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View Full Version : Dietary/routine changes for sebum control?



Jimothea
September 5th, 2011, 11:32 PM
Though currently I'm a happy COer, I got to wondering if there are certain things I can eat, or change in my haircare routines or even household routines (I guess?), to encourage sebum to be less waxy and more oily, so that I can really begin stretching my washes.

I've noticed my hair (well, except for the practically destroyed ends!) feels so much nicer the day before a very, very stretched wash. Like, fantastic But...with my scalp issues, I can't really go as long as I would like between my CO's. Part of this is that my sebum seems to be very, very waxy, almost chunky really, and that makes it hard for me to distribute it in any way, shape or form unless I've really, really stretched the time between washes, which usually makes my scalp a little pissed off, lol. My dad has similar sebum; Mom used to get mad if he forgot to clean his combs, lol. (Eeew, TMI I know. lol)

Here's the ideal week for me and my scalp.

Day one: BBB thoroughly before my wash. CO-ACV-CO. End with cold blast (the beginning is super hot). Drip dry down, untouched. Wear down all day, untouched. Fingercomb and braid at night
Day two: BBB in morning. Smooth into half-up of some sort. Fingercomb and braid at night.
Day three: BBB in morning. Smooth into bun. Fingercomb and braid at night. Getting greasy, but doable.
Day four: BBB in morning. Smooth into bun. BBB and braid at night with light oiling on ends. CO in the morning. If I'm doing any kind of treatment, like deep oiling, SMT (well, this in the morning of) or maybe Monistat or whatnot, I do it on this night.

Keep in mind, this is the absolute best-case scenario. If I've been stressed, out in the garden, swimming, playing with little kids, cooking anything buttery, whatever--this goes right out the window!

Even directly following the wash, I can see the waxy sebum. Sometimes it's even there when my hair is still damp. I swear I'm thorough, too, about the washing, I mean! Since I'm blonde, it's, err..kind of noticeable, those chunky hunks. Ughh. lol.

It doesn't matter if I shampoo (though I don't very often), use an additional rinse of some kind, do a brown sugar scrub, or anything. It's literally always there--or at least it has been for the past few years. Therefore, I have assumed it is not caused by a product. Also, since I have hard water now, but have only lived here for a little over a year and previously had soft, city water and still had waxy sebum, I'm assuming water pH is not a cause, either. Hmm.? I try to eat a fairly balanced diet; the only thing I don't get a great deal of is leafy greens, and that's more of a winter thing...this probably all reads really randomly, but I've been racking my brains trying to figure it out.

If I could just get the sebum to be less waxy and more oily--which my hair loves, loves, loves--I think both my scalp and my hair would be happy campers. Are there preening tricks or dietary changes I need to investigate to acheive this? Or is it a genetic thing? It only gets oily enough to distribute at the very end of a stretched week, and even then there's still a lot of sebum that I literally pluck out of my hair. Besides, by that time, my scalp is usually a mess.

If there's a thread or blog on here already, would someone please direct me to it? Anyone successfully transform chunky waxy sebum to friendly, oil-based sebum? Am I missing something in my routine or diet?

Advise me, please?!!? And thank you so much in advance; this forum is beyond helpful, really and truly.

Desideira
September 6th, 2011, 12:45 AM
HI:)

I used to ahve very oily scalp and waxy kind of hair.I had to wash every single day. Now i can strech to every two days wchich i am very happy about.

For me worked swiching from normal chmapoo to sls free schampoos with herbs that are antisceptic and reduce oil production( I like shampoos that contain lemon peel oil, neem, tea tree oil, panthenol). I also like to use scalp tonics and ampules.

I aslo before wash do a good 3 minutes rinse with just hot water and I massage the scapl. I massage scalp during wash very long and I leave shampoo for 2-3 minutes to dissove sebum. so far it worked for me:)
the process was long.It took me a year to see a differnece

Hope theat coudl be helpfull.:)

HintOfMint
September 6th, 2011, 01:33 AM
I've always had waxy sebum, yes it was chunky and built up under my fingernails if I scratched my scalp. I occasionally had flakes, but over the summer the flakes got out of control so I used Head and Shoulders.

