Hi ladies...please help...my scalp is flaking badly! I can't take it

[LilMissSunshine5]

Hello ladies. I am new to this board and am reaching out for help. Just to give back ground, I have been dealing with dry scalp for quite a while. I started having problems with skin & scalp issues and went to a dermatologist, who determined I was extremely sensitive to chemicals. I was ordered to give up all traditional soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and lotions. I couldn't use anything with sulfates, parabens, etc. Well, I have adhered to that and my skin is doing much better, but my scalp is still flaking very badly. I decided to go natural to hopefully eliminate this problem. I recently got braids for the first time to aid in my transition to natural and am still flaking really badly. My usual regimen is washing once a week and oiling my scalp/new growth then...but I have been cleansing my scalp with tea tree oil instead of washing it weekly to avoid build up with the braids. It is really disgusting to me...it looks worse in the braids. I don't know what to do at this point...any suggestions on stopping my scalp from flaking away?! I have been struggling with this for years

TIA

 

[Nonie]

Have you ever tried NOT oiling your scalp? Sometimes "dandruff" is caused by something being amiss in your sebum-producing glands, and excessive oil production can be a cause. Also do you consume essential fatty acids, whether in a supplement or in fish or flax seed or ground chia? A deficiency in those could lead to flakes. Do you take a multivitamin that provides B vitamins and selenium? Do you eat a lot of junk food? Dairy, white flour, fried foods may also be to blame.

I once posted some related info from Prescription for Nutritional Healing. I'll be back with a link to that thread.

ETA: Here's the thread with some suggestions from that^^ book: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/forum6/thread9245.html

 

[LilMissSunshine5]

I just started oiling my scalp in the last 2 months bc ppl told me that maybe my scalp was flaking from a lack of moisture/oil. So when I got my braids, I started oiling with jojoba oil bc it supposedly mimics natural sebum. I can stop doing it again if ppl think that is best...I do all the bad behaviors you name :'( I eat fast food once a week, and eat ok, but lately I have been eating lots of flour and sugar bc of stress. I don't take multivitamins or take fish oil bc my gp advised they were probably to blame for my stomach issues, so I stopped last December. I will definitely check out the thread you posted!

Should I start the vitamins again? I was eating healthy and have slacked off lately, so I am probably not getting them from my diet...UGH!

 

[Nonie]

I just started oiling my scalp in the last 2 months bc ppl told me that maybe my scalp was flaking from a lack of moisture/oil. So when I got my braids, I started oiling with jojoba oil bc it supposedly mimics natural sebum. I can stop doing it again if ppl think that is best...I do all the bad behaviors you name :'( I eat fast food once a week, and eat ok, but lately I have been eating lots of flour and sugar bc of stress. I don't take multivitamins or take fish oil bc my gp advised they were probably to blame for my stomach issues, so I stopped last December. I will definitely check out the thread you posted!

Should I start the vitamins again? I was eating healthy and have slacked off lately, so I am probably not getting them from my diet...UGH!

Hmm...that's odd about vitamins causing problems. Perhaps you should get a multivitamin from the health store which usually will not have stuff like dairy, wheat, etc in them. I like Twinlab's Allergy Multi Caps. They don't have a lot of the allergens I said you should avoid. Not sure what your stomach problems were but I get food sensitivity tests done yearly and I cannot stress enough just how awesome they are in guiding me on what to eat to feel my best. They are different from allergy tests because unlike allergies which give immediate reactions, food sensitivities build up over time and you end up with all sort of issues which could range from irritable bowel syndrome, lethargy, skin rash...etc. And usually the offending foods are not foods that are bad for you. Perhaps all the crap added to foods has a way of making food that would normally be OK turn into a poison making your body reject it. Usually after a year of not eating the forbidden foods, I do get a clear for some. Varying your diet so you're not eating the same thing all the time is better.

If you aren't eating foods high in essential fatty acids, then you do need to take a supplement. People think flakes are caused by dry skin but it could be the complete opposite, so I would suggest not applying anything and maybe doing an ACV rinse at the end of your wash (1/4 cup in 2 gallons of water or so). I usually dunk my head in the solution and massage my scalp to my heart's content. If your scalp is indeed dry, consider moisturizing from the inside: drink more water and take an EFA supplement.

 

[Natural Hair Stylist]

Try vinegar

 

[lilsparkle825]

welcome!

i too came in here to recommend ACV rinses. i hope you are able to find a solution that works for you!

 

[NicWhite]

I just started oiling my scalp in the last 2 months bc ppl told me that maybe my scalp was flaking from a lack of moisture/oil. So when I got my braids, I started oiling with jojoba oil bc it supposedly mimics natural sebum. I can stop doing it again if ppl think that is best...I do all the bad behaviors you name :'( I eat fast food once a week, and eat ok, but lately I have been eating lots of flour and sugar bc of stress. I don't take multivitamins or take fish oil bc my gp advised they were probably to blame for my stomach issues, so I stopped last December. I will definitely check out the thread you posted!

Should I start the vitamins again? I was eating healthy and have slacked off lately, so I am probably not getting them from my diet...UGH!

Hey OP,

It sounds to me like these problems are stemming from your stress. High stress levels in addition to poor eating habits can wreak havoc on your body. It can make your scalp issues and stomach problems much worse. It won't be a quick fix but like stated above, you should clean up your diet, by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. Lay off the fried/fast food, sugar, and white flour and drink plenty of water. Believe it or not you will see improvements over time but you will have to stick to it.

The most important thing is that you will need to get a handle on your stress and how you deal with it. Finding someone to talk to about what is bothering is a good place to start.

HTH

 

[SelahOco]

Vinegar is the only thing that helps me. After 3 or 4 days I have flakes, and I washed weekly in braids. I would wash then tie on a scarf to keep it neat.

 

[lovegymnasts]

I am going to suggest what others have:
acv rinsing (I use .5 cup to 10 cups of water)
and not putting anything on directly on your scalp
Also, if you use synthetic braids, they may be irritating your scalp.

I had horrendous, cakes of dandruff my entire life. One of my little sisters has/had the same problem. Neither of us have the problem any more. We both do acv vinegar rinses and we do not put anything on our scalps.