how do i fix my dandruff while not having brittle, ugly hair

OrganichuOrganichu poopspeesRegistered User, Moderator mod
edited September 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
(unfortunately i just got a haircut so any pictures i might take wouldn't really showcase the problem)

so

my favorite hairstyle, generally, is reasonably short- a 2 clipper on the sides and back, with the top scissor cut shortish

it pretty much looks like this:

willohgod.jpg

when my hair is like this, i am mostly fine. i've used a few different shampoos (usually with tea tree oil), and as long as i shampoo pretty regularly i can keep my flakes at bay

but

a.) eventually i start to develop 'real' bangs and general length, and i don't want to have to get a haircut every few weeks

b.) eventually i want to 'try' other hairstyles

and the issue is that my hair gets brittle

it starts to look kind of dry and frayed and like hay- i don't really know the terminology, but i guess it has no 'body'

sort of like when you're out in a really harsh wind and afterwards your hair looks kind of beat up and dead?

that's how my hair often looks, when i let it get some length/weight

MeHeebNose.jpg

this is with like, hair cream- and soon after a shower, so it's not so bad

but if i ever let my hair get that long, i pretty much have to choose between

a.) flakey

or

b.) dead looking

how do i get the best of both worlds? what practices or products do i need to implement?

Organichu on

Posts

  • AriviaArivia I Like A Challenge Earth-1Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    outside of recommending head and shoulders, I have no idea

    gotta say though

    you look good in those pictures, 'chu

    you can be my frankenstein anyday

    Arivia on
    huntresssig.jpg
  • radroadkillradroadkill MDRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Lush, Soak and Float shampoo bar.

    It's pretty epic and don't let the campfire smell dissuade you.

    radroadkill on
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I have similar issues.

    First off, your regular drugstore dandruff shampoo is murder on dry hair. I used this instead:

    213934617.jpg

    Second, I don't use it every time I shampoo. Do you shampoo every day? You probably shouldn't. Shampoo every other day, and then alternate between a dandruff shampoo and good moisturizing shampoo. I like this stuff.

    31VNejgb0DL._SS500_.jpg

    Finally, are you exercising right now? I find my dandruff gets worse when I'm not sweating on a regular basis.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • OrganichuOrganichu poops peesRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited September 2010
    thanks y'all

    yeah feral i'm running around 30 miles a week

    Organichu on
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The other thing that's worth a try is to try different active ingredients.

    There are basically four active ingredients on the market for dandruff:

    - Pyrithione zinc (Head and Shoulders)
    - Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue)
    - Coal Tar (T-Gel)
    - Ketoconazole (Nizoral)

    Try each one! One of them is going to work better than the others.

    I personally find that pyrithione zinc and coal tar work best for me. Nizoral makes it a lot worse, and selenium sulfide doesn't work quite as well as the others. But YMMV.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    By the way, I don't work for Biolage, I swear. I just love their products.

    Especially this:

    212380240.jpg

    This is the best stuff ever for dry fine brittle hair.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • radroadkillradroadkill MDRegistered User regular
    edited September 2010
    If you want to do research into ingredients to compare/learn fun things the one the the shampoo bar I recommended is cade oil. Smells like smoke, great for flakies and itching. Also the lavender in there will help any sort of oil imbalances on the scalp.

    radroadkill on
  • LachrymiteLachrymite Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I've had good luck with goatee dandruff shampooing it with T-Gel.

    Lachrymite on
  • Raif SeveranceRaif Severance Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Feral wrote: »
    The other thing that's worth a try is to try different active ingredients.

    There are basically four active ingredients on the market for dandruff:

    - Pyrithione zinc (Head and Shoulders)
    - Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue)
    - Coal Tar (T-Gel)
    - Ketoconazole (Nizoral)


    Try each one! One of them is going to work better than the others.

    I personally find that pyrithione zinc and coal tar work best for me. Nizoral makes it a lot worse, and selenium sulfide doesn't work quite as well as the others. But YMMV.


    These are all great recommendations and I would try them in the order that Feral has them listed. The thing to remember with the head and shoulders and selsun blue is to make sure you shampoo them in and then leave it on for at least 5 minutes before washing it off. If you don't let it absorb into your scalp it won't do anything for you.

    I'm not sure if you're using conditioner, unless "hair cream" is conditioner. If you aren't, then you should since that's the best defense against the whole brittle hair thing.

    One more thing: Tea tree oil can be allergenic and can actually be worsening your condition so I would use that with caution.

    Raif Severance on
  • ZeonZeon Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    T-gel is the best, i liked it when i used it.