The amazing thing that happened was that, not only did the flakes disappear, but my sebum completely changed texture as well. Maybe it is because I let it sit the way Desideira said or maybe it is the formulation itself, but I no longer have chunky sebum.

It still is a bit waxy, but it is more oily than waxy now and I can stretch washes longer. Hope this is helpful. Then again, if you don't have flakes, I don't know if it will work for you the way it did for me. Anyhow, hope you find something that works for you.

ETA: Maybe, off the top of my head (heh) an omega-3 supplement, and getting more healthy fats in your diet could help. Think avocados, salmon, omega-3 enriched eggs... etc.

pixiedust
September 6th, 2011, 02:06 AM
I've always had waxy sebum, yes it was chunky and built up under my fingernails if I scratched my scalp. I occasionally had flakes, but over the summer the flakes got out of control so I used Head and Shoulders.

The amazing thing that happened was that, not only did the flakes disappear, but my sebum completely changed texture as well. Maybe it is because I let it sit the way Desideira said or maybe it is the formulation itself, but I no longer have chunky sebum.

It still is a bit waxy, but it is more oily than waxy now and I can stretch washes longer. Hope this is helpful. Then again, if you don't have flakes, I don't know if it will work for you the way it did for me. Anyhow, hope you find something that works for you.

ETA: Maybe, off the top of my head (heh) an omega-3 supplement, and getting more healthy fats in your diet could help. Think avocados, salmon, omega-3 enriched eggs... etc.

I've noticed that If I include at least one avacado a day into my diet, It improves this problem for me tremendously. (:

Chetanlaiho
September 6th, 2011, 03:29 AM
I've always had waxy sebum, yes it was chunky and built up under my fingernails if I scratched my scalp..

I don't think my sebum is particularly waxy or chunky but it does build up under my fingernails if I scratch my scalp, I thought that was normal? :confused:

indiana
September 6th, 2011, 04:43 AM
I would love suggestions on this one too! I am still a daily washer, even a year and half into Sulfate free shampoos and cone free conditioners and all of the other suggestions I've seen here on the board.

Desideira
September 6th, 2011, 05:10 AM
This kind of waxy sebum has usually caused by to high level of DHT. Waxy sebum can make hair bulb waker and lead to hair fall.This is what i read and heard but I dont say that is always the case.

The problem is it dont show in typical thyroid test.
Its possible to nautrally make the DHT less afective. Antyoxidant and omega fatty acid are very helpfull, licopene(tomatoes are rich in likopene) and green tea,evening primose oil, sunflower seeds,saw palemtto, punpkin seed are very good and efective blockers of DHT. I also saw some supplement with DHT blockers.
When DHt is blocked the sebum production decrease.
also hormonal pill are usuallya ffecting and blcoking DHT as well.

Its woft trying healthy diet bacuase all those food is very healthy and noutritious for your whole body so it can do no harm.

sometimes sebum can be waxy due to build up. Maybe strong claryifing woudl help? Fro me the imidgreat imporvment came form sclap tonics and ampules. I really like Garneir Neril (sold in pharmacies) its dissolves sebum build up. I liek to sue it before shampoo. I as using it before every wash for about two monts and I really liek how it reduced greasiness.

Charybdis
September 6th, 2011, 06:32 AM
Use the search function to check out the threads on seborrheic dermatitis (SD). This kind of waxy sebum buildup is a hallmark of SD, although it sounds like you're lucky enough not to get any actual weepy sores on your scalp.

DoubleCrowned
September 6th, 2011, 10:57 AM
Here's the ideal week for me and my scalp.

Day one: BBB thoroughly before my wash. CO-ACV-CO. End with cold blast (the beginning is super hot). ...

