Itchy scalp remedies?
- Thread starter IvoryScales
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Oh, by the way, and sorry if this is a stupid question, but do you have kids yourself or in your family or maybe neighborhood kids dropping by sometimes? If so, could they have given you head lice or scabies? Or could a colleague have borrowed your cap once?
Usually, the reasons for itching have a visible cause, like red irritated scalp, an allergy, dry skin or dandruff. But you already mentioned that you don't have dandruff. If you can't find what's causing the itch, you might want to visit your GP. (It's probably just dry skin, but sometimes unexplained itchy scalp is a symptom of something more serious that a doctor should look at.)
Usually, the reasons for itching have a visible cause, like red irritated scalp, an allergy, dry skin or dandruff. But you already mentioned that you don't have dandruff. If you can't find what's causing the itch, you might want to visit your GP. (It's probably just dry skin, but sometimes unexplained itchy scalp is a symptom of something more serious that a doctor should look at.)
I've always had a dry scalp. In the 50s, my mom would heat some kind of oil on the stove, pour it on my head and wrap it in a towel. Yes, that's as much fun as it sounds. It got better in mid life, showering every morning, and sometimes after work because of my job, with H&S and a conditioner. 10+ years into retirement, and not doing my hair every day, I now buzz my hair once a month. I use the same bar of Grandpa's Pine tar soap I shower with, followed by a diluted ACV rinse. It seems to work as well as anything else I've tried.
It's just an ingredient. I just go to Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc. and grab one of the store brands that contain coal tar. The coal tar is cheaper in price and requires less use than the pine tar, so it's far cheaper in the long run. The funny thing is my wife actually likes the smell of the coal tar shampoo I use. I was happy with the Grandpa's but I had to order instead of grabbing it off the shelf.
Just an FYI, the Dr. Squatch pine tar was apparently reformulated a few years ago and isn't quite the pine tar soap I was expecting AT ALL. Also- it will turn your entire tub black, so make sure to keep it in a soap dish and wash away the residue!
Someone gave me a sample pack of Squatch soaps for Christmas and I was initially elated when I saw that it came with a pine tar bar, but was semi-disappointed when I smelled it and only got a nice, clean pine scent versus the smoky, woody scent I expect from pine tar soap like Grandpa's.
To be fair, Grandpa's is one of the only other ones I've tried so far, aside from some I made myself. I have a feeling that I used the wrong grade of tar because the homemade stuff didn't have nearly the aroma or sudsyness/lubricity of Grandpa's, but more of a wood+ chemical smell instead.
As far as other flaky/itchy scalp treatments go, have you tried using some diluted apple cider vinegar? I've only done this a few times and made the mistake of using it undiluted the first time, but it DID seem to work for quite a while afterward!
I hate to be captain obvious here, but have you talked to a doctor about this? Ideally a dermatologist? I'd imagine they could help eliminate possible causes.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Oil Shampoo. I used it for years, it got too pricey. I found that Every Man Jack Tea Tree Shampoo also works for me at a more reasonable cost. When it’s bad, and really irritated, nothing beats old school max Strength Selsun Blue.
I had a dry scalp too, but a tiny drop of Orofluido alleviated the symptoms and it has an awesome vanilla like scent. I no longer need it as the dryness has gone away with changes to my showering regiment. I agree with the comments about showering/shampooing less as soaps and hot water are recipe for dryness. A dermatologist told me once that we should be showering with cooler slightly warm, not hot, water to avoid these issues.
Templeton tonic provides me some relief (itching around ears). It is a combination of oils (plus scent). A little goes a long way.
Try Nizoral 2% kills the fungus that creates dandruff on the scalp. It’s about $20 a bottle.
If that doesn’t work go to see your family doctor to give you a prescription.
I, and others, earlier recommended a diluted ACV rinse. I have since tweaked my rinse method which works better (for me) for dandruff and itch. After washing my hair (with a bar of Grandpa's), I now put a 50/50 solution of ACV/water on my hair, and use a wash cloth to wipe it from my forehead and around the eyes. I leave it on my head while I wash the rest of my body. A stronger dilution than I was using, and leaving it on longer makes a difference.
1. Maybe don’t wear your hair so short? Short hair will tend to cause an itchy dry scalp due to the fact? Less hair, less naturally occurring oils that keep the scalp’s PH in check?
2. SLS. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. An major ingredient that is in most of the shampoo’s and conditioners that are main stream grocery store brands. Yes, even the dandruff shampoos. Many, without even knowing anything about it are either allergic or just really sensitive to this ingredient which dries out and irritates the scalp.
Which in turn makes you buy more dandruff or conditioning shampoos. Pretty business savvy of them no? Same thing with lotions and chapsticks. Ever see all the alcohols in lotions? Yes, 1 or 2 alcohols maybe as a preservative, but some of them have 4,5 or 6 different types of alcohols in your lotion? Why? Because when you first rub it on, you think, man this feels good! And then a few hours later, you’re like, man, I’m all dry and cracked, I need more lotion!
I always wondered when my lips got a bit windburned or chapped in winter, the more chapstick I used, the worse my chapped lips got.
Unless you are buying all natural products from a natural health store and then still also reading the labels and knowing what’s in them?
You won’t ever know if the cause of your scalp itch is natural or chemical.
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