Dandruff or dry skin on head? What works?

[Trillz]

I have dandruff. Or a dry scalp. One or the other. I'm not even sure if they are different.

I don't know if I want to get out the Head and Shoulders (which I have heard is very harsh) or if I need to somehow moisturise my head better.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Are you sure its not eczema or psoriasis? In which case will be too harsh.

Worth trying a mild shampoo with no parabens, no sulfates etc...

Not sure wether you can find the " ducray" range in boots ( a french pharma brand). They have a very efficient calming scalp leave in lotion if its itchy and sore.

Also it goes without saying, make sure you rinse your shampoo very toroughly.

[Pinkflipflop]

Google MooGoo products and they also so a scalp cream.

[Chocoflump]

Head and shoulders causes my hair to fall out!

There's a great shampoo called T Gel. Works for me

[Trillz]

It's not itchy or sore. I don't feel anything. I just have small white flakes. But they are annoying.

I have always had "dry hair" (which I think equates to my head not making much oil, so the skin on my head will be dry) - my hair doesn't get greasy.

[adagio]

I'm breastfeeding at the moment and the pharmacist in boots suggested I try rubbing olive oil into scalp, leave overnight and wash out in the morning.
Not tried it yet though as scared of the resulting oil slick (lengthy rinsing with a wailing baby the other side of the shower curtain sounds headache inducing?)

I can't use T Gel due to nursing (coal tar can make your milk taste grim apparently).

I can reliably inform you that head and shoulders, body shop ginger, and Lush shampoo bar with rosemary haven't made any difference for me though! As with you, I think it is more 'dry scalp' than dandruff as such, I did shove E45 cream on the hairline and that fixed that bit for a while (but I don't think thats an option for all over)

I am tempted to try E45 shampoo but TBH this is getting expensive, nothing actually seems to work, and I am guessing its a hormonal thing being as I never had this problem until I got pregnant last year. If you do find something that helps can you report back please? Thanks :-)

[GeordieCherry]

I'm 35 weeks pg. intending to bf. Should I stop using T gel?? I usually use it once or twice a week & Naked on the other days...

[adagio]

Well to be honest, I simply haven't risked trying it - the T gel bottle (the medical coal tar one not the salicylic acid one) said not to use it so I googled why and they seem think it might make the milk taste rank, no particular harm as such - I don't particularly want to risk trying it and annoying the baby (I get little enough sleep as it is!)

Have a google yourself and make your own mind up, I would suspect though that if you used it from the get go your child may just think thats your 'flavour' and it would be more of an issue to introduce at three months!

I asked my GP and he said it was fine, its Dr Google and the bottle which said don't...

[Trillz]

I had a friend who moved to New York and whenever anyone visited the one thing he wanted brought over was coal tar soap.

I think I am going to go for the "moisturise my head" route rather than the "medicated shampoo that will upset my skin more" route. It's funny because the skin on my face is very easy-going and rarely gives me any trouble.

[teta]

I get a really dry itchy scalp from time to time and use Eucerin shampoo.Its very soothing and moisturising and is especially for psoriasis and other skin conditions.

[MrsJaqenHgar]

Aveda Shampure with the occasional use of T-Gel. I have eczema which makes my scalp flaky. Occasionally, I'll get full on flare ups of broken, it h skin which can be cleared up with T-Gel. The rest of the time, Aveda Shampure keeps my scalp in good condition.

[ifitsnotanarse]

If it is dandruff, then moisturising will only make it worse.

I had an itchy, flakey scalp for over 20 years and tried pretty much every dandruff shampoo, none of which worked. So I thought it must be dry skin instead and over moisturised my scalp. It just got worse. Colouring my hair brought relief but only short-term.

A year ago I happened to read in a magazine that dandruff is actually caused by a fungus that is attracted to an oily scalp, feeding off the oils , and making the scalp dry, flakey and itchy. The magazine recommended Nizoral shampoo, which I bought the next day. After the initial use for 2 - 4 weeks, I now use it once or twice every month. Sometimes I forget to use it and only remember when my scalp becomes itchy again. The bottle is only 60mls but have it a year and still about a 1/4 left. First shampoo to work on me. No horrible flakes on my shoulder, no scratching my head so hard that it bleeds.

I was really at having a fungal infection on my head but also that it took me 20 years to find out. Turns out that I am prone to fungal infections due to hypothroidism.

HTH and good look with finding a solution.

[Trillz]

Ah - so there is a difference between dandruff and just dry skin. Thanks! I was never sure if it was a real "thing" or just a special word for "flaky scalp". :)

I promise that I do not have an oily scalp. My hair never gets greasy or oily. Oily scalp is definitely not me. So it's unlikely that I have a fungal infection that likes oil.

[TheHuffAndPuffALot]

It might just be that you need to be drinking more water, at least this is what my hairdresser recommended to me when she commented on my dry scalp.

[Scoobyblue]

T gel is fab. Works every time.

[Fairydogmother]

I'd second Nizoral - its fabulous! I'm also hypothyroid.

But it doesnt sound appropriate in this case - I'd recommend Eucerin

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Another saying head and shoulders doesn't work for me - but i've been really impressed with the results from the Loreal anti-dandruff shampoo (which I didn't even know existed) - and it's often pretty cheap in supermarkets. It's a blue bottle, if you choose to try it!

[orangeandlemons]

T gel or Nizarol. It is increasingly thought that dandruff is a fungus. I had what I thought was a dry scalp. Itchy flaky, felt tight etc. turned out it was sebhorric dermatitis. However I have to say although the 2 shampoos kicked it into touch, they are not very good on the old hair. Make it very flyaway

[NotAQueef]

Bodyshop ginger shampoo
honestly - it's amazing, check out the reviews.
I've been using it for a few weeks now and the dry sore flaky scalp I've been suffering with all winter is gone!

[ifitsnotanarse]

If it is dandruff then neither your scalp nor your hair will be oily, but dry instead. That's because the fungal infection is feeding off it . My hair only became oily after the Nizoral started working. I always had dry hair and could have gone a week without washing (didn't, honest, swear ). It's not as oily now and seems to have balanced itself out. Oh, and I use Johnson's Baby shampoo now which is nice and gentle.

[Trillz]

My hair and scalp never have been oily. Ever. I've always had dry hair. I haven't just had a baby or changed contraceptive or done anything to change my hormones so there's no reason why I would suddenly have started making oil and then gained a fungus.

[TapselteerieO]

I would try an apple cider vinegar rinse before washing - 1 part cider vinegar to two parts water, let is soak into your hair for about 5 mins, and then shampoo/condition as normal.

I use faith in nature shampoo it is free of SLS, there is a good range of types, they are reasonably priced, Oxfam sell them but I get them from local independent health food type shops.

The cider vinegar really makes a difference to my scalp/hair without the oil slick from olive oil - I would use it once a week, then once a fortnight, then monthly to keep my hair lovely and shiny.

[Trillz]

No SLS sounds like a good suggestion no matter what my problem is :)

What do you do with the cider vinegar?

From the descriptions of dandruff here I really don't think that's what I have.

Thanks all for your suggestions/recommendations.

[TapselteerieO]

I use the cider vinegar as a scalp tonic/ hair rinse before washing my hair - not sure what it does but it seems to rebalance my hair/scalp so if it is feeling dry it sorts that out, but if I have a build up of grease/oil it seems to work on that too - I haven't had oily hair for years though, tends to be dry and the cider vinegar rinse makes my hair feel soft and glossy. I use this one.