12 replies to this topic

[Huckfinn]

Hi,

I have had itchy/tingling scalp for years and can’t manage to fix it. It’s not huge but very annoying.

 

It’s mostly (not only) at the top of my scalp, in the same area where I get thinning hair.

 

I don’t think it’s diet related, as I tried different diets over the years. I have changed shampoos also. I now use ones that are as “chemical“- free as possible, even organic ones. I tried to go shampoo- free for weeks (only rinse with water), and even not washed my hair for many days. There does not seem to be much of a correlation between not washing/rinsing and the itching. It happens slightly more after a wash/rinse but not much. At times I have no itching for days. Other times (no change in diet or habits) it itches/tingles like crazy.

 

I have reasonably oily skin (but dry hair, no dandruff) and I get some tingling feelings also elsewhere (face, back). The one thing that seems to reduce it is not washing/rinsing  AT ALL after swimming (I live near the Mediterranean sea and swim often) in summer. If I could shower everyday with real salt water I wouldn’t fix it, but at least feel  better. That is obviously not feasible. I even tried Epsom salts but without results...

 

Can anyone help me?

 

Thanks,

H.

P.S.: Managed to reduce oily skin on my face by applying a very thin layer of milk of magnesia (too much would be = to "geisha" face). Can't do that with scalp unfortunately. Too weird.. So (see the sea water point above) maybe there is some correlation with lack of magnesium? (I regularly take marine magnesium pills but...)

Edited by Huckfinn, 25 January 2017 - 11:03 AM.

[aconita]

Itching may be due to tricky factors but as a start I suggest to try the following to see what happens, likely not really addressing the root cause of the problem but possibly providing some improvement in life quality while finding a definitive solution.

 

Don't wash hairs and body too often, generally speaking once a week is more than enough, nowadays we are obsessed with hygiene and doing so we provide far more harm than good.

 

Once a week wash with soap (pure and plain Marseilles soap is usually best) in the shower, rinse and immediately take a warm bath adding to the bathtub water about 500g sea salt (not iodate) and 500g baking soda, don't rinse, just use a towel to dry.

 

About hairs wash once a week with some baking soda and water, after that (hairs still wet) apply some emu oil (or coconut is OK but emu seems even better), next morning or after a while just rinse with plain water.

 

An herbal powder shampoo is better than just baking soda, you might try mixing in equal parts Amla, Brahmi, Bhringaraja, Shikakai and baking soda, before using add to the mentioned mix (about 3-4 teaspoons of it) ginger juice (1-2 teaspoons), about 20 drops SSKI, fresh aloe vera gel (about 5cm of inner leaf), a bit of magnesium oil (1-2 teaspoons) and granular soy lecithin (one tea spoon), drop everything in the blender or in a glass with an immersion blender, blend till no more soy lecithin granules are visible, it will be like a cream, use it as you would for a shampoo but don't rinse, leave it on for 45 minutes or so (meanwhile you are taking the bath, for example), now rinse with plain water or with the bathtub water and apply the emu oil as before.

 

You might add burdock root powder to the mix as well as other herbs but what I described already provides a wonderful liposomal hair treatment most heads can only dream about.

 

Adding a prebiotic like inulin might be worth a try too (add some to water and rinse with it as final touch) since will encourage healthy microbioma which in exchange will take care of nasty one, eventually.

 

Inulin is a sugar and will need to be rinsed off (maybe next morning or after a while) because will likely leave an unappealing stickiness to the hairs.

 

I can't guarantee this will solve you problem, of course, but definitely a very first class treatment that can only do good to scalp health.

 

 

[Huckfinn]

Ciao Aconita,
As always very informative.
I actually had to go have a good look at the items you listed as I knew only a few of them.
How do you know all this?
....I'm going to get going with it!
Ps: any idea where the itching might come from and why it's not there when swimming regularly in the sea?

[aconita]

Too difficult to tell since itching might have many different causes...

 

Two things come to mind: sea water is salty and relatively rich in iodine.

