Dear lhcf....short hair and itchy scalp is defeating me!

[DivaD04]

Am I the only one? I feel like crying.
I've been on here for almost 3 yrs and my hair is short. It's like no matter what I do, I'm stuck at itchy, dry, brittle hair. I've gone through the laundry list of things to treat my constant itch. tea tree, neem, peppermint, rosemary EO's, dandruff and natural poo's, scalpacin, nizoral, so on and so forth. No poo, alcohol...the one you drink, aspirin, no poo, cayenne, cow'n, water (tap, filtered, spring), moisturizers, protein, massages, he// just nothing works.
I think I'm constantly dehydrated no matter how much fluids I take in. I seem to get right at shoulder and the next thing you know...I have to cut my hair right off. My hair breaks and shed constantly when I'm relaxed and when I'm natural...My hair is ALWAYS splitted and in single strand knots.
Goodness, I can't win for losing.
I don't know what to do. For the first time for the last 6 yrs...I'll admit, I can't maintain my hair like I use to. I miss the no itch, no split ends, no knots, no shedding, no dehydration, no lack of hair growth, no hair problems...
I spend a hefty amount of money oh my hair and yet I have none to show for. I'm stuck. I feel like shaving it off and starting over...again! I don't know what to do. But yet, I have hair care knowledge and skill, I can maintain everyone else's head but my own. What in the Samuel kind of mess is that? I don't know how I came to this situation and I don't know how to get out of it!!
I want healthy 'n long hair 'n scalp.
It womps and I want out. Plz help. I need someone who wants to add some tlc to my head. I'm failing and I need assistance. Where's the pieces of my hair care puzzle that I dropped along the way?

 

[BlkOnyx488]

have you tried going to a doctor, prehaps your issue is medical scalp condition or something?

I will pray that you get the answers you need with the outcome you are seeking
Sorry I can't be of more help

 

[Solitude]

I have itchy scalp and I could never go without shampoo. For me, my scalp needs to be cleaned regularly.

Have you tried Jason Natural Biotin Shampoo? Or another natural shampoo without the harsh sulfates, but with enough cleaning agents to removed itchy/dull/dry/dead skin on your scalp?

I found that using essential oils to pre-poo, but then keeping my scalp pretty much clean between washings/shampooing works well. Good luck, I'm sure things will look up soon!

 

[ceebee3]

I'm really sorry to hear that. I agree you should see a doctor first to rule out any health issues.

What have you been using to moisturize with? How often do you deep condition your hair and seal it?

What types of styles are you wearing?

 

[DivaD04]

thx ladies.
yes i have been to a derm on a numerous occations and they say it's seb dermatitis and their poos don't work nor does dang I forget the name of that foam I had to put on my scalp.
I haven't tried jason's biotin but I am using sls free poo's. I was using ovations which was one of the good poos that last about 2 days of no itching. sls will have me itchy either when my hair dries of the following day. i just received hairbotics poo which is sls free as well but my scalp itch the following day.

 

[DivaD04]

i forgot to mention. i even went to get my thyroids check and iron but they will only do half a thyroid test to save me money even when I say I'll pay and my insurance will cover. the docs don't say i'm healthy overall but which I think they just don't want to coop.

i don't remember all the moisturizers; stay sof fro, glycerin, honey, aloe vera gel, coconut (oil and milk), alaffia ultra hydrating coconut and shea poo and co. to name a few. protein; alphogee of course.

 

[melissa-bee]

Have you ever tried all natural cleaning. I've been using baking soda mix to cleanse my scalp and it has dramatically cut down on my dandruff over the past few months. Then use a natural oil off you choice if you need to moisturise your scalp. I used to use olive oil but it was too drippy so i changed to Castor oil with a few drops of tea tree and peppermint.

 

[gymfreak336]

How do you wash your hair? I had chronic itching for a long time until I changed the washing technique. How often do you wash your hair?

