I've got a bit of a problem with my scalp. I've mentioned before how basically it is a greasy dandruffy mess and occasionally gets really bad and sticky and bloody etc, but the last few days it's been dry as a bone and it's itching like mad. This is a first for me and I've semi-hypothesised that this is a reaction to months of very infrequent hair washing (not that I ever used to wash it excessively) but Id like some insight / suggestions because it's getting on my nerves.
aww, pobrecito! i feel for you. maybe you should throw some aloe up there, and tea tree oil mixed with olive oil. it helps me.
I heard Dr Bronners Peppermint is fooking good for itchies. I don't really get the itchies apart when I tie my dreads in such a way that I give myself a Croydon Facelift.
Rinses and/or soaks: boil a handful of herbs in a medium pot filled with water. Boil for 15-30 minutes until its a dark, strong tea. Strain and save the tea. Allow it to cool, then soak your dreads and scalp. Let it soak for 30 minutes before rinsing with apple cider vinegar. Nettle & Rosemary-a fragrant stimulant for the scalp. It prevents dandruff and promotes hair growth Parsely: clears up dandruff Nettles: excelent to treat dandruff Mint Tonic: before you shampoo your dreads, massage in the following tea. Put 2 tablespoons of dried mint into 1 cup of water and half a cup of vinegar. Simmer for 15 minutes. Steep with a lid on the pot until the tea is cool. Strain and massage tea into scalp. Stimulates the scalp, prevents dandruff and promotes hair growth. Oily Dreads: Use this as a final rinse. Put half a cup of rosemary into 1 and a half cups of water. Bring to a full boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Let it sit for 24 hours, covered. Strain, bottle and use every other day for 1-2 weeks. Thereafter, use it once a week. Dandruff Treatment: In a seperate container, mix 1 cup burdock leaves, 1 cup chamomile,and half a cup sage leaves. Pour 2 quarts of apple cider vinegar into a gallon jar. Add the herb mixture to the vinegar. Let it stand for 2 weeks. Strain and apply to scalp once a day. Do not rinse off. Let it dry on your dreads. Wait until the next day to rinse out. Dandruff treatment: Add 4 tablespoons of nettles to 1 pint boiling water. Steep overnight. Strain and add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Massage into scalp. Do not rinse out.
If you have health insurance you should try to get a non-petroleum based ointment/lotion (Petroluom Based ones are bad for the dreads). You'd be surprised at the free/cheap meds you get get prescribed to you for your scalp.
bcmama, thanks for the recipes I've printed them off and I'll go see what a combination of garden and kitchen can give me but I think I have a fair few of them. Gratefully dead, yeah it gets really bad sometimes and gets all sticky and bleeds, tends to do this about once a year or so for maybe a month. I've had it for most of my adult life so I don't think it has anything to do with my dreads, which are 7 months old. moondoggie I live in the UK so I don't have health insurance, but we have to pay a flat rate for medication unless you live in the great socialist experiment they call scotland (proudly sponsored by the english taxpayer) and it would often be cheaper just to buy something off the self, best thing used to be coal tar soap, but you have to see your doctor for that nowadays.
You still have to pay for a prescription up here in this 'great socialist experiment' . Hopefully in 2011 it will be abolished completely, but at present you are only entitled to a free prescription if you require constant life saving medication (insulin, inhalers etc), are old, or I believe if you are on benefits.
my dad uses coal tar soap,, doesnt get it from his doc anddd my nan gets stuff from her doc for psosiris (sp?) on a prescription so its a freebiee =] "you live in the great socialist experiment they call scotland (proudly sponsored by the english taxpayer)"......and that bit just made me laugh. i think ive been having the same problems with my scalp,, it had a layer of stuff that was icky,, and i picked it for a while (ew) and my flakies are *finally* going, but where ive been picking bleeds sometimes, but not loads
I just use cheap head and shoulders shampoo for dandruff and it pretty much cured mine. using tea tree and stuff like that never did me any good, no matter how much I used.