Even directly following the wash, I can see the waxy sebum. Sometimes it's even there when my hair is still damp.

... I have assumed it is not caused by a product. Also, since I have hard water now, but have only lived here for a little over a year and previously had soft, city water and still had waxy sebum, I'm assuming water pH is not a cause, either. Hmm.?
...
If there's a thread or blog on here already, would someone please direct me to it? Anyone successfully transform chunky waxy sebum to friendly, oil-based sebum? Am I missing something in my routine or diet?

Advise me, please?!!? And thank you so much in advance; this forum is beyond helpful, really and truly.

Take a look at the WO (water only) thread. They have discovered that hot water causes the sebum to be waxy and too abundant so wash only with room-temperature to cold water. Also, they found use of hard water makes it difficult to control sebum/oil balance in the hair.

Here is a link about using vitamin C and citric acid to soften tap water for hair washing: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/arc...ad.php?t=51184

teal
September 6th, 2011, 11:44 AM
You could also try starting with a cold blast and scalp massage before continuing with the rest of your shower. I think the theory is that the muscles will contract (as for goosebumps) and excess sebum is squeezed out... which then gets massaged away.

Jimothea
September 6th, 2011, 12:56 PM
Thank you so much for all your responses! Let's see...

Head and Shoulders freaks my scalp and hair out; I no longer use that as a product. But, were my body not so picky, this might have been a great suggestion, lol.

I love fatty foods, both the good kind and the not-so-good kind, lol, so it shouldn't be difficult to up my intake.

I'll definitely go look up DHT information; thanks for the tip! As for buildup, I actually want my sebum to do that, I just only want it to be the oil-based, grease-monger kind, not the funky-chunky kind. I'd be perfectly happy with oilslick hair, as long as its oily enough to move down my hair follicles and not chunk up at the top.

I do have SD, but my derm seems more focused on treatment rather than prevention--not that I'm complaining, because I do get the weepy, icky itchy sores and etc. She hasn't mentioned anything about controlling the way the sebum comes out of my scalp, or even that there is a way to control it, or to what degree this will effect my SD, if at all. Granted I don't see her very often, as I can't shell out the dough as often as I'd like, so we probably both forget a lot of issues between visits.

As for the hot water part, well crap! lol. I love my scalding hot showers *sinffle, sniffle* and assumed the heat would...err..I dunno...melt? the sebum easier. Hadn't thought about it ver clearly, really. Guess that means I need to take cooler showers for a while and see if that helps. Darnit. lol.

I actually did a WO wash today, but that's not a usual thing, and I did use scalding hot water...hmm.

So. More omega 3's and anitoxidants, check. Look up info on DHT, check. Take cool-warm-cold showers *pout*, check. Read through WO thread, check.

Gracias!

Saraya
September 6th, 2011, 01:07 PM
Tea tree shampoos are really great about regulating the sebum the scalp produces i like the paul mitchell tea tree. Or any normalizing shampoo, joico and biolage have some really good ones.

spidermom
September 6th, 2011, 01:07 PM
My sebun can range from chalky to waxy to oily, but I haven't figured out why. I suspect it's dietary.

Cassie 123
September 6th, 2011, 01:39 PM
Have you tried applying oil directly to your scalp before washing? Here is a very relevant quote by redcelticcurls from the castor oil thread:


What [castor oil] has done, though, is make scalp cleaning easier. My sebum is thick and waxy. It feels like ear wax. After a castor oil treatment at night, my sebum is much more liquified and easier to remove. If nothing else, the luquidification of my sebum would make it easier for new hairs to show since they aren't bogged down in waxy sebum. Even if I get no change in growth rate, it's worth continuing for the sebum thinning.

I, too, have noticed that my scalp gets cleaner when I apply castor oil. Also, for what it's worth, the treatment for cradle cap - which is also a waxy buildup on the scalp - is to apply some pure oil (I used fractionated coconut oil for my youngest son, with great success) to the scalp, let it sit for at least 15 minutes to soften up, and then remove it by gentle dry exfoliation, followed by washing. For grownup longhairs, medium-to-fine toothed horn combs make wonderful scalp exfoliators.

