Dry Scalp Tips, Anyone?
 

Hey guys I’m a bit new to the CG method but thus far I’ve really liked the results on my hair’s frizziness and curl shape. What I haven’t liked is the dry scalp I’ve started to develop.
What I’ve Been Using:
Conditioner: Giovanni Smooth as Silk
Co-Wash: VO5 Free Me Freesia
Shampoo: Giovanni Tea Tree Shampoo
Styling: Giovanni Natural Mousse Styling Foam and Leave in Conditioner

When the dryness first started I thought it was dandruff and since I’d heard that tea tree oil was good for dandruff and that dandruff was caused by excess oil I started using more and more shampoo. As you could imagine it did nothing. After some research I realized I have dry scalp NOT dandruff.
So what I was wondering is if any of you have had similar issues and what you did to correct them or if you had any idea what was causing the dry scalp so I can stop using/doing it (for instance, VO5 has alcohol so could this be a cause? Has anyone had this experience?)
I’ve read online that VO5 Hot Oil Treatment is good for dry scalp as well although it tends to make my hair feel dry for so illogical reason. Any thoughts?

That’s a ton for your input! :love7:

Maybe you could section your hair and apply some jojoba oil to your scalp @ night and then rinse out in the morning if too greasy? I have eczema on my skin, and my scalp is skin too, so I recently started applying jojoba oil to it. It's nice and light that my scalp can still "breathe"

Sorry, I can't help in regards to your products. Maybe other curl chemists can advise.

I have the same problem. I made a mixture of 2 T shea butter, 2 T coconut oil, a few drops of tea tree oil, and 1 tsp Avocado oil, but you could use any oil you like. I put it on my scalp and left it on overnight. It helped mine immensely. Also you might want to do a brown sugar scrub first. HTH.

I second with my fellow curlies on the jojoba oil. I do a overnight treatment once every 3 weeks with either jojoba oil or coconut oil w/ a few drops of tea-tree oil (don't overdo it). Maybe the problem could be your shampoo! I have heard mixed reviews on the Giovanni TTTT shampoo being to harsh on the scalp.

How often are you shampooing? You can also try cutting your shampoo. I use an empty ketchup bottle (24oz.), fill it with water, and add 2-3 tbs. of shampoo. I pour this over my head and work it in. This has worked wonders for me and I have saved lots of money this way.

Progress
 

So, if you were wondering, I've tried a very basic brown sugar scrub (extra virgin olive oil and brown sugar) rinsed out with a pea sized amount of tea tree shampoo every few days and usually I've just been scrubbing my scalp with VO5 conditioner. Thus far I still have some flaking but there's significantly less and the itching is virtually non-existent.

If you are using vo5 for your co wash, why do you use shampoo? Also use your co wash condish on your scalp and rub really fast so you can get rid of all of the dry flakes. then you can also try adding olive oil and doing that with olive oil but leave it in for ten minutes or so. Then rinse and hopefully your dry scalp will be gone!

Hi all
Avoid the towel after shower.Avoid using hot water when washing your hair. Instead, wash your hair with cool water. Although warm or hot water may be more comfortable, cool water is the healthier choice for a dry scalp.

chibichomp, I recently came to the conclusion that co-washing the scalp might not be so great for everyone. A few short weeks after going CG I developed flakes and itching at the scalp for the first time in my life. I never had an oily scalp, I never had a dry one, I was just normal before. And if you were anything like me, I just assumed that it was a phase my hair was going through while my scalp adjusted to CG and that my scalp was "healing". Well after this one night this past weekend in which I couldn't sleep at all because of the unbearable itching and burning I'd had enough. I did one last brown sugar scrub and applied some aloe to the scalp to soothe it and did a ton of research on this site. It turns out many people have never experienced dandruff or so-called "dry scalp" until they started CG. That's what led me to believe that for some it isn't "dry scalp" at all but merely product buildup. Conditioner isn't designed to be worked into the scalp so why do we do it? For some of us it might just be smothering the follicle and since conditioner is designed to penetrate and moisturize, no matter how hard we scrub, it may be difficult to rinse out entirely. Instead there's always a residue that sits there and irritates the scalp and causes unsightly flakes whenever we try to scratch! :angryfire:

I read on livecurlylivefree.com it's not good to co-wash the scalp more than once or twice a week. I was doing it every other day to every day depending on whether or not second day hair was achievable. Most of the time it was, but the second days I had were pretty itchy so I often felt like I had to wash my hair again. Little did I know that I was compounding the problem by doing so. Also I think co-washing so often and scrubbing the scalp vigorously with your fingertips while you do so is disadvantageous because it can cause increased hair loss and irritation. And I think it might not be so great because if you're plugging in the moisture manually and artificially, it sends a signal to your scalp that it might no longer have to produce as much sebum. So I'm guessing your scalp takes a holiday, produces less natural oils (which isn't good for your hair at the root which you want to grow in healthy), and the conditioner you have sitting on top of the scalp merely smothers it and makes it worse. The result is drier itchier skin that flakes and stings.

