Signs of an Unhealthy Scalp...Does it Affect Your Growth?

[kiesha8185]

What are the signs of an unhealthy scalp, and do you think it effects your hair growth? Gym's comment about some people having scalp problems and not even knowing it made me think... I think some are completely internal (due to your diet, stress, level of health), some are completely external (chemical processing, too much tension), and some are a mixture of both.

Here are some common scalp conditions that I see some women complain about on the board (please feel free to add):

• sensitive scalp (chemical, highly sensitive to too much manipulation)
• tight scalp
• dry scalp
• oily scalp
• flaky scalp
• itchy scalp
• dandruff
• excessive shedding
• alopecia
• thinning hairline/edges

If you have had any problems with anything above (or anything I did not mention), please state which ones and how you prevent it or control it.

Do you feel that your growth rate or texture of new growth has changed from dealing with it?

 

[I_shure_do_wish]

When can you tell that you putting your hair through too much manipulation? I noticed those girls with the weaves in all the time have no hair when you eventully do see their hair. Could this be it? And by the way you have beautiful hair!

 

[kiesha8185]

When can you tell that you putting your hair through too much manipulation? I noticed those girls with the weaves in all the time have no hair when you eventually do see their hair. Could this be it? And by the way you have beautiful hair!

Thanks for the compliment Too much manipulation (to me) means excessive breakage even on properly-conditioned hair. Or if you are too rough with your hair.

When I had twists, I really messed up my edges because I always wore my hair up Took some time, but they grew back. Another one for me, are pony tails. For some reason, I can't wear them for more than 4 hours, no matter how loose I make it. This is why I prefer claw clips or good day hair pins, since they hold the hair up without breakage or stress on the hairline.

Some women can have weaves and have very healthy hair But many don't know how to care for the weaves or their real hair under it, so its easier just to weave it up.

 

[SEMO]

Scabs on the scalp are unhealthy. I still get these on my scalp (like I did after a relaxer) and I have been natural for a while. I think this is due to scalp damage in some spots maybe from chemical burns. I do think it affects my growth some .

 

[morehairplease]

Scabs on the scalp are unhealthy. I still get these on my scalp (like I did after a relaxer) and I have been natural for a while. I think this is due to scalp damage in some spots maybe from chemical burns. I do think it affects my growth some .

co-signing with this. In 2000, I was dignosed with seborrheic dermatitis and advised by my derm to not relax my hair ever again. From time to time, I still get the sores/scabs on my scalp but they are not as bad now since being natural as they were when I was relaxed.

 

[MissMeWithThatIsh]

Scabs on the scalp are unhealthy. I still get these on my scalp (like I did after a relaxer) and I have been natural for a while. I think this is due to scalp damage in some spots maybe from chemical burns. I do think it affects my growth some .

I used to suffer from those sore scaly spots. I used to pick at them until my scalp bled. I'm so glad I never caught an infection or lost hair because of it.

 

[GoingNatural]

When can you tell that you putting your hair through too much manipulation? I noticed those girls with the weaves in all the time have no hair when you eventully do see their hair. Could this be it? And by the way you have beautiful hair!

Depending on who does their weave. I wore weaves for 8-9 months straight while transitioning (basically my hair was really delicate at that time) and my hair grew long AND healthy. Only natural shedding after I took my weave out with only minimal breakage due to the line of demarcation. I almost didn't want to BC when I stopped wearing weaves because my hair had actually started growing again!

 

[Spongie Bloom]

i just started having an itchy scalp for the past two weeks and i have no idea what is causing it and it only itches in the centre of my scalp and my temples...erplexed i wash my hair once a week without fail

 

[LivingDoll]

What are the signs of an unhealthy scalp, and do you think it effects your hair growth? Gym's comment about some people having scalp problems and not even knowing it made me think... I think some are completely internal (due to your diet, stress, level of health), some are completely external (chemical processing, too much tension), and some are a mixture of both.

Here are some common scalp conditions that I see some women complain about on the board (please feel free to add):

• sensitive scalp (chemical, highly sensitive to too much manipulation)
• tight scalp
• dry scalp
• oily scalp
• flaky scalp
• excessive shedding
• alopecia
• thinning hairline/edges

If you have had any problems with anything above (or anything I did not mention), please state which ones and how you prevent it or control it.