Oh, and dramatically increasing my omega-3 intake (I now take 3 packets of Coromega (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coromega&sprefix=coromega) daily) also seemed to improve my nursing baby's cradle cap quite a lot.

Charybdis
September 6th, 2011, 02:48 PM
I do have SD, but my derm seems more focused on treatment rather than prevention--not that I'm complaining, because I do get the weepy, icky itchy sores and etc. She hasn't mentioned anything about controlling the way the sebum comes out of my scalp, or even that there is a way to control it, or to what degree this will effect my SD, if at all. Granted I don't see her very often, as I can't shell out the dough as often as I'd like, so we probably both forget a lot of issues between visits.

Ah, you do get the weepy sores -- I used to have trouble with those when I was younger. What really helped me was the shampoos with coal tar -- Denorex or Neutrogena T/Gel. Unfortunately, they're a bit harsh on your hair. When my SD got a bit better, I had good luck with Aveda's leave-in dandruff treatment (http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY10531/PROD11911/Hair_Care/Extra_Treatment/index.tmpl). These days I don't have any visible signs of SD, but I still have to wash every 3 days with a sulfate-containing shampoo (SLES is my personal sulfate of choice) and I can't let my scalp sit around wet for too long, especially after sweating. Also, oil-massaging the scalp and letting the oil sit for awhile before shampooing definitely helps reduce itching and improves the texture of my scalp. Good luck!

Jimothea
September 6th, 2011, 04:32 PM
Sadly, tea tree oil is yet another thing which freaks my scalp (skin in general, actually) out horribly--sucks, because I love the scent of it. Apparently a lot of people don't???? Crazies. lol.

Me too, about suspecting it's a dietary issue. I know that sugars/refined carbs are no-no for my scalp health, so I figure there are no-no's for ideal sebum too.

I do deep oilings every now and then, but only every now and then since it's so messy, lol. That's really the only time I have oil on my scalp. I do have castor oil though; I could always try a quick scalp soak before my next CO--does CO take out castor oil? I'll go look.

As for the SD, it's gotten much better now that I've moved to CO-ACV-CO. My flares center largely around stress and sugar, so as long as I try to keep those under control, I can avoid the harsher products for the most part.

Desideira
September 7th, 2011, 12:39 AM
Sadly, tea tree oil is yet another thing which freaks my scalp (skin in general, actually) out horribly--sucks, because I love the scent of it. Apparently a lot of people don't???? Crazies. lol.

Me too, about suspecting it's a dietary issue. I know that sugars/refined carbs are no-no for my scalp health, so I figure there are no-no's for ideal sebum too.

I do deep oilings every now and then, but only every now and then since it's so messy, lol. That's really the only time I have oil on my scalp. I do have castor oil though; I could always try a quick scalp soak before my next CO--does CO take out castor oil? I'll go look.

As for the SD, it's gotten much better now that I've moved to CO-ACV-CO. My flares center largely around stress and sugar, so as long as I try to keep those under control, I can avoid the harsher products for the most part.

I had SD aslo
There is a tread I found
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=54045

Somehow SD and waxy sebum often go together.
I am glad that your SD is getting better:)

May I ask what is your routine? its CO-ACV0-CO. Do you ofthen claryfy with shampoo?

Do you CO wash with coney conditioners or withaut cones?

Maybe its coney build up?

I wanted to mention about sclap tonic and ampules. I see that they are not popular aroudn LHC, but I really depend on thsese kind of products.

Since I heard on Tv program about trychologists (dermatologist specialized in hair and scalp) they were mentioning about waxy sebum on the scalp. They said that its really hard to remove and dissolve even with typical shampoo.
In that case they advised to use ampuels and scalp tonics. They contain ingriedients that dissolve sebum and will make it thinner (less waxy more oil I guess) I decided to try and I was surprised how well ti work:D

They really work:cheese:. I use my native polish brands or garneir Neril tonic. I use it before wash-apply on the scalp, massage in. Let is be absorbed and then I wash my hair. Now I use it occasionaly because my scalp become dryer so I can was 2 times a week insted of everyday.

