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[Review] Korean Hair Care - should you treat your scalp like your skin?
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So, long story but I've suffered from scalp psoriasis for many years. Also I've been dyeing my hair with chemical dyes for over 20 years, breastfed 3 children and the eventual hair loss that comes after (sigh my previously luscious locks). I stopped using chemical dyes 2 years ago; now just using henna and indigo. Avoided sulphates in my shampoo and stopped using silicon laden conditioners that falsely made me think I had good hair.
I've been using Dr. ForHair Phyto Therapy Shampoo for 3 weeks now along with Director Pi's Jojoba oil scalp exfoliation method and finally (drum roll needed) I'm seeing new hair growth. My current hair routine:
I wash my hair every other day
Scalp massage with jojoba oil
Apply Dr. ForHair shampoo then add water and rinse well.
Second shampoo but leave on for five minutes before thoroughly rinsing.
Diluted ACV cold rinse
Towel dry then work through Weleda Rosemary and Cedarwood hair tonic (looking for an AB alternative if anyone has suggestions?)
Add a few drops of Argan oil to the ends of my hair.
For anyone who knows what scalp psoriasis is, it is such a debilitating complaint; I constantly itched my head, had sores, lost so much hair...
For people with dry scalps or similar complaints I would really recommend trying this shampoo and Director Pi's method.
Top Comment:
I had scalp psoriasis on and off for a very long time. What helped me was hydrating my scalp and generally caring for it like I do my face. I'm also not using any sulphates or silicone on my scalp and hair.
I used to get big,crusty plaques regularly, but haven't had a flare-up since using a k-beauty routine. I LOVE Lador. Not only do they make my favourite hair treatment mask (the hair filler), which is sulphate/silicone-free, they make a scalp scaler that's made a huge difference to my scalp health.
I wash my hair twice a week (co-wash once, sulphate-free shampoo followed by deep conditioning once), but I wet my head every day. I use Kiku Masamune high moist on my scalp as my toner step. I follow this with a drop of hair oil (loving camellia atm) mixed with 2 drops of Scinic honey ampoule, massaging it in. Finally, I spread a thiiiiiiin amount of cosrx snail cream on my scalp, mainly at my part and the edges.
At night, I sometimes add more oil and I've been trialing other serums to see if there's an appreciable effect.
My head is a lot less itchy, my plaques have disappeared, and my hair is getting healthier (slowly), so I think a scalp routine is worth a shot!
How to get rid of dandruff?
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I have bad dandruff. Even with regular washing and oiling it doesn't seem to be decreasing. Used head and shoulders but that only seemed to help for a little while. If I didn't use it for few days it would flair worse than before. Tried a selenium sulphide shampoo with zero improvement.
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Not a dermatologist but I've had dandruff most my life. I use a rotation of shampoo and am dandruff free 70-80% of the year. T-Gel and Head and Shoulders are what I typically keep around. I also like trying tea tree and other dandruff shampoos once in a while. I use conditioners with scents and fun shampoos spontaneously. Shampoo bars and scrubs from Lush are my fav! I still fight dandruff during October/November and April/May. I attribute that to living in the Pacific Northwest and my skin acclimating to the seasonal changes. Who knows why though?! I've never managed to get a referral to see a dermatologist in person. The few times I've had some pretty serious skin issues, a nurse takes detailed pictures and sends them to a dermatologist in my primary care network.
TIL How to get rid of the dandruff I've lived with for 15 years.
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Almost as long as I can remember I've had terrible dandruff. Flakes all over my shoulders, flakes falling down around me every time I touched my hair. I own almost no dark colored clothes because it's just gross to look over and see all that dandruff sitting there.
I've tried every different off the shelf dandruff shampoo you can think of. Many different prescription shampoos. Expensive shampoo from salons. Nothing works.
So, I was talking to my brother the other day (he shares the same problem) and he tells me that he started rubbing coconut oil into his scalp and he doesn't have dandruff anymore. Skeptical, but always willing to try any possible solution, I bought some coconut oil, rubbed it into my scalp after showering and... No dandruff for the last week! It's amazing. I just rub some into my scalp and kind of massage it in for a few minutes after showering, then spend a couple minutes rubbing my hair with my towel to get the excess oil off. It does make my hair feel a little bit greasy, but it's a small price to pay to no longer have an itchy dry scalp for the rest of my life. I feel like a new man.