Do you feel that your growth rate or texture of new growth has changed from dealing with it?

I had alopecia areata when I was 16. My hair fell out in several large sections. The sections were all larger than a silver dollar but thankfully my hair was long and I was able to cover the bald patches. The patches were also skin bald with no sign of hair. Dermatologists had me trying different things, mainly steroid creams and tar based ointments. Luckily, right before doctors were about the start giving me steroid injections, my hair started growing back. IMHO the hair started growing back when I stopped using all of the meds they were giving me. The doctors told me that my alopecia was due to stress and also told me that I could never go longer than 3 days without washing my hair.

Even before then I always had problems with dry scalp which resulted in dandruff (or what I thought was dandruff). The dermatologist took cultures of my "dandruff" last year and told me that it wasn't fungal and that I just had a dry scalp. Since I've joined the board I'm happy to report that my dandruff is gone (so far)!

I have been doing the following:

• Adding EVOO to my relaxers
• Moisturizing and sealing daily (sealing with a mix of coconut, jojoba, and olive oils with peppermint and rosemary or Dabur Vatika oil)
• Deep conditioning with every shampoo
• Taking flaxseed oil pills daily
• Diluting shampoos
• Adding EO's to my poos and condish's
• Clarifying
• Thoroughly rinsing products from my hair
• Stopped putting grease on my scalp
• Avoiding products that are mineral oil or petroleum based

Before joining the board I didn't do any of these things. The board saved my dry scalp.

ETA: I'm not sure if the dry scalp affected my growth because I've always had "growing hair" and I always had dry scalp. In fact, I assumed it was "Growing dandruff" ) I have nothing to compare it to until now! I'm eagerly anticipating growing out with a healthy scalp.

 

[gymfreak336]

I thought I had dandruff for YEARS and it wasn't until I read Lisa Akabri's book that I figured out that it wasn't dandruff, it was negative buildup. My scalp would always itch like 2 days after I washed and I always had flakes. Once I changed the way I shampoo'ed my hair, it was ALOT better. I always though it was dandruff but it wasn't. I was treating my scalp for dandruff which was never getting the root of the problem. This is the first two months I haven't had the problem and I have little hairs sprouting up on my hair line, especially in the back. I do think it affected my growth rate because my scalp was constantly irritated. I think that alot of women, myself included make our scalp problems worse by convering them up and scratching dandruff or what we think is dandruff.

 

[LivingDoll]

I thought I had dandruff for YEARS and it wasn't until I read Lisa Akabri's book that I figured out that it wasn't dandruff, it was negative buildup. My scalp would always itch like 2 days after I washed and I always had flakes. Once I changed the way I shampoo'ed my hair, it was ALOT better. I always though it was dandruff but it wasn't. I was treating my scalp for dandruff which was never getting the root of the problem. This is the first two months I haven't had the problem and I have little hairs sprouting up on my hair line, especially in the back. I do think it affected my growth rate because my scalp was constantly irritated. I think that alot of women, myself included make our scalp problems worse by convering them up and scratching dandruff or what we think is dandruff.

Gymfreak...what you said reminds me of this "stylist" I was going to...she would sit with a fine toothed comb and scratch all my dandruff up, it would hurt like hell...girl there was soooo much dead skin on the cape and on the floor I would be embarassed for people to see. Not to mention the sores and scabs I would have on my scalp afterward. I thought it was helping.

The dandruff tormented me...and when presciption strength shampoos didn't help, I thought I was hopeless. I can't believe that I never found a stylist over the years (and I went to MANY) who knew what the problem was. I guess it was because I had "growing hair" that wasn't shedding and I didn't have breakage. Noone ever pinpointed the problems to lack of moisture and product buildup (which now seems like no-brainers).

 

[gymfreak336]

Gymfreak...what you said reminds me of this "stylist" I was going to...she would sit with a fine toothed comb and scratch all my dandruff up, it would hurt like hell...girl there was soooo much dead skin on the cape and on the floor I would be embarassed for people to see. Not to mention the sores and scabs I would have on my scalp afterward. I thought it was helping.

