My itchy scalp is driving me crazy! HELP!!!

[Meritamen]

My itchy scalp has come back. I washed it with the Nizoral shampoo which is the over the counter version of a medicated shampoo my dr. prescribed me) and I swear it made the itching worse! I ended up taking out my braids and scratching my scalp for about 30 minutes straight. It didn't start to feel better until after my hair was mostly dry... who knows if I even have skin left at this point.
I made an emergency appointment with my dermatologist on tomorrow. Anyone have any remedy suggestions?
I already have heard of using tea tree oil, Sulfur 8, T/Gel and MG217. I plan to ask my dr. about all of these so any other suggestions would be great too. I'm desperate at this point!
I have no idea what to do with my hair tonight I'm too scared to dampen it again in order to detangle because I'm afraid it will cause my scalp to itch again.

 

[**WonderWoman**]

Ok i'm no expert, but I feel your pain so i'll throw possible options for you to explore ---

Build-up on your scalp? Have you tried clarifying?
Allergies to a product? Is the itching worse after you use a particular product? Do you apply any topical lotions to your scalp? This could go both ways because if you are, you might be allergic to it. If you are not, your scalp maybe extremely dry. I have really dry scalp and massaging coconut oil on my scalp soothes it.

My ultimate advice is to try Keracare Dry &Itchy Scalp shampoo and conditioner. These products work really well to alleviate problems like your. The conditioner is especially moisturizing and soothing. When you massage it on your scalp and hair, your scalp feels so cool and minty .... It's a very relaxing sensation. Keracare D & I has always worked for me and for my friends who've had problems like yours.

HTH!

 

[Jewell]

I use tea tree oil, and also sage and rosemary. I'd wait to see the derm before adding anything else to your scalp/hair. You might have a fungal infection, which can arise if you leave braids in too long and just for ordinary reasons...fungi are everywhere just like bacteria so don't worry. Just see what the derm says, then maybe sme1 here can rec. some things to eradicate minor itch, but I wouldn't slap anything on unless I knew it wasn't a fungal infection first.

 

[asakeba]

sorry you're going through this. I had this problem too. The best thing for me was to make a peppermint mix with JBCO or some other caster oil and vitamin e oil. I used about a tea spoon of peppermint to 3 teaspoons of caster oil and about 5 tea spoons of vit e oil. The vit e is healing (needed after all that scratching) whilst the peppermint helps with the itching. JBCO I added because the peppermint can be drying on the hair shaft. Keracare dry and itchy shampoo works as does their itchy scalp glossifyer, however the glossifyer is really drying on the hair shaft.

 

[lovegymnasts]

You said you took out your braids. Did you mean extensions?
Is it synthetic hair?
If so, you are more than likely having a reaction to the hair especially if you have sensitive skin.

 

[Prudent1]

Are you relaxed? A lot of us had itchy scalp due to the relaxers we were using? Tea tree oil and peppermint oil mixed with sulfur and other ceramide rich oils have helped me tremendoulsy this winter. But as Jewell said, get checked out by your Dr. 1st.

 

[Meritamen]

You said you took out your braids. Did you mean extensions?
Is it synthetic hair?
If so, you are more than likely having a reaction to the hair especially if you have sensitive skin.

No, I had put my hair in cornrows over the weekend after washing my hair. I usually wear a wig but I haven't week. Can wigs make a person itch too?

Are you relaxed? A lot of us had itchy scalp due to the relaxers we were using? Tea tree oil and peppermint oil mixed with sulfur and other ceramide rich oils have helped me tremendoulsy this winter. But as Jewell said, get checked out by your Dr. 1st.

Sorry, I forgot to put that I'm natural in my original post. Best believe I called the dr.'s office requesting an emergency appointment. Now I just have to wait till tomorrow.
Mmmm I didn't realize I could mix the tea tree and sulfur together in oil. Is tea tree soothing? I'm going to need something soothing because my scalp is going to need to heal from all the scratching I have been doing lately.

