otherwise it gets worse.

Something that DID help is to use Neutrogena's T/Sal occasionally - it's a medicated shampoo with salicylic acid, which helps to break down oil. So maybe once every couple of weeks I will use that. You do have to let it sit on your head for several minutes, so it's not convenient to use all the time, but I felt that it helps. Otherwise I just wash every day (I might skip on the weekends) with a gentle SLS free shampoo.

I would not recommend putting conditioner anywhere near your scalp, as the emollient ingredients in it, while great for hair, can clog pores if you're already prone to that kind of thing. I rarely use conditioner, and even then only a DROP on my ends. I use any more and I'm a limp, flat grease factory. Le sigh.

[Yame]

My hair is very oily and what has helped the most was stretching washes. I used to wash my hair everyday or every other day, and have been successful in stretching my washes to just once a week. I did this very slowly, over the course of a year.

But I guess maybe it just doesn't work for some people. I recommended it to a friend who also has oily hair but finer and thinner, maybe more like you. She tried it for a few weeks and said it didn't work for her at all.

I have never tried CO washing, but I am skeptical of it. I am sure it works for a lot of people, but for someone who has a tendency to have very oily hair I don't see how it would work. I haven't let conditioner anywhere near my scalp for years, because when I used to apply conditioner to the scalp it would make my hair look limp and get oily quicker. Now I apply conditioner to the length only.

So if you have been using conditioner on your scalp at all, I would say try using it just on the length. Maybe do CWC (just remember to only put conditioner on the length both times), using diluted shampoo. I dilute my shampoo to half shampoo and half water.

And maybe consult a dermatologist about the sebum plugs?

[happybear]

Thanks for your resonses,

Does the t/sal strip your hair? Salycilic acid is really drying on skin. used to use it on the occasional pimple but found it too drying on my face .

As for the conditioner on scalp, I have had sucess with CO ing, (not to rid sebum plugs) but when I CO, my hair comes out clean and full of volume, I use one without cones. I don't think that COing has increased my plugs, but it hasn't improved it either. I plan on CWCing to see if this helps with a diluted shampoo

Also, the plug is not always just on old hairs that are ready to fall, I find them on new baby hairs as well, which bugs me even more.

[headtrip_honey]

It can be harsh on the hair, which is another reason I don't use it all the time (also, it's kinda pricey and comes in a tiny bottle).

I would recommend, on the days you use it (if you try it), to apply conditioner to the length of your hair first, then apply the T/Sal only to your scalp. You may have to use it a few times a week at first for it to clear out the problem. Then just use it every few weeks to maintain.

Honestly, I used to brush my hair and so many of the hairs in my brush would have the sebum plug on them. Since I started my new routine, only one in several will. It didn't completely kill the problem, but it massively helped. The shampoo I use every day is Desert Organics Fragrance Free shampoo.

[happybear]

Ya I think protecting the lengths would have to be mandatory for such a strong shampoo,

I have considered the WO method, but honestly whenever I have tried this my hair looks greasy, and when I don't wash with a cleansing agent i end up with more sebum plugs. I also oil my scalp (Jessies hair oil) a few times a week, and WO is not gonna get that oil out.

I think I might give Shikakki (sp?) a try, or soapnuts, I think these are supposed to be more gentle but cleansing without SLE's in them. I don't want to end up stripping my scalp with anything, cause that will just make it worse

[BlazingHeart]

In addition to scritching, you might try scalp massage and a BBB. Scalp massage, especially if done while washing, can force some of the sebum out of your scalp (and if you do it while washing, it gets washed away). I would do it either right before or during my shower if I were you, and then wash away the excess sebum you work out. A BBB can help get sebum off your scalp gently. It will make your hair look more oily, so again, using it right before you wash may be the best option for you. But a BBB can also help clear pores.

~Blaze

[EmiliaF]

My first thought was that the moisturizing ingredients in the conditioner are clogging the pores and therefore might be contributing to the sebum plugs you on shed hair.

When I was doing CO for 4 months I also had increased shedding and I know there are some other people here who've had this experience with CO. It was really bad and got worse when I did moisture treatments with oils. After weeks of thinking about it, I found that this only happens with CO and is especially bad after I had put oil on my scalp. So apparently my scalp doesn't like extra moisture.

I would suggest stopping CO and trying mild cleansers like Ghassoul or even something like baking soda paired with an ACV rinse. Since I have been using these two things to wash hair (alternating with WO washes in between, because both can be rather drying...), I have virtually no shedding at all. Maybe 5-10 hairs a day.
Maybe it works for you as well?!

[happybear]

Thatnks for the help all!