 

[vkb247]

I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with your hair. I think that it is going to be hard to have healthy hair without having a healthy scalp first. Have you tried MN or even Head & Shoulders? How about trying to deal with the problem internally starting with a detox and then making some dietary changes?

It seems like doctors don't really know what causes this but an article I saw about treating cradle cap for babies talked about massaging the scalp with a toothbrush or using a shampoo with tar. If you feel that you have tried everything topically with no relief than I think looking at how you can balance your body internally is worth a shot.

 

[DivaD04]

How do you wash your hair? I had chronic itching for a long time until I changed the washing technique. How often do you wash your hair?

rinse scalp, either i'll slather or palm and swish (my hands back in forth b4 applying), rinse again, co.

i don't really style my hair...i would put my hair bonnet on or wear my wigs

i forgot, i used to poo with baking soda and i even did salt.
i technique should i do?
i don't know what i should do internally. docs won't help! you ladies are my healthy option and i do plan to start a 100 day healthy living challenge for myself...juicing some fruits n veggies and getting some exercises in. how can i rehydrate and stay hydrated?

 

[chelleypie810]

I don't know if you've tried it but Hair one, the tea tree one helped me and my sis. Her itchy scalp is also really, really bad. She used this and she didn't have the itchies at all. She was able to go until wash day without her scalp itching. i hope this helps a little. I've been using both wen and hair one and my scalp is thanking me for it. My scalp isn't half as dry as it was using shampoos every week. I hope you feel better and figure out what works with you.

 

[carib_n_curly]

i use to have flaky ichy scalp when i started out
washing more often changed that but i still had problems with my scalp
tea tree shampoo has answer all my scalps problems

i usually shampoo ever week or every 2 weeks
if i don't my scalp gets build up and turns yucky.
aslo when i wash my hair i try not to get conditioner on it but that's easier to do with more hair length
i hope you figure it out

 

[JustSimplyTish]

My scalp was never itchy until after I went natural..and at first I couldn't even sleep at night...then I started using Qhemet Tea Tree & Grapeseed Therapeutic Pomade or HairVeda's Green Tea Butter to moisturize my scalp and the problems have stopped I co wash almost everyday and I shampoo with a shampoo bar from Whole Foods about every 10-12 days...

I hope it gets better for you ...It is a horrible feeling...and sometimes it seems unbearable.

 

[fatimablush]

^^I use those products as mentioned above.
I also use black castor oil shampoo from oldejamaicanbeautyproducts.com
That makes my scalp feel so good.
I also moisturize my scalp at least 4 times a week.

I also use wen my scalp isn't giving me drama.

 

[SEMO]

Maybe you could try some tea tee oil for your scalp.

 

[Grand Prix]

Have you tried combatting dryness from the inside out?
Omega 3-6-9 oil capsules have helped me a lot.

 

[Precious_P]

I have itchy scalp (no dandruff) on the top and crown area only. It gets worse when my new growth starts to come in. My hair is a different texture there and is prone to serious breakage. I have been able to deal with the itchiness by applying homemade whipped shea butter directly to my scalp every other day. The shea butter also has coconut oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, EVOO and castor oil in it. I also wash once a week with a shampoo that does not contain SLS. The suggestions of using tea tree oil are also good.

 

[frizzy]

Try 1 part water (or more) with 1 part ACV, part hair and apply to scalp with a cotton ball. Leave on for 30 minutes or so before rinsing or washing out. HTH

I know this is driving you up the wall, ACV helped me with the itchies a couple of years ago when I had it bad. Have your tried any sulpher based products on your scalp, that helps too.

 

[RocStar]

I don't know if you've tried it but Hairone, the tea tree one helped me and my sis. Her itchy scalp is also really, really bad. She used this and she didn't have the itchies at all. She was able to go until wash day without her scalp itching. i hope this helps a little. I've been using both wen and hair one and my scalp is thanking me for it. My scalp isn't half as dry as it was using shampoos every week. I hope you feel better and figure out what works with you.

