I don't know if anyone else is experiencing this, but I have a crusty buildup on my scalp that I just can't seem to get rid of. I also have a moderate amount of dandruff. I have been off accutane for a year now and this seems to have developed post-accutane. The crusty buildup is hardened sebum and can cause your hair follicles to become clogged and die = hair loss. I've tried so many different shampoos with various chemicals that all seem to dry out my scalp and make the crustyness/ hairloss worse!
Here's what to do:
1. buy 100% pure jojoba oil (from health food store)
[several hours before you shower...]
2. Apply several tablespoons of pure oil directly to scalp (dry hair)
3. Turn head upside down and give yourself a very gentle scalp massage to increase blood flow to the area
4. Put on a shower cap
5. Blow dry outside of shower cap to heat up oil
6. Let the oil sit for at least 1 hour, if crustyness is really bad you may want to leave on the oil for longer (maybe even overnight and then wash out in the morning)
7. Shampoo with a very gentle shampoo, like baby shampoo, just something that won't further irritate your scalp
- it won't be necessary to use a conditioner but if the ends of your hair are dry just use it there
This is the regimen I have been following for 6 days now and my scalp is smooth and no longer itchy, no more crustyness! AFter the first day or two I noticed more dandruff which was probably just the crust flaking off. Most of it was gone by day 3/4. Give it a try! It really pays to use natural ingrediants and not all of those irritating chemicals.
Usually I only wash my hair every other day, but I've been using this regimen every day in an effort to remove the buildup and its working!!
Spread the word!
One question came to mind when I washed out the Jojoba yesterday i noticed I would have needed to atleast shampoo it twice to get rid of the oil in the hair and keep it from looking dirty and fatty. Do you shampoo your hair twice in a row? Or do you think that could dry the scalp out too much? I guess ill have to experiment on this a bit or maybe I just used too much oil, haha.
I ordered the Jojoba oil but it hasnt arrived in the mail yet. I am in China and cannot find ACV anywhere (except in pill form). How much damage is the crusty bacteria scalp buildup doing to my har?
My hair looks awful and there are all these fly away strands and tons of breakage. I hope the jojoba oil works. I hope it comes soon.
i noticed also that no amount of shampooing and rinsing totally removes the white gunk from my scalp,
i had to manually remove the most of it with my nails, its really sticky and stubborn. its best to comb and scrape it off after shampoo as when it hardens its impossible to get out.
oh and [Removed], you have given us tons of useful information.
After looking around I finaly found Apple Cider Vinegar from New Zealand at one of the foreign import stores. I didnt have the money on me to buy it but I will go back soon and get it. On the front it said pure Apple Cider Vinegar but all the writing on the back was in Chinese. I hope it is legit.
My jojoba oil arrived in the mail today! I am going to go try it out and really hope it works. Would it be ok to use the jojoba oil on my hair some nights and the ACV the other nights. Or maybe that is over doing it.
Thanks for all your help.
Another question-
I have been reading about ACV and the many befefits of taking it orally. I was wondering if taking a couple teaspoons a day would be ok while on Accutane. I know it would be bad to use topicaly right now but would it be bad to swallow it daily. If so how much would you recommend?
My scalp has the same crust... now pretty much all over. It doesn't flake off like dandruff, so its not noticeable, but now I have the terrible habbit of always picking at my scalp because of the crust! I can't stop...
I hope to try that jojoba oil. Instead of using a blow dryer to heat it up, could you maybe heat it up in the microwave (lightly of course) and then apply it to the hair, does that have the same effect?
El Scorcho,
heating it up in the microwave is excellent. You just need to add heat into the mix at some point so that works just fine!
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as for the comments about apple cider vinegar.
I had read a lot about that online and gave it a try a couple months ago. I would mix it with warm water in a gallon container and then poured it over my head in the shower, left it on for a couple minutes, and then shampooed. However, even after doing that for a couple weeks, it wasnt doing anything for the scalp buildup.
I even tried mixing a table spoon or two in with a water bottle and drank it twice a day for about a week and it was awful. I really didnt like the taste and it was aggrevating my heart burn. It is also really bad for your teeth because you are drinking a dilute acid.
I stand very strongly behind jojoba oil. I have been experimenting with so many things for the past 8 or 9 months and jojoba is the only thing that has both helped removed the buildup AND not irritated my scalp. Everything else just made my scalp itchy and dry. My hair can get kind of fluffy in the humidity and using jojba oil has also really cut down on the poofiness of my hair.
If the buildup doesnt come out with the oil alone and you need to kind of scrape it off, then all i can say is:
BE EXTREMELY GENTLE
because there is a large amount of buildup, the hair follicle probably isnt receiving as many nutrients because its clogged so it will fall out easier. I had a large patch of buildup on my scalp and my scraping at it with slight effort with a brush, and now my hair is much thinner in that area.
what is better than trying to scratch it off after you wash your hair and try to get it off while the jojoba oil is still in your hair. After you have let the oil sit for at least an hour, give yourself a gentle scalp massage, and very gently itch your scalp while you do to try and lift some of it up and then you can wash it out when you shampoo your hair.
I just cant stress enough how important it is not to be rough with your hair. If you have A LOT of buildup, dont expect it all to come out at once, try and gradually remove the patches of buildup so that you dont pull out the hair follicle while trying to scratch away the crust!
**Remember the crust is attached to the hair at this point, so if you are too rough, you will remove the hair with the crust. THe key is to loosen the buildup so you can wash it away and leave the hair attached!
sorry if it sounds like im ranting i just want to make sure no one unknowingly causes their own hair loss.
I have been using the jojoba oil for five days now and it has improved my hair and scalp a lot. I need to keep doing it though because there is still build up on my scalp although most of it is gone. I have also been using ACV. Sometimes I will put it on my scalp and let it sit for a minute before washing it off. Other times I will put in the jojoba oil and let it sit for hours or overnight. My hair is so dry I sometimes put a lot of jojoba oil in from the scalp down to the ends and let it sit overnight. It has really helped and I will keep doing it.
I tried wearing a shower cap and using a hair dryer to heat the oil and this works well. I have also read that you can heat it up by holding some of the oil over very hot water or boiling water. I havnt tried it yet but maybe tomorrow. You probably could put it in the microwave too but i feel better heating it up using the hot water.
Hi
Thanks for the ideas posted here. My scalp was bad for over a month and so crusty that my hair wa falling out.
Bathing my scalp in Jojoba oil, aloe vera gel, drops of rosemary oil and shampooing with tea tree oil seem to have cracked it. Literally.
There are some helpful videos on UTube. I typed in 'scalp' and there were some interesting suggestions, like rubbing tomato and egg into the scalp .......!
Other help for this iritating condition:
Coconut oil is very good as a treatment as alterantive to Jojoba.
Chlorine can be a culprit - get a Chlorine filter for the shower.
Aveda Scalp Benefits Shampoo and Conditioner
One Scalp Nanogen Shampoo
OR Baby shampoos - nothing harsh
Shampoos without Sulphate
Cider Vinger - in answer to another question on this site it can be taken orally and very beneficial for arthritis, joints etc. 2 teaspoons up to 3 times a day in a little water sweetned with honey if preferred.
any1 else still getting bothered by this, it has plagued me since late teens, just glad im not baldy. YET
you know whats even worst?
Having seborrheic/crusty bullshit flakes/dead skin on your face AND having acne.
How the fuck do you remove the shit on your face without scarring your acne?
All i really do is just gently massage it off, but i am not sure if i am damaging my acne...