I probably should add that I have very dry sensitive skin that is very very picky. I also suffer from eczema. When I went to the dr. the first time she made it sound like I had a bad bout of dandruff. Hopefully, she will take a better look this time because that shampoo did very little for me.

 

[Azure18]

I used to have this problem for years. 2 steps cured me.

Take vit A&D daily

Stop or significantly reduce your sugar intake (sugar, cornsyrup, etc.)

 

[prettyinpurple]

Castor oil has helped my itchy scalp. A light oil like jojoba worked in the warmer months.

Also Qhemet Amla and Olive Heavy Cream has been great on my scalp this winter. It really cut down on the itching that I get after washing my hair.

Definitely see your doctor and go from there

 

[nik83]

I am having the same problem. I just ordered the ORS scalp scrub, and hopefully it works, I'll get back to you on it. It has sulfur in it, there was only 2 reviews for it, but both were 5 out of 5. I guess we will see.

Castor oil has helped my itchy scalp. A light oil like jojoba worked in the warmer months.

Also Qhemet Amla and Olive Heavy Cream has been great on my scalp this winter. It really cut down on the itching that I get after washing my hair.

Definitely see your doctor and go from there

I know that itchy scalp in addition to frequent urination with no cause is a warning sign of diabetes, that's actually how my father found out he had developed it. I get checked frequently at the doctor's office b/c of it. (Be advised if you go to the doctor, they will need to check your fasting glucose level, I believe it is 12 hours without eating.)

 

[Meritamen]

Thanks so much ladies! I washed my hair again with a Herbal Essence Totally Twisted shampoo and conditioner and used some of Qhemet Biologics Amla and Olive Heavy Cream on my hair and scalp. That helped a lot and allowed me to go to sleep without scratching my poor scalp to death.

Went to the dermatologist today but sadly she didn't see anything wrong with my scalp besides a little flaking. She seemed baffled that I'm having such bad itchy scalp without there being sores, flakes every where, or dermatitis. She did give me a medicated scalp oil to use every 3rd night and then wash out with the medicated shampoo the next day.
I have no idea what I am going to do with my hair but this itching has got to stop!
Oh, she did say that she didn't see any signs of hair loss and that my hair is really healthy. That made my day to hear that from a dermatologist.

 

[Sheena]

I experience this sometimes. I saturate my scalp with coconut or olive oil as a prepoo then wash with a mild shampoo and washout conditioner, making sure to remove all the conditioner in the final rinse. Once my hair is dry, I oil my scalp lightly with the coconut oil. For the next week, I continue to oil my scalp at least once daily. During the entire process, I don't use any medications on my scalp since that just makes the itching worse. Medications in this case, included tea tree oil, sulphur products, dandruff shampoos, castor oil and any other thing that is supposed to help wih dandruff or make your hair grow faster.

 

[Jewell]

No, I had put my hair in cornrows over the weekend after washing my hair. I usually wear a wig but I haven't week. Can wigs make a person itch too?


Sorry, I forgot to put that I'm natural in my original post. Best believe I called the dr.'s office requesting an emergency appointment. Now I just have to wait till tomorrow.
Mmmm I didn't realize I could mix the tea tree and sulfur together in oil. Is tea tree soothing? I'm going to need something soothing because my scalp is going to need to heal from all the scratching I have been doing lately.

I probably should add that I have very dry sensitive skin that is very very picky. I also suffer from eczema. When I went to the dr. the first time she made it sound like I had a bad bout of dandruff. Hopefully, she will take a better look this time because that shampoo did very little for me.