Yes, Hair One (from Sallys) with Tea Tree has helped me tremendously. I also created a mix of 100% Tea Tree Oil with coconut oil as a topical treatment. The tea tree oil does have a strong smell, but it has helped with my itchy and dry scalp. Don't give up and good luck!

 

[blupeace]

Try 1 part water (or more) with 1 part ACV, part hair and apply to scalp with a cotton ball. Leave on for 30 minutes or so before rinsing or washing out. HTH

I know this is driving you up the wall, ACV helped me with the itchies a couple of years ago when I had it bad.

Yes, a good vinegar rinse after shampooing can help with scalp problems. You can also try Jamaican Black Castor oil with Lavendar on your scalp. You can get that at Sams247. Don't stop looking. The answer is out there somewhere !

 

[darlingdiva]

Make sure that you're removing all of the build-up from your hair and scalp. Part of the reason my hair itched so much is that I wasn't removing all of the build-up from my scalp. After I started washing my hair in sections and checking random parts of my scalp before moving to the next section, my scalp has felt and behaved better.

 

[fatimablush]

One other thing i foregot to mention..try to avoid anything with a lot of fragrance..

 

[KittyMeowMeow]

I'm so sorry to hear about this!

My scalp is normally dry and has a tendency to be itchy. I'm still figuring things out, but here are some things that have worked for me. As I write this, I realized that my scalp hasn't itched in a while (since I started some things as a result of LHCF). My issues are/have been buildup and dry skin. Here's what I think is helping:

Internally:

- drinking more water
- 1tbsp flax oil in my daily protein shakes (now taking a mixed omega oil, same thing though)

Both of the above keep my scalp moisturized from the inside.

Externally:

- Not cowashing - certain conditioners make my scalp itch (not right away, but when my hair dries). I might try later with a different conditioner, but I just rinse my scalp and hair and then use conditioner in my hair instead of cowashing.

- Being aware of ingredients - wax (beeswax, candelilla wax, other waxes?) are death to my hair and make my scalp itch. It took me a long time to realize this, but after I clarified for the first time after finding LHCF, I felt a waxy coating on my hair in certain spots. These were also the spots that felt driest, were hard, and had terrible breakage. This was beeswax. I used a product containing candelilla wax on my scalp. It started itching horribly in a few days, and it turned to glue in my hair when I washed. I am still getting the remnants of this out, but it causes dryness and breakage. Oil is the key for removing waxes- EVOO or EVCO work well. I wonder if there are any particular ingredients or food allergies that are causing you trouble?

- EVCO scalp prepoo massage- I did this for the first time about a week ago, and this will be part of my regimen. It helped a lot with the dryness, and more importantly, it was useful for removing product buildup from my scalp (a cause of itchiness for me). I massaged my scalp with it, and then massaged well and rinsed for several minutes with warm water before shampooing and continuing with my routine. I have also found success with prepooing my hair with EVCO or EVOO and really working it down my hair to remove wax and buildup that have come down from my scalp.

- ACV scalp treatment (this removed buildup and vastly improved/cured my flaky scalp issues). I combined ACV, water, baking soda & honey and put it on my scalp with an applicator bottle. I let it sit for 30 mins, then rinsed, shampooed, and DCed.

HTH!

 

[Lady S]

Have you tried monistat? Seborrhea dermatitis can be caused by yeast, right? So, it couldn't hurt to try. If you haven't already.

You've already tried T-Sal and T-Gel, right?

Why don't you try the tea tree oil and put it in your conditioner as well since the conditioner sits on your hair and scalp longer.

I've read milk of magnesia helps. It does suck up oil.

Are you taking biotin?

 

[luckiestdestiny]

i forgot to mention. i even went to get my thyroids check and iron but they will only do half a thyroid test to save me money even when I say I'll pay and my insurance will cover. the docs don't say i'm healthy overall but which I think they just don't want to coop.

i don't remember all the moisturizers; stay sof fro, glycerin, honey, aloe vera gel, coconut (oil and milk), alaffia ultra hydrating coconut and shea poo and co. to name a few. protein; alphogee of course.

