Dandruff

Ok, so we've got shaving all taken care of but what about that hair and the rest of your face? Get the low down on shampoo's, conditioners, finishers, cleansers, toners and moisturizers right here!
Jukkie
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Dandruff

Post by Jukkie »

Maybe it's just the dry weather, but lately I've been noticing flakes coming off my hair. I don't see any flakes in my hair, just whenever something agitates it, then I notice it flaking down onto my clothes.

My barber advised me to use a dandruff shampoo and I've got a couple questions about it...

I wouldn't call my dandruff bad or anything... It doesn't itch, it isn't oily, it's not noticeable when it's in my hair, only when it's falling out, and even then, only in the right light (so it's not heavy flaking), it's more noticeable on my clothes if anywhere.

I don't use any hair products other than shampoo (no conditioner), I make sure to rinse the shampoo out well and not use too much of it, and my hair/scalp I'd say are otherwise healthy.

So I'm wondering, what shampoo would you recommend for this? Should I just forget about it and ignore my barber's advice? What should I look for in a good shampoo? Any other input is helpful as well.
kingram
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Re: Dandruff

Post by kingram »

I stopped using shampoos a while back. I use natural Shampoo soap and rinse with diluted vinegar and massage my semi wet hair and scalp with 1 olive:1 almond oil. It works great.
Jukkie wrote:Maybe it's just the dry weather, but lately I've been noticing flakes coming off my hair. I don't see any flakes in my hair, just whenever something agitates it, then I notice it flaking down onto my clothes.

My barber advised me to use a dandruff shampoo and I've got a couple questions about it...

I wouldn't call my dandruff bad or anything... It doesn't itch, it isn't oily, it's not noticeable when it's in my hair, only when it's falling out, and even then, only in the right light (so it's not heavy flaking), it's more noticeable on my clothes if anywhere.

I don't use any hair products other than shampoo (no conditioner), I make sure to rinse the shampoo out well and not use too much of it, and my hair/scalp I'd say are otherwise healthy.

So I'm wondering, what shampoo would you recommend for this? Should I just forget about it and ignore my barber's advice? What should I look for in a good shampoo? Any other input is helpful as well.
JimDandy
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Post by JimDandy »

Obviously it's difficult to advise you without actually seeing what your scalp looks like but it sounds like you're suffering from a dry scalp more than dandruff. A daily scalp massage might help stimulate your sebaceous glands and end your problem quickly. Certainly, avoid shampooing every day if that's possible. No matter what you use, shampoo drys your scalp.

My experience is that off the shelf dandruff shampoos tend to make things worse. Their primary function is to strip the scalp and in the process they dry the scalp even more. This creates more stuff that needs to be stripped and you're into a bad cycle. (Great if you're selling the shampoos - not so great if you're the person using them.)

In the winter I use Mane 'n Tail shampoo and conditioner. No kidding. Been using it for years and I think this stuff is absolutely the best shampoo/conditioner value on the market. Don't buy it at the tack shop, though. Safeway here sells it for literally half the price that "horsey" people pay for it.

Regards,

Les
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fallingwickets
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Post by fallingwickets »

You could become a head shaver??? :lol:

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D.Irving79
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Post by D.Irving79 »

listerine.
Jukkie
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Post by Jukkie »

Jim, thanks for the advice.

I think you may be right about the dry scalp, as there's no itching or redness which seems to be associated with "dandruff".

I'll try the scalp massages as you suggested.

I was also wondering if it might not hurt to massage a bit of Thayer's alcohol-free skin toner into my scalp? The stuff has worked great on my skin elsewhere, and it's not oily or anything so I wouldn't mind having it in my hair.
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Post by JimDandy »

I wouldn't be inclined to do that. Witch Hazel is appreciated for its astringent and oxidizing properties. It also has a tendency to dry skin a bit and is often recommended for oily skin, which doesn't seem to be your problem.

Regards,

Les
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nav
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Post by nav »

there are 2 different types of anti-dandruff. You can get selenium based which basically accelerate the peeling process, your flakes will get worse before they get better.

The other one is an anti-fungal Ketoconazole based which actually kill off the bacteria causing dandruff. This is the one I used 8 years ago and have not had dandruff since.
Jukkie
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Post by Jukkie »

So here's where I am.

I've tried the scalp massaging, and it hasn't produced much benefit.

My skin has been acting up lately because of my allergies, and has been getting really dry on my hands. Maybe my allergies are having some contribution to this? They seem to mostly cause skin problems for me.

I've cut back on shampooing my hair, still no luck in getting rid of it.

Still no itching, peeling, or anything like that, but I think it's gotten a bit worse lately, as a result of the seasonal changes I suspect.

I'm going to try the almond/olive oil rinsed with vinegar instead of shampoo to see if that has any benefit.

