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View Full Version : An introduction and request for advice: Eczema :(



Talventorni
July 15th, 2012, 06:41 PM
Howdy,

My name is Samantha and I'm fairly new here, although I had been lurking for a little while before I signed up. I'm a student at university (UMass Amherst), studing computer systems engineering and linguistics + a minor in math. More relevantly: I have long hair, and I care about it. I've stuck a photo in here for reference:

http://i.imgur.com/LxGSs.jpg

History:

I have been growing it out from a boyhair-length (maybe 1/2 inches) since August 2009, with one trim this last January. So far I don't seem to have an inordinate number of split ends, but I do have a fair number of broken hairs. (Anyone know why?)

Now, I need a bit of advice: I have eczema, and unfortunately it has spread to my head. I normally treat it topically with a steroid cream, but you're not supposed to use such products on your head.

I have tried a myriad (well, some n>6) of shampoo and conditioner combinations, which I'll partially list:

I started with Suave naturals shampoo and conditioner, which I used for about the first year of growing my hair out again. During this time I had pretty bad eczema on my head and was hospitalised (and prescribed oral steroids) after scratching my scalp to the point of bleeding in my sleep for weeks on end.

At this point I started using Selsun Blue shampoo (with Suave naturals conditioner), but I didn't notice much of an effect. I then switched to Neutrogina T-Gel (.5% coal tar), which I think helped, but breaking the cycle of itching was difficult, so I only used this for about two or three weeks (no conditioner), before I switched again to Head and Shoulders ("Classic Clean"), which I used for about a year. Combined with a few other techniques and changing my living situation, I managed to get rid of nighttime scratching and the worst of the eczema.

I didn't like how it made my hair look (limp and greasy), though, so I tried shopping around. I tried some Aveeno products, Tressemmé, and Garnier, but invariably each of these still made my head itchy, so I would keep switching back to the Head and Shoulders after a wash or two.

Around March I got sick of how Head and Shoulders was making my hair look, so I tried switching to using diluted baking soda and apple cider vinegar (respectively, one after the other), which worked for about two months, after which it became more difficult to wash the greasies out with the baking soda solution, and I noticed more broken hairs and split ends. I spent the last month using Garnier 'Pure Clean' shampoo and conditioner (sulfates, but -cone/-xone free), which initially didn't cause any itchiness, but combined with a moldy bedroom and a sensitive scalp, the eczema and itching came back. Just a week ago I switched to using Neutrogina T-gel (1% coal tar) shampoo and "Burt's Bees" conditioner, which I haven't had problems with yet, but I may try the accompanying Neutrogina conditioner.

Not history:

So, my first main question is: Does anyone else here have problems with eczema (or any dermatological condition / just a very sensitive scalp in general), and if so what have you done to manage it?

My other big question is: I have lost some hair on my scalp due to this scratching. As a result, a day after showering you can start to see a lot more of my scalp than necessary, despite my hair not being very greasy. Once it *is* greasy, from any angle besides straight forward you can see straight through to my scalp in a few spots, making me look a bit like I am slowly developing male pattern baldness. This isn't helping my self esteem at all (to put it lightly)-- will this hair grow back, or is it likely I have permanently damaged the follicles? In times past my hair has been thicker, and nothing like this has been noticeable at all. I don't suppose there's a way to induce thicker hair?

On a lighter note (hah), I've been debating treating my hair with Sun In, since I wouldn't mind being a blonde for a while.

Silken
July 15th, 2012, 07:04 PM
I don't know which products to advise, but if you haven't already, quit all dairy products immediately. I have seen this work wonders on people with eczema and psoriasis.
Also, usually, respiratory problems such asthma, wheezing, tend to go hand in hand with skin conditions such as this, and both improve when you stop dairy products, for most people. (it's not a cure all, but many show drastic improvement at least)
Stay away from sulfates and any harsh products you use in your hair, keep your routine really gentle.
Good luck!

Starblanket
July 15th, 2012, 09:32 PM
I have eczema literally everywhere on my body and have accepted that it will never go away so I've learnt how to manage it on my scalp.
Here is what works for me:
1.) Stop using soap on the eczema-effected areas. Any soap I use, no matter natural or with sulfates, will always make my skin bleed and become very itchy.
2.) Find alternate methods of washing hair, like conditioner washing. I add a few drops of tea tree oil to my co wash because my eczema skin becomes infected easily.
3.) Garlic oil. I infused garlic oil into olive oil because of it's anti fungal and antibacterial properties. I apply it to my scalp for an hour before co washing. It has helped with the eczema-induced hair loss I had been experiencing before.
4.) Stop scratching. Not only does scratching my eczema make it worse, it also allows infection to spread easily because you are tearing the skin. Scratching also makes me lose more hair.
ETA: Do not use chemical dyes on your hair if you have eczema as there is always a chance of it getting on to your scalp. I dye my hair with henna because it makes pretty colours on my hair and is reported to be antifungal. :) I love henna!

