Chronic dandruff

Skull2185

I figure I may as well see if there's any help PA can provide me. My head seems to have become a font of infinite flakes... it's gross. It's got to be going on 6 months now, that's when I changed up my hairstyle. I used to have longer hair, but now I keep it super short. Ever since then I've had moderate to heavy (at times) dandruff flakes. I feel like I've tried everything short of seeing a dermatologist. I've used all sorts of shampoos, including that awful smelling tar stuff. I've started washing my hair in cold water to see if maybe it was the hot water drying my scalp out. There's no way I'm not rinsing out all the shampoo from my hair, either. I guess I'm just wondering if there's a PAer who's had a similar issue and found some kind of holy grail shampoo, or some wierd home-remedy that I can try.

One person I asked about it once was shocked to learn that I wash my hair everyday. Is that not a normal thing? I also alternate between regular moisturizing shampoos and dandruff stuff. My biggest success seems to be getting the flakes to decrease in size.

Melinoe

My dandruff problems are not quite as bad as yours sound, but I've had it basically forever. Recently enough was enough and I switched to using Target brand Selsun Blue, and as long as I just use that it seems to be fine. Since I can't do moisturizing or anything else shampoo I just use whatever conditioner I want with the dandruff shampoo. And yeah, washing your hair every day isn't great for it, most shampoo is pretty harsh on your scalp. I'm sure someone else will be able to go into more detail but I only wash my hair every other day or every two days, depending on how I feel. It's a little gross at first but eventually your hair stops over-producing so much oil and it's all ok. I condition more often than that though, as conditioner is meant for your hair and not your scalp. This is coming from someone with long hair though, so I'm not sure how it works with short hair.

bowen

Shorter hair tends to be dryer, so that's why you noticed the difference.

Typically you want to wash your hair every 3 days, no shampoo the other two, feel free to condition it if it becomes to unmanageable during those two days. Lay off any product you use too. No gel, nothing.

I actually had the most luck as a kid getting a special kind of shampoo from the hairdresser my mother went to. I forget the name of it off the top of my head, but they'd be able to point you in the right direction. You'll probably notice a huge difference if you drop it from 1 to 3 days per shampooing. Rinsing your hair is still okay.

Fantasma

Certain shampoos can cause drandruff, and you should not be washing your hair daily. If changing product, and reducing the wash to twice a week does not make things better, see a Dermatologist.

Skull2185

Huh, I had no idea that washing my hair every day was not so good. I hate that oily feeling that comes from missing a wash, but I'll give that a shot.


Thanks!

bowen

Yeah that oily feeling is just something you would have to get used to. Shampoo strips it out, which is the natural moisture of your scalp. Which causes dandruff. On the plus side, you don't really need to put product in your hair on the days you're not using shampoo.

Wassermelone

I mean, you still shower and scrub your head with your hands, just don't use shampoo everyday.

Also it will be a while before your head adjusts to the new regimen. Your head will probably feel awful the first week or so you start shampooing less often.

Noisymunk

I shampoo twice a week, scalp massage every day. Redken for Men Clean Spice 2 in 1 (smells amazing). I used to get flakes because my skin would dry out. Shampooing less and using a salon quality shampoo did the trick.

bsjezz

you don't actually really need shampoo unless you're using hair product that won't come out fully with water. it takes a while for your hair to adapt, but i've gone six months without even thinking about shampoo and my hair looked and felt better than ever. i'd got a couple of weeks just rinsing in water and see how you're going - it might take bit longer than that to see best effects but it'll at least give you an idea of whether it's tenable.

bowen

Well if you exercise regularly you'll want to wash your hair because that shit will smell after a while.

For the same reason you wash your armpits and pubic area out with soap.

bsjezz

while i'm not a gym junkie, i'm not inactive either and that wasn't a problem for me personally.

Wassermelone

I tried the 6 months between shampooing thing and there was a point where dandruff BECAME a huge issue where I hadn't had one with it before (I was trying to fix scalp itchiness/irritation).

But the shampooing every 2-3 days worked great for me.

Also this is the shampoo I use:
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/exclusive/cactus-heart-3/ginger-scalp-care-shampoo.aspx

Smells good and seems to really help. And no chemical weirdness like that tar stuff (good god that stuff is awful).

cabsy

This might also be psoriasis, I thought I had dandruff that just wouldn't quit and I tried everything from coal tar shampoo to imported ketoconazole shampoo but it turned out to be plaque psoriasis on my scalp. Try easing up on the shampoo, as stated, also are you still conditioning your hair and scalp? You should be doing that as well. Some people just do what's called a co-wash, where you use a lightweight conditioner the way you would shampoo and it breaks down some of the oils and cleans your hair but nowhere near as harshly as an actual shampoo. If it doesn't clear up, though, you really might want to go to a dermatologist and make sure it isn't psoriasis or something else.

flowerhoney

Stop washing your hair so much, honestly people are OBSESSED with showering I don't get it

Step two would be to change your shampoo/conditioner. There's tons and tons of options, in fact there's so much out there about hair products its sometimes hard to know where to start! Head and shoulders is a classic, but I would put a bit of research into it. I've also heard that coconut oil is amazing for hair.

It could be that your scalp is very dry in which case you'll want to hydrate. Although it could be a skin condition!

Do you move to a place with hard water recently? Its also possible that the water you're washing in is tough on your hair/skin.


Just like bsjezz, I've recently stopped shampooing my hair (switched to the infamous baking power/vinegar wash) but I've got pretty long hair and this no shampoo method is a bit extreme.

Noisymunk

Showering rules.

Creagan

Unfortunately, I have lots of experience with dandruff, which I've had chronically since I hit puberty about 10 years ago. As with you, special shampoos haven't really done that much. I also have very long hair, (waist-length) and the thing with long hair is it hides dandruff really well. So it's entirely possible that you had some dandruff problems before the haircut, and only noticed them once your hair was shorter.

Now, there are two major causes of dandruff- yeast/fungus sensitivity and dry scalp. I have both problems. A dermatologist is really the only person who can fix a yeast/fungus issue. I had to use a special anti-fungal shampoo for a couple of weeks before I could deal with the dry scalp issues.

Dry scalp can be kind of tricky to fix, and it really depends on what your hair likes best. You could try conditioning it prior to shampooing, doing a hot oil treatment before showering, reducing the number of times you wash your hair a week (you really don't need to wash your hair every day,) or using hair products without sulfates and silicones. When I started washing my hair every other day and rubbing about a tablespoon of olive oil into my scalp prior to every other wash, my dandruff situation improved greatly. It's still not perfect, but I have extremely dry skin and I only started doing this in January so I'm expecting they'll be a bit of a healing period.

Skull2185

Urgh! This is rough!

So, I didn't shampoo last night, I only rinsed my hair. It's itching and flaking like a motherfucker today... and of course my work shirt is black =/

bowen

It takes a good two weeks to rebuild your natural oils back up. It'd probably itch and flake like a motherfucker just as bad if you shampooed, maybe even worse.

cecily

I can't diagnose your problem but it sounds too extreme to be normal dandruff. Have you tried rinsing with plain, white vinegar after you shampoo? It's good for lots of different kinds of skin problems and it's more gentle than it sounds. Just hold your breath while you drench your head in it and towel dry normally. Your hair will dry quickly, be shiny and have no smell at all.