This is my new plan of action

I think what I will try to do is CWC with soapnuts or ghassoul but not put any condish on the scalp; I need the moisture on my lengths though.

I am not so concerned with shedding, as I think I lose a normal amount of hair each day, so I don't think the CO or the hair oils are having that effect, but I will stop putting CO on my scalp. I will not give up the hair oil on my scalp because it appears to be encouraging new baby hairs!

I will start BBBing more, I hardly ever brush my hair, and I never scritch.My hair is delicate so I don't think I can scritch while it's wet though, so maybe I will do it all before I wash when my hair is dry.

[seaj]

I had a bunch of those plugs this past winter and spring, but I haven't noticed nearly as many since summer came. I would even find some plugs mid hair shaft, and the only way to remove them was to slide them off. My seborrheic dermatitis has also improved as well. Hopefully things don't turn bad again this fall.

[happybear]

I find I get them more in the summer, makes sense because my scalp is super oily in the summer from the heat outside. My face is an oil slick too in the summer, but that is a whole other can-of-worms!

[Naphthylamine]

I have them too. I had them when I used shampoo only, when I used to do CWC, and now when I CO. The weird thing is I certainly don't have an oily scalp. I too, didn't notice it affected by my routine at all. But stopping picking my scalp helped both the hair loss, and the premature greasiness.
Massaging scalp with ACV may help though, maybe I should try it sometime..

[McFearless]

Everybody has that white bulb at the end of a hair. Its a sign the hair has grown to its full cycle.

If you truly do have high oil production maybe you should try training your scalp to produce less oil? People do that with stretching washes.

Edit: I just read another post where you explain some white dots are larger than others.

[jaxtellerr]

Hey Happybear,

If you happen to be still active, do you still get these plugs? Also, headtrip_honey, what about you? I know I am posting like 7 years too late lol.


I have the same thing.

[Joules]

Hey Happybear,

If you happen to be still active, do you still get these plugs? Also, headtrip_honey, what about you? I know I am posting like 7 years too late lol.


I have the same thing.

Use shampoo for your hair type (which means using harsher shampoo if you have oily scalp) and don't even consider stretching washes. Maybe incorporate a scalp peeling or a scrub into your routine. Not washing your scalp is the absolute worst thing you can do for it, I know people on this forum are saying otherwise, but it's a myth. How much oil your scalp produces is regulated by your hormones, you can't change it with external hair care.

If you don't wash off the sebum off your scalp when it needs it, the sebum can become more viscous in the follicles and basically clog it, making it harder for more sebum to get out of the follicle. It creates an illusion of your scalp becoming "less oily" but it's just an illusion. It can lead to malassezia (scalp fungus) overgrowth and hairloss.

70% of adults have oily scalps, it's completely normal, just use shampoos appropriate for this type of skin. You can protect your hair from drying out by using oils.

[jaxtellerr]

Use shampoo for your hair type (which means using harsher shampoo if you have oily scalp) and don't even consider stretching washes. Maybe incorporate a scalp peeling or a scrub into your routine. Not washing your scalp is the absolute worst thing you can do for it, I know people on this forum are saying otherwise, but it's a myth. How much oil your scalp produces is regulated by your hormones, you can't change it with external hair care.

If you don't wash off the sebum off your scalp when it needs it, the sebum can become more viscous in the follicles and basically clog it, making it harder for more sebum to get out of the follicle. It creates an illusion of your scalp becoming "less oily" but it's just an illusion. It can lead to malassezia (scalp fungus) overgrowth and hairloss.

70% of adults have oily scalps, it's completely normal, just use shampoos appropriate for this type of skin. You can protect your hair from drying out by using oils.

I just don't understand where these plugs came from, I have always had oily scalp, but these plugs are new (been having them for the last 6 months). I might try headtrip_honey's suggestion who recommended T/Sal by Neutrogena which contains salicylic acid. Hope that works. The plugs even appear 5/6 hours after a wash, which is really weird.

[lucid]

Old thread... just deleting my post.

[Ylva]

I also thought it was normal to have that white ball on the end of a whole hair that fell out. I see that frequently and my scalp is not particularly oily. In fact I've always considered it quite normal. I wash my scalp twice a week.

[lapushka]

I also thought it was normal to have that white ball on the end of a whole hair that fell out. I see that frequently and my scalp is not particularly oily. In fact I've always considered it quite normal. I wash my scalp twice a week.

You have to make a distinction between sebum and the end of a "normal" hair that sheds with a bulb on top, though.

[Ylva]

You have to make a distinction between sebum and the end of a "normal" hair that sheds with a bulb on top, though.