Tea Tree oil has antiseptic properties, relieves itchy scalp, and can aid curing dandruff, and helps with hair growth. I have tea tree, sage, rosemary mixed into a bottle with sublimed sulfur powder and other EO's and carrier oils. Tea tree oil is one of the best things for itchy scalp as far as natural/herbal products go.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

i didn't think anyone could out "itch" me

 

[DarkandLovely]

I too have very sensitive, picky, skin + eczema. The crown of my head used to itch like crazy for years which resulted in me scratching and that section of my hair was always shorter than the rest and never grew beyond ~4-5 inches. KeraCare has a line for itchy scalp which temporized my itchness but what cured it was essential oils. I started using peppermint, rosemary, lavendar, lemongrass (very strong scent), and cedarwood all mixed in jojoba oil (you can use any oil as a carrier oil). Initially I oiled my scalp 2-3 times a week and slowly I noticed not only did it relief the itchiness but my scalp was cured. Now that section of my hair is growing as well as the other sections and the itchiness is gone. I still use it about once a week to maintain a healthy scalp. Good Luck!

 

[Bnster]

Okay, now I am feeling itching people. Good luck! For my nephew and his dandruff, I am just getting him to use ACV. It is not as bad as before.

 

[Meritamen]

For the ladies that suggested essential oils how many drops of it are you adding compared to oil in your mixes?

 

[MsSanz92]

I'm having issues with my scalp too and what I've been using is JBCO mixed with jojoba, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary oils. I also plan on purchasing Keracare Dry and Itchy Scalp Shampoo to help with my scalp. You might have had an allergic reaction to something because a few weeks ago, I bought some Giovanni shampoo that wreaked havoc on my scalp! Just be careful with what products you use on your scalp, but definitely invest in some essential oils and a itchy scalp shampoo.

 

[TrueToHair]

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[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

rejuvenation1[/USER] ;13001227]@Ravengirl It sounds like you are having a severe itch problem. Have you considered prescription strength Nizoral? You can get it at Wal Mart without a prescription now.

One of my closest friends had horrible itch problems while transitioning, and at first I recommended the usual indian recipes (peppermint oil, tea trea oil, rosemary/sage mix, or mustard oil). But since her problem was severe, the only thing that helped IMMEDIATELY was Nizoral. Once she finished the bottle she didn't have those problems at all. Now she's using my sulfur mix for scalp health & hair growth and still hasn't had any problems. since.

i am going to find this nizoral now rejuvenation may i ask what is your sulfur mix?

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

MsSanz92[/USER] ;13001149]I'm having issues with my scalp too and what I've been using is JBCO mixed with jojoba, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary oils. I also plan on purchasing Keracare Dry and Itchy Scalp Shampoo to help with my scalp. You might have had an allergic reaction to something because a few weeks ago, I bought some Giovanni shampoo that wreaked havoc on my scalp! Just be careful with what products you use on your scalp, but definitely invest in some essential oils and a itchy scalp shampoo.

wow mssanz which giovanni shampoo?

 

[Meritamen]

@Ravengirl It sounds like you are having a severe itch problem. Have you considered prescription strength Nizoral? You can get it at Wal Mart without a prescription now.

One of my closest friends had horrible itch problems while transitioning, and at first I recommended the usual indian recipes (peppermint oil, tea trea oil, rosemary/sage mix, or mustard oil). But since her problem was severe, the only thing that helped IMMEDIATELY was Nizoral. Once she finished the bottle she didn't have those problems at all. Now she's using my sulfur mix for scalp health & hair growth and still hasn't had any problems. since.

I was using the over the counter version of Nizoral after running out of the prescription version and I swear that ish made my itching worse! OMG I have never itched so bad in my life. That stuff is going in the trash.

I'm gonna try the essential oils after all this is done. I just hope that my doctor can find a reason for my itching on my next appointment at the end of the month. I hope I'm not allergic to anything I'm using right now because I just found products that work for my hair and I would hate to have to search for the holy grail again.

 

[itsallaboutattitude]

Have you ever heard of zuresh.com. I use their body polish and it keeps my skin from doing this crazy crack till it bleeds kinda thing it does in the winter. I live in Atlanta btw so a very short winter.