    Also what helps is NOT shampooing your hair every day. You can get it wet, run your hands through it, get the water all over your head, but dont use shampoo. Everyones a bit different in how long they can get away with it, but i generally only shampoo every 4th day or so. If you have really oily hair you might only be able to skip one day, if you have really really dry hair you might be able to go a full week. Not shampooing every day has drastically improved my hair and my scalp, i used to have pretty bad dandruff, now i dont really have any.

    Zeon on
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  • Namel3ssNamel3ss Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Feral wrote: »
    The other thing that's worth a try is to try different active ingredients.

    There are basically four active ingredients on the market for dandruff:

    - Pyrithione zinc (Head and Shoulders)
    - Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue)
    - Coal Tar (T-Gel)
    - Ketoconazole (Nizoral)

    Try each one! One of them is going to work better than the others.

    I personally find that pyrithione zinc and coal tar work best for me. Nizoral makes it a lot worse, and selenium sulfide doesn't work quite as well as the others. But YMMV.

    Well, I tried them all, in that order actually and the only one that worked for me is Nizoral. I used to have it really bad, but I used Nizoral daily until it went away and now I just use it once a week with that Biolage Matrix shampoo listed above for the other days. My hair is the best its ever been.

    Namel3ss on
    May the wombat of happiness snuffle through your underbrush.
  • HarridanHarridan Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    My girlfriend has this same issue with her chinlength (and in trying to grow it shoulder length) hair and scalp. She has extremely dry hair, so she shampoos every other day and works in the dandruff shampoo, as other have stated.
    As her hair grows out it is brittle and her curls fray out. The only thing that has helped her is to use aloe vera gel (100%) on her damp hair (as if it were product), and her hair markedly improved. She now occasionally uses an alojoba shampoo/conditioner since the aloe was such a success, i think its bumblebumble brand.

    Harridan on
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I have the same problem (and arrived at a similar haircut as a solution, natch.)

    I have pretty good like with the otc t-gel shampoo; I also often carry some facial lotion to rub on my frontal scalp when it gets really dried out.

    The advice about not shampooing every day is also good. Skin is pretty decent at regulating moisture, but washing too often can throw things off.

    If you really want to wear your hair longer, it might be best to seek the advice of a professional stylist. That'll be expensive and you'll probably wind up spending to try a bunch of different product, but it really is a matter of finding something that works for you.

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
  • WassermeloneWassermelone Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I have had the same problem - and then some. I had terrible itchy scalp as well - it was like it was on goddamn fire.

    After Selsun blue/Head and shoulders did nothing for me (my head would stay itchy even while I was washing it), I tried a shampoo called "Nourish + Moisturize" and it was like a lightbulb appeared over my head. Its by Aveeno who is, apparently, really well known for their products for treatment of skin conditions or some such (this knowledge later came in handy when I got shingles).

    Another thing you can do which seems to help is coconut oil. You put enough virgin coconut oil in to coat your hair and leave it in for anywhere from an hour to over night, and wash it out. Seriously. Just try it.
    http://www.ehow.com/how_5000732_use-coconut-oil-hair-treatment.html

    Wassermelone on
  • wogiwogi Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I use a pharmaceutical supplement. It goes on after you wash your hair, and really has no affect on the hair itself. Go Rx, screw Denorex, that stuff is worthless.

    wogi on
    http://bit.ly/runshort
    -Current W.I.P.
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Selsun Blue Moisturizing is the only thing that worked for me. Head and Shoulders and T-Gel did nothing for me. I find that using Neutrogena shampoo once a week gets rid of any buildup.


    I'd also worry that you're apparently about to be killed!

    Xaquin on
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I remember the salon I got my haircut at when I was a teenager carried medical shampoos that were much better than normal shampoos. I had horrible dandruff that none of those others fixed. The saloon shampoo was amazing. Made my hair soft and got rid of my dandruff permanently. Basically they advise you to use it for about 3-6 months straight, and then ween yourself slowly off.

    I think it eventually turned into that Matrix product someone else linked. Try that.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • wogiwogi Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The lesson from the last three posts being this - just about every case of dandruff is different. Fortunately, most of these places will send out samples, or in some cases, refund your money if the product doesn't work. Shop around, try a bit of everything, make sure you allow 2-3 days before changing to a different shampoo, as some only work after a time.
    In my experience, some of the shampoos have made the condition worse, some of them have made it better for a bit and then stopped working, and some of them smelled fruity, but did nothing else. Nothing worked the way it was advertised, (denorex smelled nasty and made the condition worse) so I got a prescription that works wonders.

    wogi on
    http://bit.ly/runshort
    -Current W.I.P.
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