 

Maybe the slight rise in skin PH determined by salty water effects positively your skin microbiome...

 

Anyway we know that bathing in salty water is beneficial and iodine too is great for skin and hairs.

 

Sea salt, backing soda and SSKI should mimic some sea water proprieties.

 

In my view it easier to see if works than try to understand causes beforehand.

 

Let me know.

 

 

[aconita]

How do you know all this?

 

The advantage of being unemployed: less rich in money but more rich in time to dedicate at research (and other pleasurable activities).

[aconita]

One instance was a
thirty-year-old graduate nurse who had severe bath pruritis
(itching) of four years' duration. She had failed to improve
under generalized ultraviolet light, I.V. calcium gluconate
and sodium iodide, elimination diets, autohemotherapy,
and local therapy. She had not risked a tub or shower bath
in seven months.
Dr. Schoch placed her on kaolin and sodium ricinoleate
by mouth, half an ounce three times daily. Four days later
she reported that she was well, had bought some soap, and
was taking four baths a day. After a short recurrence six
months later which responded to the same therapy, there
had been no recurrence in two and a half years.

 

From "The Oil That Heals - A Physician's Successes With Castor Oil Treatments - William A. McGarey"

[Oakman]

I had what sound like what you have years ago, and a doctor finally determined the cause and the (symptomatic) solution. It's called Ketoconazole. It comes as a cream or (as I use) shampoo. Not sure about Europe, but in the US it's a prescription shampoo "Nizoral" @2% or over the counter "Nizoral"  @1%.  Both are identical except for the %, and seem to work equally well so I get the 1% as it's easier to obtain (drugstore) and cheaper.

 

"Ketoconazole kills fungi and yeasts by interfering with their cell membranes. It works by stopping the fungi from producing a substance called ergosterol, which is an essential component of fungal cell membranes. The disruption in production of ergosterol causes holes to appear in the fungal cell membrane."

 

Used as a shampoo, leave in hair for a couple minutes, rinse. That's it. Effect typically lasts for a couple weeks, then repeat. Strangely, I can cause the symptoms to come on almost on cue by eating any blue cheese, and of course, that one cheese I absolutely love. So now I abstain or use that food sparingly.

 

Give it a shot, I'd wager it just may be what you need. It certainly was for me.

[Huckfinn]

Thanks Aconita,
Haven't tried kaolin and sodium ricinoleate but I took castor oil for quite a while.
Was careful to never overdue it because of the...laxative side effects....
But never did anything whatsoever.
Oakman : I used and still do nizoral but never noticed any improvement

[Huckfinn]

Ps: I use it more sparingly now because I moved to shampoos that are supposed to have less chemicals in the formulation.
Did you also use it to strengthen thinning hair or for the itching only?

[aconita]

Was careful to never overdue it because of the...laxative side effects....

 

It seems that although quite unpleasant the laxative effect is what you are looking for since it should get rid of deposits in the intestines which are causing the issue.

 

Of course that would be not an everyday practice, just once in a while.

 

For many ailments one ounce of castor oil (28g) is recommended which I imagine is quite a lot and will produce a marked laxative effect indeed.

[YOLF]

Could be a dust allergy that will eventually cause folliculitis and inverse psoriasis. I'd take it seriously and get hardwood/tile floors, leather furniture, get rid of clutter, trinkets, and stuff in general, and give away any animals. This can turn into a pretty nasty disease. But it could an allergy to alot of different things. No good drugs for this though, they're all carcinogenic and/or causes of cognitive decline, so just make the necessary lifestyle changes and don't be seduced by anything short of gene therapy.

[dazed1]

Dandruff, do you see small specks on the areas affected?

Di you sweat at that areas?

[kurdishfella]

Health issues. it doesnt matter how well you take care of youe hygine if your health is broke it will never be fully clean or get bad fast. your body always seeks to balance itself but it cant do that if your very unhealthy as effectively

Edited by kurdishfella, 17 November 2023 - 02:26 AM.