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View Full Version : Extremely oily scalp & breaking ends



jinnaa
January 5th, 2012, 01:27 AM
Hi all,

First of all I'm new here. My name is Jinna and I'm a photographer from Amsterdam who's looking to move to the States. I've had short hair all my life (really short and a bob later on) and thought that my hair couldn't get long but I started to grow my hair out 4 years ago and I think it's at 30 inches right now (I will post photos of my hair later.)

My problem is that I have an extremely oily scalp, occassional scalp acne, and dry ends. I've used nexxus shampoo for a while but this only made my scalp greasier so I decided to use Sebamed anti-dandruff shampoo (http://www.sebamed.com/index.php?id=1144&L=1).
This works great for my scalp and I can go days without washing, however, the rest of my hair (especially the ends) get extremely dry and brittle from this shampoo.

Are there other ways to battle an oily scalp? I've recently started using Almond oil on my ends and this seems to make a tiny difference but the hairs in the nape of my neck and on the sides are EXTREMELY dry and there's a lot of breakage. I'm worried that the ends will keep breaking off and that I'd have to cut my hair. shudder:

I hope there's someone out there who has some good advice!

Thanks!

the.fee.fairy
January 5th, 2012, 02:28 AM
You don't say whether you're using a conditioner.

I had the same problem and i changed my washing style completely.

I now only shampoo once, and then i use more conditioner than you're supposed to and apply it all over to moisturise my scalp and ends. Then, put it in a bun, finish all my other shower stuff and then take out the bun and rinse everything.

After washing, I put it in a turbie towel and leave while i get dressed. After that, i take it out and apply a leave-in cream conditioner to the ends and a spray to the lengths.

In the winter, i use conditioner only.

So, if you're using two passes of shampoo, try cutting to one. Put conditioner (loads of it) onto the lengths and ends and then bun them so that the ends are covered and soaking in the conditioner.

Give it a go for a month and see what happens. If nothing happens, then look into maybe putting coconut or olive oil on the ends. If your ends look better, then keep going.

If you've been using chemical treatments/straightening/blow fryer etc. then the ends are growing out damage.

Someone very wise on here told me many years ago to remember how old the ends of your hair really are, and what they've been through. Try to forgive them for not being happy! From now on, treat them well and apologise for the past.

t_ballet26
January 5th, 2012, 02:37 AM
You could try the CWC method, or shampoo bars. I am loving the Ayurvedic herb bar by chagrin valley. It is really helping with my scalp acne, my scalp feels clean and it doesn't leave my ends feeling dry.

jinnaa
January 5th, 2012, 03:40 AM
Thanks for the advice!

I used Nexxus Humectress conditioner for a long time but I ran out and they don't sell it here so I have to wait until I get back to the States. I tried a couple of drugstore conditioners but none seem to do the trick. The latest I tried was Aussie Miracle Moist.

I recently stopped straightening and blow-drying my hair and I try to wear it in a bun as often as possible to keep my ends from breaking.

Does Lush by any chance have good shampoo bars? There's no Chagrin Valley around here.

the.fee.fairy
January 5th, 2012, 03:47 AM
Yes. I love their Ultimate Shine bars, and for your scalp, try Doctor Peppermint (i think that's what it's called), or soak and float. Soak and float smells horrible, but don't let that put you off.

Try one of their conditioners to follow up (American Cream has THE most gorgeous scent ever. My ex tells me he can't walk past someone who's used it without thinking of me...). The nice smelling ones (coolaulin, American Cream) will mask any residual smell from soak and float too.

Be careful though, the shampoo bars can be really clarifying. I find that Ultimate Shine is best to use before dyeing for me because otherwise my colour washed out too fast.

jinnaa
January 5th, 2012, 03:59 AM
Thanks! I will give it a try and see what it does

the.fee.fairy
January 5th, 2012, 04:02 AM
No problem. I'm a closet Lush Addict.

I'm nowhere near a Lush at the moment, so i'll live vicariously through you for a while if you don't mind...

jinnaa
January 5th, 2012, 04:54 AM
Hahah, I have love and hate affair with Lush. I love the smell of all their products but they're a bit on the expensive side. Every once in a while I have this uncontrollable urge to buy tons of products at Lush haha. I'll check out their hair products tomorrow!

Kelikea
January 5th, 2012, 05:04 AM
Baking soda wash and apple cider vinegar calmed my scalp this summer. It can be drying, so when my hair seemed to be drier, I switched to CO washing. That helped cut my oil production. Now I use shampoo again, but only organic, sls free and it has oils in it, and the conditioner has shea butter. Sometimes when you moisturize more, it tells your scalp to stop producing so much oil.

lapushka
January 5th, 2012, 12:47 PM
There's lots of other methods out there to try, but if you've found something that keeps your scalp happy, I'd stick to that and just find ways to make your ends less dry.

You could try leaving in a little bit of your conditioner, conditioning twice, even adding deep treatments.

Anje
January 5th, 2012, 03:02 PM
Does Lush by any chance have good shampoo bars? There's no Chagrin Valley around here.
For what it's worth, Chagrin Valley is a couple in Ohio who make shampoo bars and sell them online (http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shambar.htm) and through a few local stores. Trying their products might be worthwhile for you, but don't expect to find them in stores.

Straightening and heat styling are probably a contributing factor to your breaking ends. On the really cheap fix side of things, try putting your hair in a bun with the ends tucked in while it's still damp. That alone can moisturize ends pretty well for a lot of people.

If you don't normally shampoo your ends, you might want to do it once in a while. That eliminates buildup which can make hair very dry. Too often is just drying and harsh to the ends though, so you normally want to confine shampoo to the scalp zone.

blondie9912
January 5th, 2012, 03:36 PM
I would recommend that you use whatever shampoo makes your scalp happy. Your ends can be remedied by various oils, conditioners, treatments, etc, but I feel like your scalp is far more picky. Try brown sugar scrubs to exfoliate your scalp, perhaps? Also, when I used Monistat in an attempt to get my hair to grow faster, it cleared up any and all problems that were occurring on my scalp. Any scalp acne, itchiness, redness, etc. I haven't used it in several months and my scalp is still extremely happy. Monistat is n antifungal cream, and many people find it helps with scalp issues. Also, try chelating/clarifying your hair before trying any new oils and conditioners for your ends. Sometimes you may have build-up on your hair preventing the moisture from penetrating. Bottom line, make your scalp happy first, then focus on the ends :) The scalp is (obviously) the source of all your hair, and must be kept regulated. Good luck!