The dandruff tormented me...and when presciption strength shampoos didn't help, I thought I was hopeless. I can't believe that I never found a stylist over the years (and I went to MANY) who knew what the problem was. I guess it was because I had "growing hair" that wasn't shedding and I didn't have breakage. Noone ever pinpointed the problems to lack of moisture and product buildup (which now seems like no-brainers).

I never had anyone do that but I never understood why people would do that. Its like a scab, you have to let it heal. When you get a scab it might itch but you know you have to just leave it alone until it heals. Your scalp is the same way and doing that just makes it harder to heal and increases the damage. I am glad you don't let anyone do that anymore. If you are ever in a book store and see the Lisa Akbari book, flip through it. It isn't a long book but her section on scalp care is very interesting and informative.

 

[Nonie]

• sensitive scalp
• tight scalp
• alopecia

I believe an unhealthy scalp affects hairgrowth. The list above shows the symptoms I had. What healed my scalp was eating right (cutting out any crap that was not of any beneficial value to my health, eg refined sugar, salt); massaging my scalp every night using the Essential Oil Blend I've shared about before.

Edited to remove: (chemical, highly sensitive to too much manipulation) beside sensitive scalp -- my scalp wasn't sensitive because of these. It was sensitive because that's usually what happens when you're losing hair. Guess when the follicles are dying or sick or sad... *shrug*

 

[Nuelle]

Scabs on the scalp are unhealthy. I still get these on my scalp (like I did after a relaxer) and I have been natural for a while. I think this is due to scalp damage in some spots maybe from chemical burns. I do think it affects my growth some .

I have a very dry scalp and it's not a pretty sight, especially if I forego washing my hair for more than a week. What bothers me the most are the white flakes that I get near my hairline. Even after I wash my hair, usually you can still see the residue on my scalp. I haven't seen a dermatologist yet, but lately I've been thinking about transitioning more and more. I have this scab where the hair is sparse. Most times when I comb my hair, I can feel it under the comb. I stretched for 6 months once and it was still there! If I scratch it too hard, it bleeds. I think you might be right about it being from chemical burns.

The only thing that's been working for me is washing with keracare dry/itchy scalp poo and con and keeping it simple...If my hair wasn't under-processed mid-shaft, I'd probably be transitioning right now...Fortunately, it hasn't affected my overall growth!

 

[LivingDoll]

I have a very dry scalp and it's not a pretty sight, especially if I forego washing my hair for more than a week. What bothers me the most are the white flakes that I get near my hairline. Even after I wash my hair, usually you can still see the residue on my scalp. I haven't seen a dermatologist yet, but lately I've been thinking about transitioning more and more. I have this scab where the hair is sparse. Most times when I comb my hair, I can feel it under the comb. I stretched for 6 months once and it was still there! If I scratch it too hard, it bleeds. I think you might be right about it being from chemical burns.

The only thing that's been working for me is washing with keracare dry/itchy scalp poo and con and keeping it simple...If my hair wasn't under-processed mid-shaft, I'd probably be transitioning right now...Fortunately, it hasn't affected my overall growth!

Nuelle...this sounds like psoriasis maybe (especially if it isn't all over). I hope you're able to find a solution soon.

 

[LivingDoll]

I never had anyone do that but I never understood why people would do that. Its like a scab, you have to let it heal. When you get a scab it might itch but you know you have to just leave it alone until it heals. Your scalp is the same way and doing that just makes it harder to heal and increases the damage. I am glad you don't let anyone do that anymore. If you are ever in a book store and see the Lisa Akbari book, flip through it. It isn't a long book but her section on scalp care is very interesting and informative.

**Making a mental note** I will. Thanks!

 

[Qualitee]

I had very dry scalp. I would wash my hair often and just like gymfreak said it would come back like 2-3 days later. I did some research on it and I figured out that sulfates are drying out my scalp. So I stopped using it. My hair still Flakes but not a bad, not as much, and not as often. The more and more I wash my hair with orangic sulfate free shampoo the better my scalp gets. Pls I do a hot oil treatment all the time with CD lisa's hair elixir. But I don't think dry scalp stops the hair growing prosses. But it can be fungus on the scalp.

 

[SEMO]

Nuelle...this sounds like psoriasis maybe (especially if it isn't all over). I hope you're able to find a solution soon.

Wow, I never thought of this. I have some patches of psoriasis (per self-diagnosis ) on my wrists and I have to be extra careful to keep that part of my skin well moisturized. I have never thought that it might be the same thing happening on my scalp.

 

[LivingDoll]

Wow, I never thought of this. I have some patches of psoriasis (per self-diagnosis ) on my wrists and I have to be extra careful to keep that part of my skin well moisturized. I have never thought that it might be the same thing happening on my scalp.

Yeah, I think psoriasis affects the scalp just as it does other skin.

 

[claudia05]

ing for more solutions. Just saw the Head& Shoulders commercial.
I've had scalp and slow growth problems all my life...

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

I have dry scalp. Not much (if any) dandruff. My scalp is so happy when I oil and massage it.

I also have a very sensitive scalp so some things really irritate it and I have to be careful. I use to scratch so bad after rinsing my shampoo (certain brands) but.... I used Traycee's poo recipe and that works pretty well.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I learned soon after joining the boards that sulfate shampoo wasn't for my scalp. I would have dandruff and had to use head and shoulders. I was using like three shampoos per wash for all my needs.

I decided one day that I didn't want to have to use a medicated shampoo (with sulfates) my whole life. The ingredients in the product were alleviating and causing the symptoms all at the same time so what's the point anyway?

So, I use a natural shampoo on my scalp, every week, and I use a sulfate slippy shampoo on the length of my hair. This is the best of both worlds for me.

My scalp isn't as itchy and my dandruff is now almost non-existent.

I am also thinking of transitioning. I used to get horrible burns from relaxer. Thankfully it never caused any permanent noticeable damage. But I just know that putting that stuff on my hair every other month can't be good for the long term hair of my scalp.

 

[Bublin]

I thought I had dandruff for YEARS and it wasn't until I read Lisa Akabri's book that I figured out that it wasn't dandruff, it was negative buildup. My scalp would always itch like 2 days after I washed and I always had flakes. Once I changed the way I shampoo'ed my hair, it was ALOT better. I always though it was dandruff but it wasn't. I was treating my scalp for dandruff which was never getting the root of the problem. This is the first two months I haven't had the problem and I have little hairs sprouting up on my hair line, especially in the back. I do think it affected my growth rate because my scalp was constantly irritated. I think that alot of women, myself included make our scalp problems worse by convering them up and scratching dandruff or what we think is dandruff.

Please tell me how you now shampoo your hair.

 

[Sade']

All of a sudden I have a super itchy scalp. I also suffer from hair loss. I noticed after I started oiling my scalp with Afroveda Shikakai oil my scalp is itchy as hell. Perhaps I should not apply it directly to my scalp. Some people say do NOT oil ur scalp and some say OIL your scalp. I am totally confused. Please help me with a remedy ladies. I am about to scratch my head to death.

 

[melissa-bee]

Bump... My scalp is flaky and it grows slow, i've been transitioning for 4 months and only have an inch of new growth. I've used baking soda to wash my hair the past 5 times and it's just not working. I've been taking cod liver oil for the past two weeks and still no difference. I need help.

 

[morehairplease]

Please tell me how you now shampoo your hair.

co-signing.

 

[KatKronicles]

I think it does. I noticed my daughters hair growth slowed and I noticed huge flakes, right after washing. So. Now ive gotten rid of the sulfates and First wash, I do mean first wash with the Avalon organics and no flaking.

We also wash a bit differently I put her hair in about 10 to 15 2 strand twists put an ounce of the shampoo in a spray bottle wet each section and spray the shampoo on it. I concentrate on the hair more than the scalp. I massage her scalp for about 15-30 seconds so any excess dirt and oils have lifted and I continue massaging down the hair.

Totally different experience especially with the ten year old who has two to three peoples worth of hair.