Chit Chat

Hair/Scalp Question

AprilH81AprilH81 member
First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
edited July 2015 in Chit Chat
This might be slightly gross to some...



I have always had an oily scalp (thanks Dad!!!) and my naturally curly/wavy hair looks terrible after sleeping on it (my curls don't bounce back once they are flattened).  

My normal routine is to wash it using a color safe shampoo, recently I've been using a Kirkland shampoo that is sulfate/paraben free shampoo, and putting Aussie Sprunch mousse on it and blow dry it with a diffuser until it is almost dry.  If I'm not going anywhere I will let it air dry without product (hello frizz).  I rarely use conditioner but when I do it is a good salon product.

The last year or so I've noticed a lot of gunk build up on my scalp.  It doesn't itch and doesn't flake so I don't think it is dandruff, but if I run my nails over my scalp (especially right after a shower) I get a lot of gunk under my nails.  I also get pimples on my scalp and not just on the skin around my face.

Any ideas what is causing it and how to get it to stop?
photo composite_14153800476219.jpg

Re: Hair/Scalp Question

  • I have had many of the same issues. I stopped washing my hair every day and switched to Burts Baby Bee shampoo. I use an all natural leave in conditioner that I get locally. Wash in warm water, rinse in cold- very thouroughly. And I do a decent job of scrubbing at my scalp with my nails when I wash my hair.

    I'm pretty sure I had product buildup on my hair and scalp that was causing the issues.

    You could also try going to a no poo method- I haven't taken the plunge on that one yet.
  • I have similar issues sometimes. Try a different shampoo - possibly a sulfate/paraben-free, clear (not colored/milky), clarifying shampoo. I also have an oily scalp and (sometimes unruly) wavy hair, and I have a hard time not washing it every day, but my hair people always tell me to stop washing it as frequently and it will become less oily over time. Have you tried cutting back on how often you shampoo it, and using a dry shampoo in between?
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • teddygirl9teddygirl9 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited July 2015
    I dont know the specifics of your conditioner or mousse, but if your shampoo is sulfate free and either of those other items contain silicones, it is difficult for some sulfate free shampoos to remove. I would suspect it's just a bit of build up. Buy a clarifying (or regular sulfate) shampoo to use once in a while.
    image
  • I have had many of the same issues. I stopped washing my hair every day and switched to Burts Baby Bee shampoo. I use an all natural leave in conditioner that I get locally. Wash in warm water, rinse in cold- very thouroughly. And I do a decent job of scrubbing at my scalp with my nails when I wash my hair. I'm pretty sure I had product buildup on my hair and scalp that was causing the issues. You could also try going to a no poo method- I haven't taken the plunge on that one yet.

    No poo isn't an option for me because of the curls. Plus I'm not brave enough. lol
    photo composite_14153800476219.jpg
  • I have similar issues sometimes. Try a different shampoo - possibly a sulfate/paraben-free, clear (not colored/milky), clarifying shampoo. I also have an oily scalp and (sometimes unruly) wavy hair, and I have a hard time not washing it every day, but my hair people always tell me to stop washing it as frequently and it will become less oily over time. Have you tried cutting back on how often you shampoo it, and using a dry shampoo in between?

    I'm currently using a sulfate/paraben free shampoo, but it isn't clear. I will see if I can find one that is. 

    I have some dry shampoo but it doesn't really work well in my hair when it is curly. It works okay if I straighten it but it still gunks up my hair and makes it look gross.
    photo composite_14153800476219.jpg
  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited July 2015
    Whenever I want a really good "clean" from my usual shampoos, I use Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo. 
  • I was having an issue a while back where I got this really oily cap at the top of my head. I tried a bunch of stuff and the only thing that worked was a good scrubbing with Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo.

    To help prevent the build up I use a Suave clarifying shampoo two days a week (usually Saturday and Sunday). The rest of the week I use Dove. Once a month I try to use the Selsun Blue to be proactive, but I also like the tingly feeling on my scalp.
    Anniversary

    image
  • I used to have the same issue. I have since cut back my hair washing to only 2 times a week and wash every few washes with Neutrogena clarifying shampoo and it gets rid of everything I've build up product wise. 
    image
  • I used to wash my hair every other day and it was fine.  Then 6 months ago I cut my hair short and it would get pretty crazy if I didn't wash it daily and it seemed more greasy.  Now that my hair has grown out a bit I'm trying to get it back to letting me wash every other day to cut back the oil production. A few weeks ago I started shampooing every other day again and using Suave Clarifying shampoo once a week.  It's finally back to looking normal and not an oily mess on my non-shampoo days.  I had done some research into best clarifying shampoos and was surprised that Suave was on nearly every list I saw... and it's easy to find and cost efficient. So, you may want to try adding a clarifying shampoo into your routine.

    image

    image 

  • I have curly hair as well and it does get oily. I use a deep cleansing shampoo once a month to get rid of any build up and just shampoo as normal the rest of the week. I feel your pain on the curls not lasing to day two, never works for me so I never try. A note about the conditioner though and you said it was really frizzy, curly hair can tend to be dry at the ends and break making it more frizzy. Have you thought about using a conditioner just on your ends? It might help to tame the frizz. 

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I have curly hair as well and it does get oily. I use a deep cleansing shampoo once a month to get rid of any build up and just shampoo as normal the rest of the week. I feel your pain on the curls not lasing to day two, never works for me so I never try. A note about the conditioner though and you said it was really frizzy, curly hair can tend to be dry at the ends and break making it more frizzy. Have you thought about using a conditioner just on your ends? It might help to tame the frizz. 

    I was going to say this. My hair feels so rough and crappy after shampoo but then so soft and nice after conditioner. I don't know why you'd skip that step.

                                                                     

    image

  • lc07lc07 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I'm not sure what to do about the buildup but Batiste dry shampoo changed my life!!! If you can get rid of the buildup, I highly recommend using that brand of dry shampoo so that you don't have to wash your hair and use product every day! Hopefully that will prevent more buildup.


  • I always get scalp buildup--I work out a lot and the salt in my sweat is just gross on my scalp (so I end up shampooing nearly every day).  I use Nioxin every other shampoo, and that has seemed to help; also, when it gets really bad, I use a fine toothed comb and scrape my problem areas with it to get rid of any build-up (this is what my stylist does when I have a really dry scalp too before shampooing). I've used Aveda scalp benefits in the past and its been good--but not as good as the Nioxin in my opinion.
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards