help with dandruff!

[hellopanpan]

I'm not sure if I have dandruff exactly or if my scalp is just dry, but I seriously need some help! I've tried googling it, but there's just so much info I get confused haha.

Anyway, my scalp gets flakey a lot. Sometimes it's really big dry flakes, but since I started CO washing and scrithing (I think? I lightly scratch my scalp with my nails before a shower) it's gotten a lot better. But, I also get little flakes and my scalp is a little itchy, and some parts of it are sort of wet and sticky? (That sounds really gross doesn't it?) And my flakes aren't really...flakey. Sometimes they're kind of crusty I guess? (Please don't shun me!)

So I was wondering if anyone knows what's wrong with me and how to fix it? I'm trying to spread out my washes, but it's really hard because the next day after a wash (or sometimes two, if I'm lucky) it just gets itchy and flakey. Please help :( Sorry this was so long!

[KwaveT]

Detergents in shampoos though can make this problem worse. My dandruff has disappeared completely since I stopped using shampoo. I don't care if a shampoo is marketed as a dandruff shampoo. My old shampoo was one and I had that problem for years. Others may have a different experience. I have an oily scalp rather than a dry one. That may have made a difference with me.

[hellopanpan]

I used to use head and shoulders, and it did work, until I stopped using it. So I cut it all out and now I only CO wash, with V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze. Idk if my scalp is dry or oily, I assume dry since there's flakes, but my hair gets oily pretty quickly (within a day or so)

[hellopanpan]

Help please? :)

[Mythica]

It sounds like your scalp is oily and that you may have something that was a pain for me for quite a while. If you have what I think you're talking about, it's like a buildup of sticky, oily, slightly granular flakes in spots and then other flakes here and there, yes?

I can't CO on my scalp because it leads to an increase of that stuff. Sometimes the goo builds up in spots because they got missed in shampooing. Now, I do use an SLS shampoo, but Giovanni 50/50 seems to work pretty well too. Basically, you use the (diluted) shampoo on your scalp and use the conditioner to wash the length. I also have to go in layers and gently use my nails to really make sure my scalp has any buildup carefully removed.
I also take a zinc supplement (helps with skin irritations) and occasionally put peppermint oil (my grandmother always said it was anti-fungal) on my scalp.

However, this is kind of a guess. I wouldn't know for sure if you are dealing with what I have been dealing with unless I saw it. I suppose there's always the possibility that it's seborrheic dermatitis, but if it is, it doesn't sound super severe.
Sorry, this may not be much help. I'm sorry your scalp is giving you problems! :flower:

[Ana Stargazer]

Hi, your scalp sounds very similar to mine.... H&S addict here that happily overcame H&S...:eek:

These are the steps I use and have less or not at all dandruff/flakiness :cool::

1. find a glycerine based soap and use it insteand of a shampoo
2. after rinsing your hair normally, rinse your hair with one-two spoons apple cider vinegar (organic), diluted in 500 ml cold water (helps to detangle as well and the vinegary smell will dissapear once the hair is dry)
3. (this should have been step one) before washing the hair, pour some extra virgin olive oil on your scalp and ends and if you can keep it over night

Hope this helps, let me know how you go! ;)

PS. Also diet can help as well - cut out the sweets and eat as healthy as you can (easier said than done) :poot:

[starlamelissa]

Oh I am gonna get in trouble here, because my advice is contradictory, but my husband has seborrhea dermatitis, and per his doctors instruction, he washes daily with a dandruff shampoo, and uses a special prescription shampoo if his scalp has a flare up.

I recommend using a dandruff shampoo undiluted on your scalp every day. I recommend head and shoulders classic, or neutrogena t- sal, which is gentler and unscented. If you continue to have issues, see a dermatologist.

[racrane]

I still get dandruff, too. I alternate between CO and CWC, but when I do wash, I really massage my scalp. That helps me. I hope you feel better, this is never fun!

[Copasetic]

It might not be dandruff. It could just be a dry scalp. You could try doing a little oil treatment before you wash. Just rub a little oil on your scalp, let it sit, and then wash it out.

[hellopanpan]

It sounds like your scalp is oily and that you may have something that was a pain for me for quite a while. If you have what I think you're talking about, it's like a buildup of sticky, oily, slightly granular flakes in spots and then other flakes here and there, yes?

I can't CO on my scalp because it leads to an increase of that stuff. Sometimes the goo builds up in spots because they got missed in shampooing. Now, I do use an SLS shampoo, but Giovanni 50/50 seems to work pretty well too. Basically, you use the (diluted) shampoo on your scalp and use the conditioner to wash the length. I also have to go in layers and gently use my nails to really make sure my scalp has any buildup carefully removed.
I also take a zinc supplement (helps with skin irritations) and occasionally put peppermint oil (my grandmother always said it was anti-fungal) on my scalp.

However, this is kind of a guess. I wouldn't know for sure if you are dealing with what I have been dealing with unless I saw it. I suppose there's always the possibility that it's seborrheic dermatitis, but if it is, it doesn't sound super severe.
Sorry, this may not be much help. I'm sorry your scalp is giving you problems! :flower:

That's exactly what mines is! If I were to rub my scalp, my flakes aren't really flakes. It's like hard...like crystals or sugar or something. And sometimes if I scratch too much or if it's just irritated, I'll get these bumps and they're really sticky :(

Thank you everyone so much for your help :) I'm going to try out all of your recommendations and hopefully find something that works for me :D

[Faepirate]

Oily and flakey hmm? My bets are on a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis... which is probably why the Head and Shoulders worked for you, because it has anti-fungal agents (my understanding is that seborrheic dermatitis is caused by an immune response to a yeast that feeds on sebum in the skin). Vinegar rinses might help, or adding a drop of tea tree oil to your conditioner. :) Both are natural antifungals.

Keep an eye on it if you continue to CO. I will say that my seborrheic dermatitis got much, much worse when I started regularly CO-ing. D: If it is indeed the condition you have on your scalp, then hopefully you won't have the same problem. It might just have been a coincidence, or the particular conditioner I was using, but I don't dare risk CO again with my scalp. :( (It's too bad because it made my hair soooo nice! But eventually the problem spread to my face and it took me 2 years to get it under control and I can't help but think if I'd never gone down the CO road it might not have happened... ahhhhhh well. >_<)

[hellopanpan]

Oily and flakey hmm? My bets are on a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis... which is probably why the Head and Shoulders worked for you, because it has anti-fungal agents (my understanding is that seborrheic dermatitis is caused by an immune response to a yeast that feeds on sebum in the skin). Vinegar rinses might help, or adding a drop of tea tree oil to your conditioner. :) Both are natural antifungals.

Keep an eye on it if you continue to CO. I will say that my seborrheic dermatitis got much, much worse when I started regularly CO-ing. D: If it is indeed the condition you have on your scalp, then hopefully you won't have the same problem. It might just have been a coincidence, or the particular conditioner I was using, but I don't dare risk CO again with my scalp. :( (It's too bad because it made my hair soooo nice!)

My flakes sort of changed when I started CO washing. I've always had these oily, sticky, grainy flakes. But when I started using head and shoulders it kind of changed to just regular dry flakes. Sometimes really big flakes, where I just had to look at a part in my hair and I could see my scalp flaking. But since I started CO-ing it switched back to more so oily sticky flakes, instead of those big dry ones :(

I'm definitely going to google seborrheic dermatitis right now! Your hair is sooo beautiful, what kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use, if you don't CO anymore? :)

[Faepirate]

Big dry flakes aren't very fun either, poor you. D: I used to get flakes just like that, like big huge ones all over the parting yuck, and another bad spot seemed to be in the middle of my hairline at my forehead, and in front of both ears. I hope you manage to get it under control - I know it's sooo annoying especially when it's itchy too...

Thanks for the compliment! :] My hair nowadays isn't as good as it was in some of my pictures on this site, because admittedly I don't give it very much attention these days, but after I stopped CO for a while I did cassia treatments every week and that made it really soft and shiny! It didn't seem to affect the dermatitis either, which was lucky... Other than that I just use regular sulfate shampoo (whatever was lying around) and a Timotei conditioner once every few days.

[hellopanpan]

Yes that's where mines it! Right down the middle part especially in the front where my bangs are. And the back of head at the bottom, the nape of my neck. And that's where I get monstrous tangles :(

Sorry if this is a silly question, but what is cassia? And Timotei?

[Soniasonia]

What I use to prevent dandruff is diluted Bragg vinegar. One part vinegar three parts water. Apply to scalp and let sit for 15-30 minutes before you get in the shower. Also, use a natural shampoo on your scalp. Use whatever you want on your hair but use a natural one on your scalp that's SLS free. Such as Trader Joe's Nourishing Spa shampoo, which I really like. Good luck!

[hellopanpan]

Is any kind of vinegar okay? Like apple cider vinegar? I'm gonna try that next time I wash too :)

[Jean Stuart]

It sounds like your scalp is oily and that you may have something that was a pain for me for quite a while. If you have what I think you're talking about, it's like a buildup of sticky, oily, slightly granular flakes in spots and then other flakes here and there, yes?

I can't CO on my scalp because it leads to an increase of that stuff. Sometimes the goo builds up in spots because they got missed in shampooing. Now, I do use an SLS shampoo, but Giovanni 50/50 seems to work pretty well too. Basically, you use the (diluted) shampoo on your scalp and use the conditioner to wash the length. I also have to go in layers and gently use my nails to really make sure my scalp has any buildup carefully removed.
I also take a zinc supplement (helps with skin irritations) and occasionally put peppermint oil (my grandmother always said it was anti-fungal) on my scalp.

However, this is kind of a guess. I wouldn't know for sure if you are dealing with what I have been dealing with unless I saw it. I suppose there's always the possibility that it's seborrheic dermatitis, but if it is, it doesn't sound super severe.
Sorry, this may not be much help. I'm sorry your scalp is giving you problems! :flower:


That's exactly what mines is! If I were to rub my scalp, my flakes aren't really flakes. It's like hard...like crystals or sugar or something. And sometimes if I scratch too much or if it's just irritated, I'll get these bumps and they're really sticky :(

Thank you everyone so much for your help :) I'm going to try out all of your recommendations and hopefully find something that works for me :D



I have the same problem! Since joining lhc though it is so much better. When it was real bad I wash my scalp with baking soda and let it sit for a minute or two rinse it real well and apple cider vinegar rinse letting that sit on it too. I did that once a week then once a month. Now it flares up very rarely. I scalp massage every night sometimes with a tee trea neem oil rosemary spray mix I made. I c.o. wash and last night I did a baking soda wash by mixing it in my conditioner and then ACV after and my hair feels great. I don"t like the smell of baking soda mixed with shampoo or conditioner though. Good luck with your problem. I also used to use a copper brush just on the scalp, now I have a Porcupine bbb that feels good.

[hellopanpan]

I have the same problem! Since joining lhc though it is so much better. When it was real bad I wash my scalp with baking soda and let it sit for a minute or two rinse it real well and apple cider vinegar rinse letting that sit on it too. I did that once a week then once a month. Now it flares up very rarely. I scalp massage every night sometimes with a tee trea neem oil rosemary spray mix I made. I c.o. wash and last night I did a baking soda wash by mixing it in my conditioner and then ACV after and my hair feels great. I don"t like the smell of baking soda mixed with shampoo or conditioner though. Good luck with your problem. I also used to use a copper brush just on the scalp, now I have a Porcupine bbb that feels good.

It makes me feel a lot better knowing that other people have the same problem as me! I thought something was wrong at first! Do you condition after you wash with the baking soda? I think I'll try this out for a while! Does it dry out your hair?

[saskia_madding]

Wow, does that ever sound like that happened to me. I've been battling a flaky, itchy scalp that opens up into small, weeping sores every since I hit puberty. For a while, SLS shampoos kept it mildly in check, but not really. And only if I washed every day.

I tried a lot of things and l lost a lot of hair while waiting to find the right combination. Here's a controversial thread (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34619) of what worked for me. It's the ONLY THING that has kept working. Otherwise, doctors have suggested I try Nizoral, but that is so harsh that I'd like to avoid it.

[hellopanpan]

Wow, does that ever sound like that happened to me. I've been battling a flaky, itchy scalp that opens up into small, weeping sores every since I hit puberty. For a while, SLS shampoos kept it mildly in check, but not really. And only if I washed every day.

I tried a lot of things and l lost a lot of hair while waiting to find the right combination. Here's a controversial thread (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34619) of what worked for me. It's the ONLY THING that has kept working. Otherwise, doctors have suggested I try Nizoral, but that is so harsh that I'd like to avoid it.

I'm taking a look at the thread now, and I think I will definitely try this! That's how mines is too, like sticky lumpy sores :(

[Jean Stuart]

It makes me feel a lot better knowing that other people have the same problem as me! I thought something was wrong at first! Do you condition after you wash with the baking soda? I think I'll try this out for a while! Does it dry out your hair?

you can put conditioner on the ends.

[Mythica]

I may need to try the baking soda thing myself to see if it works better than my normal routine! Last time I tried baking soda, I didn't think to really pay attention to the effects and only used it a couple times. Good thread. :)

Edit: Ok, I haven't had any hard crusty bits (in many years, and only a touch before). I missed that bit in the OP (oops). The little weeping crusty sores make it sound quite a lot like SB then.
Usually I approach fungal things with a whole-body routine--keeping the area properly cleansed and avoiding consuming anything that might allow the fungus to feed any more than it already is. A candida diet can be good for that.* I very much second the careful eating and the tea tree oil applications as well. As always though, YMMV.

*Link: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoeat.htm