Hope this helped, good luck.

Ephemeral
July 15th, 2012, 10:14 PM
My husband has psoriasis occasionally on his scalp and, like you, was scratching until it bled. I took cotton balls soaked in diluted acv and dabbed his scalp with it, which dried it up and then did scalp massage with coconut oil and sweet almond oil.

He usually uses Head and Shoulders or tar shampoo to treat it and it takes two or three months. This time, treating it all natural, it is almost gone and it only took two weeks.

Talventorni
July 15th, 2012, 10:27 PM
Thank you all so much! These are great suggestions, some of which I had been doing, but mostly not! (Mostly just not using soap.)

I'll be trying the garlic oil, ACV, and the coconut/almond oils immediately. Gonna look into cowashing with tea tree oil as well. I'm lactose intolerant as well so cutting dairy out of my diet will probably be beneficial in more ways than one.

I've heard henna can be a bit of a lottery with the colour you'll end up with… perhaps I'll try a segment first, then the rest if I like it. Will that help with the breakage, too? I haven't had as many broken hairs as I used to, but they're still pretty numerous compared to some.

Y'all are great. :)

Ephemeral
July 15th, 2012, 10:36 PM
I use henna and it seems to condition and strengthen my hair. It's supposed to help with scalp issues (my DH is 60 with beautiful silver hair, so hnna is out or him.) My original color was medium brown and my henna color is in my avatar.

tinywife
July 15th, 2012, 10:48 PM
Is your hair over-dry? That would cause breakage.

Talventorni
July 15th, 2012, 11:37 PM
Typically it's not, it gets fairly greasy after a few days; I tend to get it pretty dry after washes ever so often, so later in the day and on the 2nd day it looks much nicer. In the above photo it was pretty dry, since I just washed it.

TessieAnn
July 15th, 2012, 11:41 PM
Other foods that can aggravate eczema are eggs and gluten/wheat.

Chagrin Valley has testimonials (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/community/testimonials.aspx) from folks with eczema and psoriasis about products that have relieved their skin issues. In the ingredient descriptions on this page (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/ingredients/baseoils.aspx) you'll see that certain oils and butters are healing for eczema. Botanicals are listed here (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/ingredients/botanicals.aspx). Natural additives here (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/ingredients/naturaladditives.aspx).

Good luck!

MaryMarx
July 16th, 2012, 03:10 AM
Just wanna say your hair is totally gorgeous.

kdaniels8811
July 16th, 2012, 04:56 AM
You can have greasy hair on the scalp and dry ends. I use coconut oil on the length only after soaking the length in catnip tea. There are long threads on both these topics. Both products are natural and neither go on the scalp. Good luck, I hope you find something to help.

Alvrodul
July 16th, 2012, 05:08 AM
I have no real advice on the eczema - how it should be treated depends on the cause, I guess. But if the eczema is caused by allergies, getting rid of the substances that could be the cause is definitely a good idea!
You have lovely hair! :)
If you want to try henna, I strongly recommend that you read up on the matter, there are some articles here on this site that are a good start. Also, be aware that henna is permanent! If you try it, you may find out that the only way to get rid of the color is with scissors!

GrowingGlory
July 16th, 2012, 06:12 AM
California Baby makes Eczema Shampoo/Body Wash and Eczema Cream. I've always gotten excellent results from their products. Good luck!

Angel Barchild
July 16th, 2012, 07:27 AM
The real problem is there are so many types and causes eczema. It is kind of a catch all word for many kinds of dermatitis. I have dyshidrotic eczema (the kind only on hands and feet) and my Doctor told me that with all types of eczema lowering stress is one of the best things you can do to help. I brought down my stress level and didn't have a flare up for over a year. That's the best advice I have.

meteor
July 16th, 2012, 09:54 AM
I was a bit shocked to read about your use of harsh shampoos / soaps while you have eczema.
Everybody I've ever met who has eczema avoids soap at all costs, basically using only water, conditioners, lotions and oils as the cleansing methods.
Eczema is about skin's inability to retain moisture, so you should dramatically reduce the use of surfactants and increase the use of moisturizers.