Edit: I'm amazed by all the different causes, and solutions for dandruff that everyone has mentioned. Good to know I have lots of different options if I ever decide that I don't want to rub coconut oil on my head every day. I'm also glad to hear that over the counter shampoos work for a lot of people. I always just thought those companies were full of crap. Whatever the cause, I think we can all agree; Dandruff freaking sucks.
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One common cause of dandruff is fungus. You should consider trying tea tree oil diluted into the coconut oil to rid yourself of the fungus.
LPT Request: getting rid of dandruff
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I've always had a problem with dandruff, little flakes. When I used Selsun Blue, the problem goes away for maybe a day, but then the dandruff comes back again. Anyone know a more permanent, long-lasting way of getting ride of dandruff?
THANKS!
EDIT: Great response, thanks! I'm going to make it a point to try every suggestion given EDIT: I've been trying the suggestion most given for the last week and a half; not shampooing and just simply washing it with water. I still have some flakes, but it has gone down significantly and with more time, I think it'll go down even more. I have also used selsun blue twice (I play soccer), but I'm gonna continue not using shampoo and see if it helps further. If this doesn't work, it's on to the next suggestion.
Top Comment:
It's simple. Stop using shampoo. Period. Wash it thoroughly with water in the shower. Within 2 weeks it will be gone and your hair will look amazing.
For an optional nice scent you can rub in a little scented bath oil once a week (tops).
Not trolling - this is exactly what worked for me.
How did you permanently get rid of dandruff? What products did you use to resolve that irritating condition?
Main Post: How did you permanently get rid of dandruff? What products did you use to resolve that irritating condition?
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I used to have REALLY bad dandruff year round. This past year my sister recommended I use Nizoral and it worked! But i did change another thing. I used to wash my hair every like 2nd or 3rd day and now I only wash it on Sundays. My scalp is healthy and I haven’t had dandruff in months!
How can I get rid of my dandruff?
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It's not as cut and dry as buying anti-dandruff shampoo anymore. I use Head & Shoulders every time I shower, but, for some reason, I still have minor flaking. I've been using this stuff for months, and I'm tired of it now. Just once I would like to be able to run my hands through my hair without little flecks falling down. It's embarrassing, and annoying. And I want it even more now, because I'm trying to grow out my hair (I'm a male). What can I do to get rid of the problem, once and for all?
Top Comment:
There are lots of things that can affect dandruff:
- your diet affects your skin condition. Your scalp is hair. Improve your diet.
- If you do not use conditioner, start using conditioner. Your scalp may be dry. Also, scrub your scalp with your finger pads during your shower, to loosen and lift off the flakes of skin.
- You may be one of the Unlucky Ones. Sorry.
- Tea Tree shampoo is something that many of the dandruff-y men in my life have used and had work to stop and prevent their dandruff. It can be a little pricey as you usually have to buy a professional brand to find it, but professional hair products are highly concentrated so instead of using a handful of shampoo you use only a dime-sized dab of shampoo, and the bottle lasts much longer. (If you buy 3 cheap bottles of shampoo across 3 months, or one expensive bottle of shampoo that lasts you 3+ months, you spend the same, just all at once instead of spread out across the same 3 months.)
Taking care of dandruff?
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Well I have been having a nasty dandruff problem lately. So this week, I did not wash my hair from Sunday to today, to let the oil moisturize my scalp. Didn't work. In fact, today was the worst dandruff I've had in a while. So what do you guys know about treating or controlling dandruff?
Top Comment:
Make your own shampoo and conditioner. I was in the same boat as you. Nothing but incredibly expensive products would work. Fuck Head & Shoulders.
Try washing with a baking soda and water mixture, and conditioning with apple cider vinegar diluted with water. You can look up the exact portions online. Towel dry your hair and rub coconut oil on your scalp. Rub some in your beard as well, if you have one.
Pretty much no dandruff and my scalp only starts to itch if I don't repeat the process in a couple days.
I’ve finally cracked the dry, itchy, flaky scalp code (I cured my dry scalp)
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the secret is aloe vera gel!!!!