On their website they get a lot of rave reviews for their hair products and the owner had hair/scalp/skin issues why she created a product. I have their hair products on my wishlist, so I personally cant vouch for them. Only the body polish.

Sorry to send you down the path of potential pjism.

 

[MsSanz92]

wow mssanz which giovanni shampoo?

The deep moisture shampoo aka crapola in a bottle on my hair! Not only did it give me a horrible itchy scalp it wasn't particularly moisturizing.

 

[TrueToHair]

.............................

 

[krissyprissy]

Since mixing sulfur powder in my oil mix, I no longer suffer from a itchy scalp. I used to scratch my scalp till it bleeds in the past. Now, I can go days without scratching.

 

[new2haircare]

I too suffer from the itchies. I itched so bad On Monday and scratched my head so frequently that it became sore. so I decided to try yougurt, amla powder and chamiole oil as a DC . I mix it all togther apply to dry for 1.5 hours and cowashed. Hair felt alot bettter. I didn't itch for the rest of the day and my roots were super moisturize. I think I'm going to use this 1x per week until I completely resolve the issue along with oiling at night with some essential oils i.e. tea tree. Like some of the other ladies suggest. one of the ladies on youtube said that Suave conditioner increase the itchies for her. I've been using suave conditioner for some time now and I recently stopped, trying to test this theory.

 

[cutiebe2]

I am having the EXACT same porblem.. all the symptoms are the same (lots of itching but not really any sores, some dandruff/ flaking..have a history of eczema but im not usre if this is excema) No hair loss either
The weird this is that this developed without me having tried any new products. It happened will I had my hair cornrowed for the winter (I only wore a wig on occasions). Now I have braids and im still itching. I ordered a sulfur mix from Bee Mine but I'll pick up some Tea Tree Oil just to be sure

 

[Meritamen]

I am having the EXACT same porblem.. all the symptoms are the same (lots of itching but not really any sores, some dandruff/ flaking..have a history of eczema but im not usre if this is excema) No hair loss either
The weird this is that this developed without me having tried any new products. It happened will I had my hair cornrowed for the winter (I only wore a wig on occasions). Now I have braids and im still itching. I ordered a sulfur mix from Bee Mine but I'll pick up some Tea Tree Oil just to be sure

Mmmm reading your post makes me wonder if it has to do with the season or something. Do you only get really itchy in the winter?

I've been using the scalp oil and shampoo the dr. gave me and the itchy has FINALLY gotten under control. I still itchy every now and then but it is no where near as bad. I hope I never have to go through that again! It was awful.
Anyway, thanks ladies for all your suggestions. I'm still scared of applying a sulfur mix to my scalp (some women have said it made their hair shed) but I'm gonna look for a good itchy scalp shampoo and oils like tea tree. I don't think dandruff shampoos are going to help me after trying the over-the-counter version of Nizoral (that **** is the devil!)

Also, I started working out and I do sweat a bit on my scalp. I have learned that I cannot let sweat sit on any part of my body for more than a few hours at a time -- the sweat irritates my eczema. I plan to work out 5 to 6 times a week but there is no way that I could shampoo my hair everyday because it would be too drying. Does anyone have any cleansing creams, gentle sulfate-free shampoos, co-wash conditioners they would like to recommend?

I don't know if I should make this a new topic but what kind of routine do you ladies who workout often and have skin issues like eczema or very dry itchy skin have?

 

[KalenaNatural]

For the ladies that suggested essential oils how many drops of it are you adding compared to oil in your mixes?

I have had itchy scalp since I could remember. It's constantly itching, regardless if my hair is clean or not. I may have to try this tea-tree oil, peppermint, sage, lavender essential oils thing. I'd ALSO like to know what proper measurements of each essential oil is to the carrier oil. I'll probably use jojoba oil. Thanks in advance for any advice and Ravengirl....hang in there! We'll find a cute for this!