Jimothea
September 7th, 2011, 08:04 PM
My CO-ACV-CO routine is cone free and sulfate free with whatever brand of Suave Naturals I have laying about, except for the coconut one (hair doesn't like protein). If I'm doing any tisanes or tonics, they go on after the final CO but I don't do them very often...when I do it's usually rosemary or a blend of teas.

I don't use any products on my actual scalp, and the only thing that goes on my ends is a bit of oil, so I don't clarify very often--at all. Tends to make my scalp worse if I shampoo too often; more tender, lots of the chunky sebum anyway, super dry hair strands.

Hope that was enough info!

Do you know what the active ingredients are? Still though, that would be treating the symptom--the chunky, unhelpful kind of sebum--instead of the problem--why I produce the unhelpful kind of sebum....but it would be good to look into.

DoubleCrowned
September 7th, 2011, 08:28 PM
Thank you so much for all your responses! Let's see...
...

As for the hot water part, well crap! lol. I love my scalding hot showers *sinffle, sniffle* and assumed the heat would...err..I dunno...melt? the sebum easier. Hadn't thought about it ver clearly, really. Guess that means I need to take cooler showers for a while and see if that helps. Darnit. lol.

I actually did a WO wash today, but that's not a usual thing, and I did use scalding hot water...hmm.
...
Gracias!

You could make a simple bun on top of your head, scald yourself in the shower, then step aside when you change it to cool/cold water, lean over and release the hair, and just stick your head back into the water. Once your hair is clean, you could wrap it in a towel and re-scald the rest of yourself if you get too cold.

Cassie 123
September 7th, 2011, 08:46 PM
I don't use any products on my actual scalp

Wait, you mean "(except for the conditioner and ACV)", right?

Jimothea
September 7th, 2011, 09:10 PM
Oh, while it's warm out still the readjustment won't be that big of a deal. Come winter, however, I might follow that suggestion!

Yeah, I should have been clearer; I don't use any products on my scalp, post showering.

Desideira
September 8th, 2011, 12:40 AM
My CO-ACV-CO routine is cone free and sulfate free with whatever brand of Suave Naturals I have laying about, except for the coconut one (hair doesn't like protein). If I'm doing any tisanes or tonics, they go on after the final CO but I don't do them very often...when I do it's usually rosemary or a blend of teas.

I don't use any products on my actual scalp, and the only thing that goes on my ends is a bit of oil, so I don't clarify very often--at all. Tends to make my scalp worse if I shampoo too often; more tender, lots of the chunky sebum anyway, super dry hair strands.

Hope that was enough info!

Do you know what the active ingredients are? Still though, that would be treating the symptom--the chunky, unhelpful kind of sebum--instead of the problem--why I produce the unhelpful kind of sebum....but it would be good to look into.

Scalp rproblems are difficult to cure. I think only good specialist in that matte coudl find a reason for it and a treatment that would work effeciently.

I dont know what woud lwork for you, I can only share what helped me and I hope It coudl help you:)

I belive that since the scalp is the problem then treatments and special care should be focused on skin on the scalp not hte hair. The ichiness and SD calms down when the skin start to produces less oil. This kind of "bad, waxy oil" can lead to hair fall and make hair grow thinner and weaker.

I cant use typical shampoo also. I can only use non sls, possbile withaut artigficial colorant and parabens and lanolin.

The reason for the problems is difficult to tell. For some its allergic reaction -if your skin constantly have contact with ingriedient that is irritating i wills tart to defend itself by creating thicker sebum, it can be hormonal, it can be becuse of many things. I guess only a good dermatlogoist/trychologist could find the reason and perscript good treatment specific for you.