Dandruff dandruff dandruff!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,

To make a long story short: 6 years of dreads, crochet dumbass, last time crocheting done last june. (Supertight, lots of scalp showing, but i can tell gaps are slowly filling in).

Started washing with BS+oils last November. Result: natural dreading goes well, BUT white, flakey dandruff on scalp. Used more BS, less BS, ACV, no ACV, more oils, less oils, cool water, cold water, ice cold water, maximum rinsing time. Result: f*cking white, flakey dandruff all over my head.

Ordered dreadlockshampoo bars (extremely nice lady by the way) used it twice now (nag champa and tea tree this morning). Result: not the slightest sign of improvement!!!!!!!

I know 2 washes won't work wonders, but I've read so many miracle stories about that stuff I had hoped to notice something, anything.

Never had dandruff issues before, so I am grossed out, self conscious, and frustrated.

I understand my scalp needs to readjust, but 5 months of readjusting would seem enough time I think.

I am f*ckin desperate to the point that if this stuff don't work I feel I will be forced to cut my hair

updated by @frederic-masure: 01/13/15 09:48:44PM

This seems to be a theme lately!! Dry scalp sucks.

This is what I wrote to another gentleman yesterday:

Black hair does have different needs than Caucasians. THIS(link) could be the kind of soap that is closer to what your scalp needs, no matter what your skin color. We're all unique. Mosalu's got a few varieties and more on the way but the general difference is this-- the butters and oils used. Check out her shop and see the different recipes she uses. Quite a variety. She knows people have different scalps and needs. You can even do a general search on Etsy for 'avocado soap' and the like. Just watch out for plain glycerine soaps!! They're TRASH on hair.

Caucasians need the following recipe ingredients-- coconut oil, olive oil, palm, and that's it. Well, and EO's.

Blacks need the following recipe ingredients-- shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, olive oil, castor oil, palm oil, shea oil, and coconut oil. There are a few other butters and oils but they're more obscure. These are the main powerhouse ingredients you'll see more frequently on the market.

Black scalps NEEEEED all those heavy butters to make up the bulk of the soap recipe. The very first ingredients on the label should be those butters. Caucasians need the lighter oils and NO butters because we make all the oil our scalp needs.

Thanks for the rapid reply! I just may try it. Like you said, dandruff's a bitch!!!!

Yer welcome! I don't want ya chopping those lovelies off if you don't have to. They are gorgeous.

I love her blue activated charcoal soap. Citrus. LOVE IT. But it doesn't have heavy oils and butters. It's the lighter variety recipe.

If you don't find what you need you can always convo her and ask her to make a special loaf for you with just the oils and butters you want. But, I'd try that heavier recipe bar first, of course. See if it improves your scalp condition. If it does, even about 30% then you know just to increase the butter content. I can see a cocoa butter, shea butter, avocado oil, and palm oil soap being DIVINE on itchy scalp. But you'd have to watch the softening effect on your knots.

I tend to really got at it with my fingertips on my scalp when using good bar soap like this. It creates chaotic knots. I can't stop myself, though!!! The bubblies feel so goddamned good!!!! If I get the slightest itch, I wash, and I immediately feel better. It's heavenly.

*raising a glass* Here's to you hopefully finding the itchy cure in an easy to use form.

It's only 9am but what the hell. It's cyber-champagne.

OH and neem.... you can also consider putting a drop or two of pure neem oil in some warm water in a squirt bottle and then shooting it into your roots when you're done shampooing!! Neem has been used for centuries to stop itchies and infections. Chickenpox and the like. Psoriasis.. etc.

It's stinky shit, but what the hell. Neem is good medicine. You can always rub some good smelling diluted EO's on your locks and keep them off your scalp while the neem does it's job.

Haha thanks a lot for the compliment, I actually chopped of 10 inches when I started going natural but my hair is still pretty long (I had to watch out in the bathroom if you know what I mean).