Was listerine recommended for dandruff or dry scalp?
Gone Troppo
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Post by Gone Troppo »

I mentioned the following in an earlier thread but I'll through them out again -- I've had success with jojoba oil and coconut oil (unrefined) in dealing with dry skin flaking. More so with coconut oil, which has antibacterial properties.

If you really have a fungal problem (which is doubtful w/o symptoms of itching), the advice of a dermatologist should be sought. As mentioned above, products w/keto are effective, as is tea tree oil. To avoid such a problem in the future I can give you a bit of advice based on experience -- don't ever touch bare skin (or hair) to wood in a public sauna.
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D.Irving79
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Post by D.Irving79 »

Jukkie wrote:So here's where I am.

I've tried the scalp massaging, and it hasn't produced much benefit.

My skin has been acting up lately because of my allergies, and has been getting really dry on my hands. Maybe my allergies are having some contribution to this? They seem to mostly cause skin problems for me.

I've cut back on shampooing my hair, still no luck in getting rid of it.

Still no itching, peeling, or anything like that, but I think it's gotten a bit worse lately, as a result of the seasonal changes I suspect.

I'm going to try the almond/olive oil rinsed with vinegar instead of shampoo to see if that has any benefit.

Was listerine recommended for dandruff or dry scalp?
well i wasnt saying it to be funny :wink:

and yes, that was one of its original uses.

it very works well for dandruff.
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Post by Flash G »

You could also try and shower i colder water (not cold water) as hot water also dries out the skin.
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Jukkie
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Post by Jukkie »

D.Irving79 wrote: well i wasnt saying it to be funny :wink:

and yes, that was one of its original uses.

it very works well for dandruff.
Hehe, no, I was asking whether you intended it as advice for treating a dandruff problem OR for treating a dry scalp problem, OR for both?

I wouldn't want to use something advised for treating dandruff if what I was really trying to treat was dry scalp. :D
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D.Irving79
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Post by D.Irving79 »

:lol:

if dry scalp is the case i wouldnt use it, that would most likely make it worse.
teabag
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Post by teabag »

Have you tried a neutral shampoo or perhaps a baby's shampoo? I'm serious about the baby shampoo. it is very mild and gentle, it won't strip your hair of its natural oils and it may have some effect on your scalp.
Failing that you could seek advice from a fully qualified trichologist, he/she may be able to offer some good advice to you. Hope it clears up soon.


Regards,

Phil.
Jukkie
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Post by Jukkie »

The almond/olive oil and vinegar seems to have worked!

But that oil can be difficult to get out... I did mix the oil 50/50 (measured) and tried not to use much... Sort of inconvenient, but it worked, and it seems I can get away with using shampoo when I don't have time to do the vinegar rinsing.

Thanks for the help :D
scruffy
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Post by scruffy »

Hot oil treatments can also work. My wife told me to heat a little bit of oil. Heat it till it is warm but not too hot to burn. Wet the hair. Apply the oil. Cover the hair with towels for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then shampoo it out.

It works wonders. Coconut oil probably works the best.
Ed
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Post by kingram »

Glad that it worked. Vinegar gets rid of soap residues also try to avoid the hot water for the final rinse. Hot water washed the natural oil of the body and dries it out. Mixed oil revitalizes the hair and the scalp. Just add a few drops into your palm and add a few drops of cold water and massage.
Jukkie wrote:The almond/olive oil and vinegar seems to have worked!

But that oil can be difficult to get out... I did mix the oil 50/50 (measured) and tried not to use much... Sort of inconvenient, but it worked, and it seems I can get away with using shampoo when I don't have time to do the vinegar rinsing.

Thanks for the help :D
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Post by Dave-itt »

I'm loathe to suggest something I haven't tried, but I've heard of something called Nizoral that you might want to look into.

Also, LUSH do several shampoo bars and treatments. They do a stinking shampoo called Soak and Float which apparently works. It smells like you've been near a wood fire, which some people might like. I own it, but couldn't get past the smell and only used it once or twice. Their Snake Oil scalp bar seems to be appropriately named, as it didn't do anything for me. In their 'Retro' section (Would that Trumpers et al had such a resource for discontinued goodies) they do something called Recon, which gets a good rep. Worth checking out their website/reviews anyway and if possible, go into a local outlet and request samples.

I don't have much experience with the aforementioned products in particular, but have used many Lush products (Big Tease Styling Gel, Squeaky Green Shampoo and Retread Conditioner stand out as amazing) and am pleased with their quality and performance.
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Sam
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Post by Sam »

Dave, I could have used you earlier. My daughter just left Dublin this morning.

Nizoral used to be a prescription-only shampoo that I used for scalp psoriasis. It worked so so, and I think, if I recall rightly, that it was used to treat psoriasis by working on yeast formation. It then became over the counter but that may be due to a lesser concentration. Seems to be the next step up from salicylic acid that is found in like T-Sal by Neutrogena (which itself is a step up from T-Gel).
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