I can happily say I have no idea how to make that distinction. :D

[lapushka]

I can happily say I have no idea how to make that distinction. :D

You're kidding! :) You guys do know that hair sheds with a bulb on top when it's *done*, right? :confused:

[jaxtellerr]

I also thought it was normal to have that white ball on the end of a whole hair that fell out. I see that frequently and my scalp is not particularly oily. In fact I've always considered it quite normal. I wash my scalp twice a week.

This sebum plug encapsulate the white bulb. I can slide it off. Once I remove it the tiny ball you speak of appears, which is normal indeed.

[Ylva]

You're kidding! :) You guys do know that hair sheds with a bulb on top when it's *done*, right? :confused:

Yeah, of course. That's why I'm confused as to why it's a bad thing that there's a bulb. :D And I don't know what the difference between that and the "not-good" bulb is.


This sebum plug encapsulate the white bulb. I can slide it off. Once I remove it the tiny ball you speak of appears, which is normal indeed.

Ah, I see. This clears it up a lot.

[TreesOfEternity]

This sebum plug encapsulate the white bulb. I can slide it off. Once I remove it the tiny ball you speak of appears, which is normal indeed.

I have had those before, when I tried to stretch washes too quickly or thought that putting oil on an oily scalp was a good idea for some reason :doh:

[jaxtellerr]

I have had those before, when I tried to stretch washes too quickly or thought that putting oil on an oily scalp was a good idea for some reason :doh:

How long did you have it? and how did you stop it?

[TreesOfEternity]

I can't remember how long it lasted but not longer than a month.
I went back to washing every 3 or 4 days instead of forcing the stretch to 6 days (now months have passed and I'm able to wash every 5 days but it's a slow process), kept oils away from my scalp and wash with sulfates every second wash (that's the balance I've found between being gentle with my hair and keeping my scalp clean). Some people find that scalp exfoliation helps, my skin is sensitive so I haven't tried it though.

[MusicalSpoons]

This sebum plug encapsulate the white bulb. I can slide it off. Once I remove it the tiny ball you speak of appears, which is normal indeed.

Oh! I never knew that's what they were called. I've only ever seen them on hairs that have been pulled out rather than shed, and usually only coarser hairs (both down to trichotillomania and also personal grooming such as tweezing eyebrows). I don't inspect my shed hairs beyond a quick glance but I think I probably would have noticed if any had sebum plugs attached.

[jaxtellerr]

Oh! I never knew that's what they were called. I've only ever seen them on hairs that have been pulled out rather than shed, and usually only coarser hairs (both down to trichotillomania and also personal grooming such as tweezing eyebrows). I don't inspect my shed hairs beyond a quick glance but I think I probably would have noticed if any had sebum plugs attached.

I believe those are somethig else. Those only appear when you pull out hairs. Those are more transparent and you can't slide them off

[jaxtellerr]

I can't remember how long it lasted but not longer than a month.
I went back to washing every 3 or 4 days instead of forcing the stretch to 6 days (now months have passed and I'm able to wash every 5 days but it's a slow process), kept oils away from my scalp and wash with sulfates every second wash (that's the balance I've found between being gentle with my hair and keeping my scalp clean). Some people find that scalp exfoliation helps, my skin is sensitive so I haven't tried it though.

That's something I could do as well! Are you using the harshest sulfate (lauryl) or the less harsher one (laureth)

[TreesOfEternity]

That's something I could do as well! Are you using the harshest sulfate (lauryl) or the less harsher one (laureth)

Usually I use the ones with sodium coco-sulfate, if I feel my hair starts getting greasy quickly the next wash I'll go with a harsher one (the two shampoos I use now for this purpose, as well as for clarifying the length when needed, have sodium laureth sulfate + TEA lauryl sulfate, and the other one ammonium lauryl sulfate + sodium laureth sulfate).

When using harsh sulfates I always do an oil pre-poo treatment and a deep moisturizing treatment afterwards, even if I only wash the scalp. When doing SLS-free I may use only conditioner or double conditioner afterwards.

[MusicalSpoons]

I believe those are somethig else. Those only appear when you pull out hairs. Those are more transparent and you can't slide them off

They could be something else, but mine do slide off which is why I assumed they were the same :shrug: they are indeed fairly transparent though.

[jaxtellerr]

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3dfebc0add4d17e988ee5c2fd96b57bb

I remember what they are called: root sheath :) You won't see those unless you plug a hair.

[MusicalSpoons]

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3dfebc0add4d17e988ee5c2fd96b57bb

I remember what they are called: root sheath :) You won't see those unless you plug a hair.

Aha, I see. Thanks!