Scalp issues

[ORChick]

This is going to be long; forgive me
I'm hoping someone here can give me some new ideas on a problem I've been having. I have an appointment with a dermatologist, but not for some weeks, and would really like to at least begin to beat this before then.
A little background: Some months ago (around January) I noticed that my hair was shedding a lot more than usual. I have (have almost always had) long hair, and am rather vain about it, I admit . It has always been reasonably thick, but now I have to be careful how I comb it, or else I have an extra, unwanted *part*. In about March I bought an Indian herb said to encourage hair growth, and used it as a hair rinse after shampooing. The next day my head started itching, and sometime later I noticed little bumps on my scalp. Belatedly (I should have done it first) I did an allergy test (mixed some of the herb into a paste, applied to my inner elbow, covered it, and let it stay for 24 hours), and had absolutely NO reaction - wasn't terribly surprised; I am, so far as I know, not allergic to anything (except poison oak). I really think it was coincidence, but even so I haven't used it since. However, since then my scalp has gone through a bad itchy period, with bumps, and I also developed a rash on my chest and back. The itchy scalp has pretty much resolved itself, but now I have scaly patches (hidden by my hair, thank goodness). The only thing I can compare it to might be baby's cradle cap. I saw my doctor awhile ago, but he's an internist, and got more concerned about the rash, and my cholesterol numbers than about my head . He did take a fungal scraping, which was negative. He recommended Sebulex, a heavy duty dandruff shampoo, which I have been using, but notice no difference at all. (BTW, I do not have dandruff; the scaly patches are not flaking off, but do get caught on the comb, which is disconcerting). I am almost getting to the point where I am considering cutting my hair, which I swore, the last time it was short 30+ years ago, that I never would. I don't like short hair on me, but if it were short it would be fluffy, and not pulled back, so maybe the thinning wouldn't be as apparent.
Present hair care regimen - I wash my hair about 3 times in 2 weeks, every 4 or 5 days. I'm using the Sebulex for the first lather, but a couple of weeks ago I started using a tea tree oil shampoo for the second lather, and the same brand conditioner. I have used baking soda and ACV in the past, and liked the results, and would like to go back to that but really don't want to make things worse, so am hesitant. I use coconut oil as a pre-wash conditioner, but only on the ends, not the scalp. I usually have my hair in a braid or a knot, and don't use any metal clips or pins, just well sanded wood, and plastic combs, to cover the extra *part*.
I'd appreciate any insight or ideas that anyone might have. I'm ready to consider anything at this point, though I am somewhat concerned about making it worse. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Damummis]

If it were me I would stop using everything except a good natural shampoo. Actually I have started to make my own. Then I would rinse with witch hazel to make sure all the soap was rinsed. I wouldn't put any product other than those 2 things in my hair. I like the fact you don't wash your hair all the time. Make sure your hair is dry before you go to bed, too. It sounds like a contact dermatitis. It could take a while to clear up. Good luck. There is nothing worse than an itch head.

 

[snapshot]

Did your doctor check for thyroid issues?

 

[Beekissed]

My friend had similar issues and it turned out to be increased testosterone levels. Once they were regulated everything went back to normal.

I've heard folks swear by hydrogen peroxide as a good rinse for the scalp. I've had what you are describing and it would help if you washed your hair more frequently to remove any heavy oils, residue, flakes and scabbing. You might also try something called Scalpicin that is OTC and worked wonders for me but didn't get to the real problem. Mine all stopped when I cut out dairy, sugars, processed meats and other foods. Started eating more fresh veggies and fruits and doing an hour of cardio three times a week. Changed everything and I've never had that problem again.

 

[hillfarm]

This may sound nutty, but my daughter lost some of her hair and developed patches when she was a toddler.
Doc could not figure it out.

Later I took our dog to the vet and he looked at my lil girl and said, "wow, looks like the lil one has the red mange. She been playing with this dog?"

Sure enuf, she had caught mange from the dog. She was put on antibiotics and cream I was to give to the dog. She healed.

Not saying you have the mange at all. Just saying sometimes its not the obvious.

 

[ORChick]

@Damummis - Natural shampoo - that's why I was contemplating going back to the baking soda - and washing my hair less frequently is, I think, better for my hair ... and I don't tend towards greasiness, so that's good. Witch hazel, hmmm ... I use it to rinse my face, so that might also be good on my hair. Thanks.

@snapshot - Yes, thank you for the reminder. That was the main reason I went to the doctor, to check the thyroid, but that was all good.

@Beekissed - Testosterone? Now, that wasn't checked. I'll keep that in mind. I don't think washing my hair more often would be good for my hair type, but I'll keep that in mind also. I eat a pretty healthy diet (I think ), but maybe more carbs than is ideal. And peroxide ... another option, along with the witch hazel. Thanks.

@Hillfarm - that is interesting about the mange. I haven't had any contact with dogs in ages, but I can see how it might happen. When I worked in a pediatric clinic we had a family that had a running bout with strep throat - obviously a carrier in the family, but we couldn't pinpoint it. Finally the doctor I worked for said that they should bring their dog around to the back door; he cultured it, and, sure enough, we found our carrier!

Thanks everyone. I'm thinking that I will ditch the dandruff shampoo, and go a more natural route, and see if things change. They are not changing with things the way I am doing them, so what can I lose? If I stay aware of what is happening I should be able to stop anything I do as soon as it seems apparent that it was a bad choice . I think what I needed most was a sounding board. I appreciate the input.

