What does my hair WANT?!

[Knifegill]

My main enemy is the tangles, but I'm sure they are a symptom of dry hair or something else that is off. Second place is dandruff - I can scratch it up and shake it off every few hours but it usually grows back faster than I can cart it away.

Sebum only, no-wash: Great slip, but even after months and months my hair looks like roadkill and smells like an old hat. And I eventually ended up with little hot spots/sores even with daily massage, clean BBB, the whole deal.

Water only: Slightly better, but the sebum doesn't go away and I end up with the same problems as sebum-only.

Dilute bronner's with tea tree oil: Works great for a few washes but after a bit my scalp does crank up the gunk machine and I'm a quarter-inch deep in dandruff chowder, like I can scrape off little spoonfulls of it pretty easily - which is the opposite of progress.

Hair seems porous, changes with the weather readily. Any ideas?

[Seeshami]

I would go to a dermatologist to make sure your scalp problems are actually what you believe they are.

I am a sulfate using cone dependent knee length heathen thought. I do however mix up an awesome cone free hair oil or so I am told. But Mess still lives off of cones.

[spidermom]

I think your scalp could use a good sudsy washing. It will probably take several washes before it feels normal again. I don't remember what objection you have to shampoos, but most of them are formulated to leave your hair and scalp in optimum pH balance. Dr. Bronner's on the other hand is alkaline and disrupts the normal acid balance that a healthy scalp requires. Don't fall for the "but shampoos aren't natural" propaganda. By that logic, more than 30 years of life for a human being isn't natural.

I don't worry too much about what I'm washing down my drains because until industry cleans up its act, what I do is less than a molecule in the scheme of things. I do my best, but I don't have time to research the possible repercussions of each ingredient in a product. If you are concerned about that, there are shampoos with natural, organic formulation. Also, you can dilute your shampoo in some warm water if you are concerned that it will be too stripping.

Dandruff and other scalp problems often need medicated shampoo to clear up. This is best prescribed by your doctor.

[Obsidian]

I second a good sudsy washing. Get a clarifying shampoo and go to town on your scalp.

[Anje]

Sounds like your scalp wants to be clean. I agree with the previous posters -- wash with some shampoo. Use the stuff meant for adults, at the correct pH (none of that baby stuff that's formulated to not bother the eyes). Dr. Bronner's left my hair a mess, though this was in the days before I knew to follow it with an acid rinse. It's OK I guess, but I'd prefer not to use it as shampoo and obviously it's not right for your scalp.

[Arctic]

I also recommend a proper shampooing, but also wanted to mention scalp scrubs, which help expfoliate the scalp. I make ine by mixing fine grain sea salt to my shampoo (to make a thick paste) and work that into my scalp and massage a while before rinsing. You can also use table salt, or some kind of granule sugar, but in case of yeast based scalp problems I'd stay away from sugar. You can also mix salt/sugar into conditioner, but I prefere shampoo.

[lapushka]

I have oily hair, but drier lengths (mainly due to the length of the hair), so I use a shampoo for oily hair / harsh shampoo, but I use a conditioner (even though my hair is virgin) for dry and damaged hair, as those are the most moisturizing conditioners and will melt the tangles away. I thought everyone knew this "trick", but apparently not so. So I hope this helps you.

As for the "dandruff". Is it really that? Or, is it SD? And if so a specially formulated shampoo or medicated shampoo will do wonders. I have SD, and I find I can't do SO, or WO or any of that. I need a good cleanse. And if that's what your scalp needs, please give it that! There's no use continuing on with a method that doesn't work for you.

[Chromis]

Some people can get away with it, but I don't find Doc Bronner's to work as well as shampoo bars. The acidic rinse is still crucial for me either way. If you don't use a rinse, you get build up, which makes me hair grabby and more likely to tangle as well.

[Oubli]

Sounds like you need to treat your scalp and your length separately. My scalp got yuck and chunky once, all summer out at a dig water only kind a thing and what helped me when I got back to civilization was Nupur 9 Herb. Not enough shampoo, vinegar or baking soda got rid of the scalp chowder except a very stringent mix of Nupur and Lemon Juice. I scritched with the mixture after I let it penetrate for a few hours. It "reset" my hair and scalp after some major oily flakiness. As always YMMV

[meteor]

If ketoconazole-based shampoo (e.g. Nizoral 2%) doesn't take care of the issue rather quickly, I'd show the scalp to a family doctor or, if possible, a dermatologist. If it's something like SD, your scalp will probably benefit from regular use of shampoo for oily scalp and for dandruff (ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, tea tree oil, neem, etc are good actives for this).

As for tangling issues, I think conditioners rich in silicones can be really nice for adding slip, and if you worry about potential build-up, a very cleansing anti-dandruff shampoo (see above) will easily get rid of it.