Can infrequent washing of hair cause...

[Wuxiapian]

Dandruff?

I have loads of it - whenever I rub/touch my head, my scalp flakes.

I only wash my hair once every week - 2 weeks as I'm losing a lot of hair.

Had this flaking about 6 months now, but it's getting worse and I'm beoming extremely pissed off with it all.

I use Head & Shoulders, as recommended by GP and dermatologist, but it's not working.

Any words very much appreciated.

[Spidermama]

I would stop the Head and Shoulders straight away because IMO it can cause dandruff.

It must be very annoying. I would go to a good naturopath to try to work out what's happening from the inside rather than the other way round.

[BonsoirAnna]

Yes, absolutely. Wash and condition your hair every day with a good shampoo, rinsing very thoroughly, until the dandruff is under control.

Why are you losing your hair? Not washing it won't stop it falling out.

[BitOfFun]

If you go to your GP, you can ask to be referred to a trichologist, who could get to the bottom of the dandruff and the hair-loss.

I never wash my hair in shampoo, the chemicals are very drying.

[Wuxiapian]

Thanks, guys.

Spider, how might a naturopath beable to help me? I've had all necessary blood tests.

Anna, I wish I knew why I was losing hair. I realise it's still going to fall out, but whenever I wash my hair, a ridiculous amount comes out (hair/scalp being weaker when wet, maybe?) and I find it very distressing.

BitOfFun, if you don't mind me asking, what do you use?

Thanks again.

[onepieceoflollipop]

Wuxiapian I don't have dandruff (well only very mildly and occasionally, the odd flake) but I do have hair loss which started just over 2 years ago when dd2 was born.

I never had any noticeable hair loss after dd1 was born.

My hairdresser who I see regularly every 5-6 weeks knows me and my hair well and is keeping an eye on the loss. I trust her and she knows my hair so I know she will advise me if it is getting excessive and I might need to attend GP.

Anyway, the reason I mention all this is the washing frequency thing. I generally wash my hair every day. If I leave it for 2 days, all that happens is I lose twice as much (approximately) when I do wash it. It may be that if you were to wash it say every 2 days, the hair loss would be proportionally less than if you left it for a week or more. hth.

H&S (imo) is fine for mild dandruff, but not if it is more severe. My brother used to get advice from the pharmacist when his dandruff was bad as there are other more effective products available.

[bodeniites]

i suffer from itchy flaky scalp too and the best shampoo ive used is Elvive intensive anti dandruff it really does help a lot especially if you use it every couple of days and do not use any other products on your hair in fact i am know clear most of the time oh and dont rub at your scalp

[BitOfFun]

I just use conditioner, and give my scalp a good scrub under the shower. It is honestly plenty. I have had problems with scalp psoriasis (have you checked that this isn't what you have btw?), and it's cleared up since I stopped shampooing.

Seriously, the GP should refer you on, it sounds very upsetting with the hair loss.

[tulpe]

I was wondering if it was scalp psoriasis too . DH has it and, like dandruff, you end up with white flaky bits all over your shoulders but you also get sore, itchy patches.

A good aromatherapist would be able to recommend oils which help with scalp psoriasis and/or dandruff too, if you want to go with a natural remedy approach.

[tulpe]

The other thing that just occurred to me is: are you using any products on your hair to thicken it/style it? If so, then the flaking and itching could be down to product build up.

[BonsoirAnna]

Are you on the pill? Some contraceptive pills can cause hair loss - and a change of pill can reverse that immediately.

[Wuxiapian]

Thanks, guys.

I do use a leave in type conditioner on my hair every day. I'm of mixed race and need the product to tame my (afro-y) curls. Once hair's washed, it takes a few days for it to settle, so everyday washing's just not doable.

I showed product to dermatologist and she said it was fine and shouldn't cause any problems. She also checked my scalp and said there wasn't any sign of reaction/any other condition.

The itching has got worse, though, the past few months, but was discharged from dermatology and I'm afraid I'll be fobbed off by GP if I go again about my hair.

Thanks for Elvive recommendation, Bodeniites.

Not on the pill, Anna. Was on and off it for about 15 years, but stopped 2 years ago. My hair's been falling out progressively the past 4 or so years.

Really don't know what to do for the best.

Thanks again, guys, for listening.

[bellissima]

I use Nizoral, once a week. Leave on for five mins and put a bit of conditioner on the ends.

Are you sure the hair loss isn't seasonal? I always lose what seems like loads in the Autumn/Winter, only to get (annoying messy looking round the scalp line) regrowth in the Spring. A Swedish secretary at work once told me 'that's completely normal, you're a mammal!' (felt like some kind of spaniel).

[Jewelsandgems]

Wux after I had DD1 I suffered a bit of hair loss and was very distressed. I know they say it is normal after the birth but still. I found that as soon as I switched shampoo and conditioner to one with natural products my hair loss decreased dramatically. I was using kerastase (packed with chemicals) and changed to Aveda shampure range ad the different was very significant.

Also, I when my hair had settled down I started using the charles worthington range in big hair, which is supposed to strengthen hair and found this really great too (but of course, you may not want your hair any bigger!)

I would say try a few things and see if any of them work. I would recommend you try aveda though. Their brilliance range is supposed to be excellent.