You need to find a doc who will do the necessary tests, without trying to save you on insurance. Here's some things to ask yourself thyroid wise: are you really skinny or gaining weight? YOu might be too fast or too slow and both will cause hair to snap. Does your heart race (too fast thyroid)? Or are you constantly fatigued (low thyroid)? Also are you having issues with concentration (could be both fast or slow)? Is your hair brittle and snapping? If so find a doc who will listen and don't stop until you find them. I've been on both sides (hyper from graves hypo from radioactive iodine ) and finally found a good doc who LISTENS. IF you have an illness and it's not treated it doesn't matter what you doils, dc, etc, your hair will keep snapping. It may be possible to have more than one condition. Your doc says you have dermatitis well that's your itching right there, but what about the breakage? You may also need to be checked for anemia (found out I have that too and now take slow fe and get in more iron from spinach, etc. Thank goodness my hair turned around 60 percent just from that alone).

You need to make sure your health is up to par before you start isolating hair care problems. It seems to me from what you're saying that everyone's hair is thriving that you're taking care of but you. So that means you know what you're doing. IF that's the case then you need to isolate if there is anything internal going on. Anything you do externally will be for naught until you find that out. Otherwise, you may also have an allergy to the shampoos and will have to experiment to find out what works for you.

Either way, please find a doctor willing to test: thyroid, autoimmune illnesses (some thyroid but others like lupus, etc), iron levels (anemia?), as well as other skin conditions and don't back down until you find one. I'm not saying to keep arguing with the one you have. If you have it in your insurance (ppo), find another doc, and don't stop until you find one that listens and does the tests necessary. Good luck.

 

[DivaD04]

lady spees i did and it doesn't work....i'll be back in i need to get my dd ready for school and son fed.

 

[Itllbeokbaby]

-use tea tree oil (i get mine from walmart), mixed with your shampoo.
-the itching could be a sign your scalp is healing from some trauma/scratching. i always itch as a cut/scrape heals.
-itching could be a reaction to stress. this happens to me all the time.

blessings to you. hope this helps.

 

[DivaD04]

luckiestdestiny, i'm on it!

My granny had lupus and my mom always said to look out for lupus.

I'm going start my quest in finding a doc. That's going to be my first step. Because, my iron was low, realllllly low when I was pregnant with my son (1 yr now) and my ob((she) had said I could take my iron pills and my vitamins w/ iron together since my iron was that low.

Well after having him and around the end of last year (autum) I had another iron test taken (different doc {he})...low again but so I would get all emotional, it seemed like the doc tried to sugar coat my low iron. He said I had no deficientcy and that my low iron was nothing to worry about. Soooo I'm going to find a NEW doctor.

Oh and yes, I'm going to try to have all possibilities tested. I will leave no leaf unturned. If they refuse...no need to waste my time with half a job. I want a doc w/ a degree and isn't afraid of actually using it. It may take me some time or no time at all.

In the mean time, I don't eat dairy but I think I may fall back on wheat and dairy and see how my body reacts. I have no food allergy...only trees, grass, bugs, mold, penicillin, cats, things of that nature..basically everything things I try to avoid at all costs. Food allergies didn't turn up.

thank you ladies for all the support and chiming in! I am considering all options but most importantly my health. There's nothing greater than good health from the inside out and daily maintenance. So for that 2 fros up and a hair full of swang!

 

[hair4romheaven]

Go to a nutritionist. I think you may be allergic to something like yeast or something. They will test you for food allergies. Ladies you will be surprised. Some people hair won't grow, can't loose weight, face won't clear etc...

 

[fatimablush]

-use tea tree oil (i get mine from walmart), mixed with your shampoo.
-the itching could be a sign your scalp is healing from some trauma/scratching. i always itch as a cut/scrape heals.
-itching could be a reaction to stress. this happens to me all the time.

blessings to you. hope this helps.

I never thought about that..