Lorisal
July 16th, 2012, 12:14 PM
I was diagnosed with eczema on my scalp years ago. I was told to wash my scalp with Head & Shoulders shampoo everyday or wash with Denorex shampoo once a week. I used Denorex and I have not had a bad outbreak in years.

heidi w.
July 16th, 2012, 12:20 PM
I would suggest you give Nizoral shampoo, the OTC strength a try. But exzema severity can change over time, so you also may need to see your doctor about what's best to try. Yes, it's pricey, but it will likely be worth it. You may have to pick up the rate of hair washing to something a bit more frequent, too. I found this shampoo to get my hair even more oily somewhat speedily; I had to wash every other day on this shampoo. But it's a decent shampoo.

I have Seborrheic Dermatitus, and I worked with Nizoral for a while, which kept the itchies away.

If you use Nizoral, be sure to lather it up, apply to hair, and allow it to sit briefly on the hair so it can penetrate to the scalp, before rinsing it out.

If you like you can also give a vinegar or lemon rinse a try too. It may help with the itchies a bit. I do not recommend with your lighter colored hair that you use ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) because it may give your hair a reddish tinge, which not everyone likes. It happened to me a little bit.

If you don't know how to use vinegar or lemon rinses ask. Someone will tell you how.

But I do suggest a trip to the doctor for help, too.

heidi w.

heidi w.
July 16th, 2012, 12:25 PM
You can have greasy hair on the scalp and dry ends. I use coconut oil on the length only after soaking the length in catnip tea. There are long threads on both these topics. Both products are natural and neither go on the scalp. Good luck, I hope you find something to help.

I would suggest a person with exzema only apply oil to the length of hair only, and allow sebum on the scalp to handle the scalp skin related hair. Be very careful about applying unusual things to the scalp, and always conduct a skin patch test, first. Some people can get allergic reactions to oils. You can't be too careful, really.

heidi w.

heidi w.
July 16th, 2012, 12:29 PM
Thank you all so much! These are great suggestions, some of which I had been doing, but mostly not! (Mostly just not using soap.)

I'll be trying the garlic oil, ACV, and the coconut/almond oils immediately. Gonna look into cowashing with tea tree oil as well. I'm lactose intolerant as well so cutting dairy out of my diet will probably be beneficial in more ways than one.

I've heard henna can be a bit of a lottery with the colour you'll end up with… perhaps I'll try a segment first, then the rest if I like it. Will that help with the breakage, too? I haven't had as many broken hairs as I used to, but they're still pretty numerous compared to some.

Y'all are great. :)

For your hair color as revealed by your posted pictures, I would not recommend ACV to you. I would recommend instead a white distilled vinegar or lemon juice rinse.

I also am not a big proponent of henna. I have seen that it eventually can block the uptake of conditioner, and over quite a bit of time, the hair can eventually end up dry. I wouldn't consider it an option, and can not recommend it as a wise decision if you care about quality hair. The time it takes to stop the uptake of conditioner can be in the five year window...At first it works fabulously, but eventually it stops doing you a favor. This is the reason hairdressers are not taught about henna. Do your homework really well before considering this as an idea.

Just my opinion...

heidi w.

heidi w.
July 16th, 2012, 12:32 PM
Instead of scratching your scalp skin with your fingernails which is filled with bacteria, I'd recommend instead scritching. It's easy to do, you can wash the comb whenever you hair wash and you might consider doing likewise with your detangling hair comb. I have to wash my hair comb every time I wash my hair or I risk re-infecting myself with an Seborrheic Dermatitus outbreak. It happened to me once, and I learned.

heidi w.

heidi w.
July 16th, 2012, 12:35 PM
I have eczema literally everywhere on my body and have accepted that it will never go away so I've learnt how to manage it on my scalp.
Here is what works for me:
1.) Stop using soap on the eczema-effected areas. Any soap I use, no matter natural or with sulfates, will always make my skin bleed and become very itchy.
2.) Find alternate methods of washing hair, like conditioner washing. I add a few drops of tea tree oil to my co wash because my eczema skin becomes infected easily.
3.) Garlic oil. I infused garlic oil into olive oil because of it's anti fungal and antibacterial properties. I apply it to my scalp for an hour before co washing. It has helped with the eczema-induced hair loss I had been experiencing before.
4.) Stop scratching. Not only does scratching my eczema make it worse, it also allows infection to spread easily because you are tearing the skin. Scratching also makes me lose more hair.
ETA: Do not use chemical dyes on your hair if you have eczema as there is always a chance of it getting on to your scalp. I dye my hair with henna because it makes pretty colours on my hair and is reported to be antifungal. :) I love henna!