 

[Our7Wonders]

ORChick - I had the exact thing happen to me. It still occasionally occurs, but it's far more manageable now.

Mine came on after each of my pregnancies. Starting as mild dandruff, progressing to scaley patches that were exactly like cradle cap (that would weep if I picked at it), and then to very bad dandruff, and eventually quite a bit of hairloss. Interestingly, for me, it was only on the left side of my head. After each pregnancy it would get worse - but would completely go away during pregnancy.

After scouring the internet for information I finally concluded that I had seborheac dermatits (I'm sure I'm not spelling that correctly). In hind site, I believe mine started as a hormone imbalance that later allowed a candida issue to take hold. I finally attributed it to a progesterone shortage (hence the reason it would go away with pregnancy - when progesterone levels would rise - then come back even worse after the baby was born and pregesterone levels dropped). What finally worked for me was treating myself for candida. I'm leaving out a lot of details in between because my post would be way too long - but before I got it to turn around it was moving off my scalp and I was getting red patchy peeling skin over my ear and down the back of my neck. I was losing hundreds of hairs in the shower each day - I'd spend more time pulling loose hair off my body than I did anything else in the shower. I started to get itchy patches behind my knees and in my armpits. On the side of my scalp that had the issues I also had swollen lymph nodes. I really felt like I was losing the battle - it was depressing. I tired several different products and after many failed attempts I finally found one that worked for me - it's a product called Three Lac. I had improvement in just a few weeks - then I got pregnant and it went away completely. It started to return just before my baby was born (when the pregesterone droped again) and I started Three Lac again immediately after he was born - it cleared up right away. I didn't have anymore issues after that until a couple years later when, through some very stressful family issues, I didn't take very good care of myself, had some dramatic weight loss followed by some dramatic weight gains and very poor eating habits, and not nearly enough sleep.

Now, I use progesterone cream with my mothly cycle (from ovulation to menses) and I continue to keep Three Lac on hand. When I get really busy with life and I'm not eating as well as I should - more sweets, bad carbs, etc, I can tell that things are going "off" and I start taking Three Lac again. It has also done wonders for a few of my kids that had various issues that in researching were yeast/candida related (some food alergies, anxiety issues, etc). It's not a cheap supplement but it has been very effective for us. I spent less on it than I did all the failed treatments - and since I don't take it regularly anymore the costs are signifcantly less. The company I buy it from has sales every few months so I try to buy it when it's $10 off.

If you're interested in checking it out www.stopyeast.com is where I get mine. I'm not affiliated with them at all - I'm just a happy user. They aren't a fancy company and their website isn't anything spectacular - I believe they're a homeschooling family running a business from their home - but their customer service has been great - I've spoken with them on the phone and corresponded by e-mail with them over various health issues and they've always been very helpful.

I hope you can get to the bottom of this - I know it can be very frustrating.

 

[Our7Wonders]

Oh, I forgot to mention: I tried all sorts of natural shampoos, medicated shampoos, every dandruff, psoriasis, seborheac dermatitis shampoo on the market. I tried baking soda washes with ACV rinses. I tries shampoo bars. I tried not washing with any kind of soap or shampoo. I tried adding oregano oil to shampoos, and grapefruit seed extract drops to my shampoo. Nothing helped. It wasn't until I tackled it from the inside that I finally got somewhere.

Because I'm prone to oily scalp and dandruff anyway, I now use a natural dandruff shampoo made by Home Health. Azure Standard carries it, though you might be able to find it in a health food store. It's a natural sulfur based shampoo - has no SLS, parabens, etc. It's the only shampoo I use now. And I don't use conditioner with each washing. Every second or third washing I do just because I like the way that it makes my hair feel - but it tends to build up on my hair easily so I stick with the more natural ones and try not to use it too often.

 

[Wifezilla]

You might want to try an antihistamine to see if it is an allergy issue. Yeast overgrowth is a possibility too.

 

[ORChick]

Our7wonders - Thank you for for all the information. While I would love to use pregnancy as a cure I have never managed to get pregnant, unfortunately, and now, 12 years after a hysterectomy, it seems unlikely . I will certainly check out that website, and the seborrhea dermatitis. I wonder, if it were a yeast issue would it have shown up on a fungal culture? One was done, and it was negative. But perhaps there are other causes; I'll check it out. The only thing that came back *off* on the tests the doctor ran was vitamin D - I was quite low (after our long, wet, gray Spring who could wonder? ), and I have been taking large doses daily to correct that. But there is conflicting info. as to whether that has anything to do with hair loss, so it just may be a side issue.

WZ - As I mentioned in an earlier post I am, so far as I know, not allergic to anything - but I know that that can change with time so thank you for the advice about the antihistimine. One of these next evenings , when it won't matter if I knock myself out, I'll take a Benedryl

After writing out all my troubles for you all to read it sort of organized my mind - I find writing things out does do that for me. I decided to go back to the baking soda/ACV for a bit, as the dandruff stuff wasn't doing anything at all. So yesterday I washed with soda, and rinsed with ACV, and my hair feels great. The scalp doesn't feel much different, but I would be surprised if it did, so soon. I'm really beginning to wonder if my scalp isn't too dry; the scaly bits feel dry. not greasy. I'm thinking of maybe massaging some coconut oil into my scalp the night before the next wash. I don't think it will make things worse, and it might help.