It's past 3 pm where I live (Belgium, a microscopic country north of France) and I have a day off so I can raise my glass back at you (it's no Champagne but Pinot Blanc ain't bad either) for your advice and I'm happy to say I followed the part about having a go at it with your fingertips. Until now I kinda was afraid to scrub my scalp too firmly because I feared it would interfere with the dreading process, but gave it a shot anyway and tested it where the dandruff was the worst. So I lathered it in and scrubbed the shit out of it and guess what it actually worked!!! No flakes left!!!

Pretty stupid if you think about it: if my dredz can survive 6 years of crocheting and grow past my butt then how could a good scalp scrubbing be harmful? You certainly have been a BIG help and as far as I'm concerned your first name suits you particularly well .

dandruffs no reason to cut yoiur hair its harmless

u can live your life normaly with dandruff and it will not have any negative effects on you..period

but keep using the teatree dreadlockshampoo bar

if u still have it after 4 more washes double how often u wash

winter will cause extra dandruff u cant avoid that

unless u want to shut off your heat and shiver

u were kinda screwing yourself by using bs without acv and going back and forth changing it so often

if the dreadlocjshampoo alones not enough do a tetreew rosemaey rinse after

but if a few flakes persist..so what?

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Stick with one cleansing method religiously for a couple months. You need time to adjust and balance out. Honestly, I've been using the tea tree/ rosemary bar for around 2 months and I'm still pretty flaky. I had had to wash every other day and I'm now able to go 3-4 days before my scalp tries to crawl off my skull with the itchies.Moral of the story...time. Everything takes time. Have patience, massage that scalp with your fingertips (I do it too) and things will work out.

Now SE, my scalp didn't take too kindly to any ACV whatsoever. I had to cut it out cold turkey after a few months since it caused sliminess on my scalp that did sometimes turn into flakes. Caused itchiness, too... can't figure out why. My scalp couldn't breathe. Some people just can't take the ACV and some have to use only a few drops per cup of water or a tablespoon or two. I think each scalp is a bit different.

I do agree with the start/stopping/changing irritating the scalp, though. BUT on the other hand, I understand how frustrating seeing snow falling out of your hair can be. You're going to want to try something different every other day, or even once a week/month. Patience is in short supply when you're sick of brushing off your clothes of flakes. It's embarrassing.

A few flakes wouldn't be so terrible but it sounds like Frederic is looking like the top of Mount Shasta.

Thank you, Frederic! Glad some ideas were found for you to try before grabbing those scissors or that shaver. Keep in touch and let us know how it goes, alright?

I've had some marvelous things happen with changing to natural products. Cured my own eczema of 25+ years by ditching all the doc's Rx creams and pills and just using pure shea butter on my skin after showering. Wow. Big change. And CHEAP!!! Within a year all my scars were gone. I don't use any store-bought creams or lotions now. I add neem and tea tree oil to warmed shea butter and then put a gob of it in a container and in the refrigerator. Guess what that is? Antibacterial cream! The whole family uses it and swears by it. My hubby gets rashes on his back from sweating and bacteria. He uses the cream on it for a day or two and it's gone. All the big $$$ creams our doctor prescribed for that condition didn't work but something I whipped up in my own kitchen did. How sad/wonderful is that??!!

Natural is good. Our body responds to it positively.

Srubbed my scalp using the tea tree bar and the flakes are gone...I'm very happy with that!

I've been reading where some people experience way worse dandruff after attacking it with strong essential oils. I'm starting to think that dandruff is like eczema in a way. Very misunderstood. Doctors keep trying to push cortisol steroids at eczema patients but all it does is calm it down and then when you get off the cream it flares even worse than before. People with dandruff have pine tar soaps(look at the main ingredients in the big name shampoos) pushed at them but when those aren't used anymore then it comes back worse than before. It's all just band-aid therapy. Not really fixing the actual problem.

But what causes both? Dryness.

I think that good, high fat content butter based soap may be the way to go with Frederic. Even if it has a good dose of essential oils to help heal, the high fat content is what'll offset the essential oils to a degree.

If we don't have enough fat in our diet then all the medicine in the world can't help a sick body. I think a scalp is the same way. Each scalp just needs varying amounts of that fat to help it heal and protect itself naturally.... even Caucasian hair.