Also did you know that plenty of conditioners and haircare products contain preservatives that dry your scalp out? Check out this list. My As I Am coconut Co-wash contained methylisothiazolinone. In the future I am going to try out more natural products with less preservatives in general. At least for my main rinse out conditioner because when you're in the shower the heat causes your pores to open up and your skin to be more vulnerable to penetrating products. Shea Moisture is looking pretty good in that respect when it comes to preservatives so I bought some of that.

Itchy Scalp Causes: Preservatives in Hair Products

All right so what to do about it all? Well, here's what I've been doing this week, and again this won't work for everyone I'm sure but for me the itching and flakes disappeared immediately and I'm back to the healthy scalp I had before I went CG. I'm going to continue this routine until it fails me:

1. I stopped co-washing! I only apply conditioner to the bottom 2/3 of my hair. Just below the crown and below I slather it on, but I no longer work it into the scalp.

2. I bought a light low-poo that I plan on using once a week--no more than once a week. TOPS. So far it doesn't irritate me and seems to cleanse the scalp very well, but if I see any problems arise I'll drop it like a hot potato. It's one of the shea moisture ones. I hear they're all good and this one seems nice.

3. Most importantly, I've been applying diluted tea tree oil solution topically to the scalp on wash days. My schedule is I do light yoga one day and cardio the next so I wash my hair every other day. One day on, one day off. On the day I wash, if it's not my low-poo day, I take about 8 q-tips and dip them into 100% tea tree oil on either side. I then dip them quickly and immediately into a shallow cup of water to dilute the solution. Then I gently, very gently, massage my scalp with the ends of the q-tips. I'm very meticulous and sure to cover all the skin from nape to crown. It's sort of a massage, but not as vigorous as I used to do it. Then I get in the shower typically right afterwards and rinse the top of my head and rest of my hair. It feels wonderful and very invigorating. I also lightly massage the area while rinsing. Again I rinse my hair thoroughly and then I put in my conditioner to the bottom 2/3 of my hair but I do not apply conditioner to the scalp and crown area. NEVER. Once I get out of the shower, I do lightly apply a little leave in and gel to the surface of the crown and sides of it to tame the frizzies but the leave in and gel I use are Kinky Curly Knot Today the Curling Custard and even though they have one not so great preservative, they also both have marshmallow root and ingredients that, in the rare event they were to seep down and touch my scalp, would be soothing to it.

Okay back on point. The reason I decided to try tea tree oil is that it's supposed to be great for both dry and oily skin. Not just oily like dandruff but also flaky like dry scalp, I reasoned. My younger brother had a bad case of acne in his teenage years and after watching him try out so many harsh drugstore products that irritated his face and dried him out I did some research into natural remedies. The reason why he was getting so irritated was that he had what is known as combination skin, in which certain spots of his face he was producing too much oil and others too little. Tea tree oil helps regulate that and maintain balance. So to apply it I told him (after researching) to dip a q-tip in the tea tree oil then dilute it or rinse it in water under the faucet before applying. His skin got so much better and I realized if it could help him, it could help my scalp in no time!

So I’m doing well now. I might reduce my tea tree treatment to once a week or less depending on whether I feel I need it but but I hope I can keep it up. I notice my scalp is much happier and seems to be producing oil all on its own now, but not too much. Just enough to give my hair shine and to look healthy but my roots are never, ever greasy. The best thing I believe overall is to leave the scalp be and give it a little encouragement to work things out for itself. Low-poo whenever you need to, but don't be excessive. Also be wary of co-washing. I don't think I'll be trying that out again anytime soon. I also made some homemade lavender spray which I use on second day hair. Lavender is supposed to have a cleansing or medicinal effect and be good for the scalp and hair, too. The recipe is in the Curly Girl Handbook but I believe I know it off the top of my head. Boil 2 quarts of water to purify it. Then put in five drops of pure lavender oil. Let it cool and store the mixture in bottles. (I keep mine in the fridge.) Makes the best and cheapest refresher spray. It also smells so nice.



I hope this helps. It is what is working for me and you never know, it might work for somebody else.

I agree with the jojoba oil. You can use a medicine dropper for easy application. It's soothing and good for the skin/scalp.

If it dermatitis or excema (sp?), the topical medication Betamethasone cream works wonders.

Good luck!

IMO you need a formal medical diagnosis, simple dry scalp (xerosis) is not the most common cause of scalp problems by a long chalk, nor is it particularly likely from CO-washing. Self treating based on a self diagnosis can actually do more harm than good, you've already tried increasing shampooing possibly further damaging your skin barrier.