TLDR: Y'all know how you're supposed to condition your hair and moisturize your skin? Guess what? Scalp is part of your skin and you're supposed to moisturize your scalp as well. Aloe vera gel is a wonderful scalp moisturizer/conditioner!!!!! It's lightweight and water soluble which means you only need water to rinse it out 😍😍��😍 PSA: Do a patch test on the back of your hand to check whether you're allergic to aloe or not
April 29, 2021 - 2 year update
"how do you use aloe"
there are no rules! experiment with different methods and see what works for you! you can apply it before you shower, after you shower, use it as a spot treatment, rinse it off, leave it on, the world is your playground!
"is your scalp flake free now? do you still use aloe?"
yes my scalp is completely flake free now! however, it gets itchy sometimes. and when it does, I apply aloe on the itchy areas and it helps a lot! I still use tea tree oil shampoo (brand: petal fresh pure), scalp massager (once a month, brand: Maxsoft), and aloe vera gel (once a month, brand: lily of the desert). and wash my hair as soon as it gets oily so things don't build up (twice a week) :)
I also started taking supplements: vitamin D, magnesium, iron, omega 3 and the health of my hair improved a lot!
I've also been into self hypnosis for a few months now, and it has been very transformative! I listen to subliminals on youtube, they contain hidden affirmations that go straight to your subconscious mind. I like these two: 1, 2 (don't listen to the 2nd one if you have epilepsy)
(I know it sounds farfetched, but the good thing about it is it doesn't require belief! checkout r/subliminal)
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Here's the rest of the post -
dry scalp vs dandruff
- There are many reasons as to why one's scalp is flaky and itchy. A lot of people mix up dandruff and a dry scalp. Here's a simple checklist to help you figure out what's making your head snowy.
- Please only use aloe vera if you're 100% sure you have a dry scalp and not some other kind of issue as I don't know what the side effects might be (I am NOT a dermatologist)
bit of a background
I've struggled with an itchy, flaky scalp for as long as I can remember. I was 'the kid with dandruff' all throughout middle school and high school. Beware y'all this next sentence is disgusting - I remember scratching my scalp so much as a kid to the point where when I woke up every morning, I saw little dots of blood staining my pillow.
I've been insecure about my scalp as a kid and I still am to this day. I'm in college now and I wear a hoodie all the time. I shampoo my hair 2-3 times in one washday and flakes just won't go away! Throughout the years, I scratched my scalp SO MUCH that I gave myself bald spots and sparse areas. My hair is really thin (1/4th the amount of hair I remember having as a child). So my next hair quest is growing it out!!!!!
One year ago, I decided I was going to take this issue seriously and get rid of it once and for all. I've been actively experimenting with different hair products for one year now. Here's what worked for me and what didn't -
what worked:
- April 10th, 2019 UPDATE: I NO LONGER OIL MY SCALP!!! It's really healthy and moisturized and no longer needs to be oiled. Also, I noticed oiling makes me shed A LOT more hair now, so I skip this step entirely, but here's what I wrote 4 months ago: Oiling my scalp 3-6 hours before hopping into the shower using 1 part olive oil and 1/2 part hemp seed oil. (the oils are really difficult to wash out so I only use 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp). I noticed that whenever I used these oils, my hair was shedding significantly less than before. I don't mix the oils - I oil my entire scalp with olive oil and then use hemp seed oil as a spot treatment on the itchy areas // Result: this reduced hair fall by a LOT, my scalp was still flaky
- Using a gentle, all-natural shampoo that contains tea tree oil. The one I use is JR Liggett's Tea Tree & Hemp Oil Formula Shampoo Bar. (A moderate amount goes a long way - if I use too much it creates a waxy layer on my hair strands but it doesn't leave residue on my scalp. To get rid of the residue, I just wash my hair with conditioner after shampooing). // Result: this got rid of 90% of the itchiness, my scalp was still flaky
- using a scalp massager/shampoo brush: this physically exfoliates my scalp but it's too gentle to cause any damage and I absolutely love it! It leaves my scalp clean and flake free, but the flakes will come back if I don't use aloe vera gel, so it's definability not a substitue for aloe
- Moisturizing the scalp using aloe vera gel after it dries. This LITERALLY prevented flakes from appearing on my scalp when it dries. Aloe vera gel is very lightweight and it DID NOT weigh my hair down or make it look greasy + it absorbs right into the skin. Here's how I apply it:
- rinse conditioner
- apply a GENEROUS amount of aloe vera gel to the scalp
- wait for a few minutes then rinse it out
- style as usual
- Result: my scalp is only a lil itchy // it CURED MY DRY SCALP!!!!!! AAAH! NO MORE FLAKES!!!