Hope this helped, good luck.

I would recommend that if you can, soften your water. Hard water can make exzema worse. Or maybe at least a shower head filter installation, which is inexpensive and fairly easy to install in a shower, requiring perhaps a wrench. Also, you can vinegar rinse your body. That might help. Some people use the vinegar rinse idea to control body odor, for example. Vinegar rinses help maintain an even keel as it concerns pH of skin. You could ACV on your body, but I don't recommend this specific vinegar for use given your hair color. You will not smell of vinegar in public.

heidi w.

Ml001
July 16th, 2012, 09:48 PM
Sulfur. I cannot say it will work for you - I can only say it worked incredibly well for me after trying seemingly everything. I use Ultra Aesthetics MSM (sulfur) shampoo as a wash for the area where I have a patch of eczema. I take Rainbow Light Skin, Hair, and Nails -- it also has sulfur in it. My skin is finally steadily improving and is clearer and clearer every day. good luck.

star_child73
July 16th, 2012, 11:20 PM
I have been recommended licorice root tea to help with eczema, brew a cup or two a day and drink it. It works by cleansing your system, from the inside out. Also burdock root tea as well. They both taste rather off but have had good results by mixing them in another flavored tea to cover the original flavor (I use Good Earth Sweet and Spicy, which also contains cinnamon and ginger, also good for digestion) but I am sure any flavor would work.

YumiYume
July 17th, 2012, 02:03 AM
Hi and welcome :)!

I recognice myself a bit, psoriasis runs in my family and my brother have it on his scalp, I thought I had it to, It iched so much it sometimes bled, and I could scratch big flakes of that hair followed. I used to get a lot of small white dots all over my shirt to

Later, (many years) I realized It couldnt be psoriasis but only a lot of scars I made myself by scratching. I stoped using shampoo and it stopped itching, my scalp stoped flaking to. now it only itch if I waited to long to wach my hair again (or when I think of itching everything itch hah). But, sometimes I have used schampoo to get rid of stuff and my scalp becomes so dry and flaky and itchy that it doesnt only show in the root even gets all over. so i realy try to avoid it, recently I misstook schampoo for my cleaning conditioner so you could imaging how happy I was after that shower =O

I wash like this: Water, clean with "light" Conditioner hair ben over in front, wash, hevier conditioner let sit until my shower is complete then wash. Im still at the part i havent tryed acv rince and other things i should have, still a noob at haircare. but everything thats put in the hair myst be able to wash away with water or conditioner else it will just be buildups

So, along with al great advices above I would also recomend you trying condition only method, cone and drying alchohol free, I live in sweden so I used another forum to figure ou what product I could use and that doesnt sell in usa(it is called Neutral and is light because it doesnt contain al those caring stuff in, also perfume free), But my deeper conditioner is Tresemme al naturals and I think that should exist where you live to :P

Hope everything gets better good luck!

Dolly
July 17th, 2012, 05:18 AM
My son was literally born with eczema covering his torso, and as he has gotten older, he has developed a severe case of seborrheic dermatitis. At about age 9 or 10, I was buying Neem and Tea Tree shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley, but when puberty hit, they stopped working. I have to second what Heidi said about the Nizoral. It has finally gotten his scalp under control. He uses it for about a week to 10 days straight when he starts noticing the signs of an outbreak, and then he goes to about every 3rd day (he alternates with Denorex or Selsun Blue).

Nizoral is sometimes difficult to find in stores, but I order ours from CVS.com or Walgreens.com


As for soap on the rest of his body, the only soap that has ever helped is an all-natural honey/glycerin soap that I make at home.

Talventorni
July 23rd, 2012, 03:22 PM
Thanks for the further input.

I have soft water, thankfully, although I do actually own a filter which I could install as well. I don't think it's necessary for the moment, though.

I bought some ginger oil and some garlic + vitamin D supplements (just to be safe), as well as some coconut oil. I'm testing the ginger oil tonight on my arm to make sure it doesn't have any undesired effect.

I'm not entirely sure how to do a lemon rinse, but I think the idea is just dilute a tablespoon or so in a cup of water and pour over my head?

I went looking for those teas but couldn't find them in person; do you know of a good place to buy them online?