- Changing up how often I shampooed my hair (twice a week instead of once a week). If you shampoo your hair a lot (every day), try skipping one wash day and see how that turns out? If you shampoo your hair once a week, try washing it every 3 days instead?
- Using tea tree on my scalp before shampooing it once a month Result: This got rid of all itchiness and I <3 it!!!!!
The one thing that made the most difference is #3. Honestly, if you don't do anything else I just told you about besides #3, you would still see results. So maybe try aloe vera out first and if it doesn't work try the other 3 things? Whatever floats your goat!! It works like MAGIC 😍No flakes! No dryness!! The brand I have is Lily of the Desert, 99% Aloe Vera Gelly. (You may have to apply it as a spot treatment between washes)
what didn't work:
- ACV rinse (ACV diluted in water): made my hair shed like CRAZY
- anti-dandruff shampoos: too drying // I don't have dandruff so it's normal that they didn't work for me
- moisturizing shampoos: they leave residue and made my scalp even itchier
- sulfates: too drying
- sulfate free shampoos that contain harsh ingredients (basically anything by OGX): more drying that sulfates
- physical exfoliation - scrubbing my scalp with my fingers, hair comb, lice comb, and sometimes a toothbrush: does nothing besides making my sparse areas even more sparse (because of the amount of friction I'm inflicting on my scalp)
stuff that didn't work but also didn't cause any side effects:
- salicylic acid: meh. I tried a shampoo with salicylic acid twice and it did nothing. I no longer use it frequently. I might use it maybe once a month/every 3 months if I feel like my follicles need a deep cleanse. April 10th, 2019 UPDATE: I would never use a salicylic acid shampoo on my scalp because it's really clean and doesn't need any type of clarifying boost
PSA
You don't have to use the same products I did. You can use ANY products that contain the ingredients I mentioned; so you can use ANY tea tree oil shampoo and ANY brand of aloe vera gel, olive, and hemp seed oils. You don't have to use an all-natural shampoo either, just one that contains tea tree oil. Also, like I said, I have a dry scalp - not dandruff.
me freaking out
IM SOO HAPPPPYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANNNTTT BELIEVE I DON'T HAVE FLAKES ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Y'ALL HAVE NO CLUE HOW MUCH I'VE STRUGGLED AAAAAAHHHHHHHH
like ????
????????
I don't think anyone understands: WHEN I WASH MY HAIR, MY SCALP BECOMES CLEAAN!!! WHAT A PRIVILEGE!! a clean, flake-free scalp, and it's mine - AH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT!! Thank you God, thank you aloe vera, and thank you tea tree oil <3
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Thanks for including what DIDN'T work! I do like to see what people tried before they find what works.
My advice on how I finally cured my dandruff
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Quick and simple: Change your shampoo
I no it’s not that simple for everyone but it blew my mind to think that I never once thought it was my shampoo that was causing my dandruff. For since I was 11, I have had terrible dandruff. Finally I had enough once it started getting hard to sleep because of it that I really started different methods. I tried no shampoo, didn’t work, I tried only dandruff shampoo , didn’t work, I tried medicine , worked for a little bit . But not once did I ever assume it was the type of shampoo I was using. I finally switched over to dove dry scalp care 0% sulfates shampoo and dermacare scalp conditioner and man, I can’t believe it... I haven’t had dandruff in over a month. My hair feels so healthy and it’s falling out every time I shower. I want to recommend this combo or something similar for people struggling with dandruff because I went through metric tons of head and shoulder and nizoral to finally realize I was basically allergic to every other shampoo other than dove. Hopefully this helps others and I hope you all find peace in your anti dandruff journey !
Top Comment:
I guess you meant Dove Dry Scalp Care shampoo? I can't find a brand called "deems," you got a link or different spelling?