What is Dry Scalp?
The white, scaly flakes on scalp is the sign of Dry scalp that can be cured through home remedies for Dry Scalp natural treatment. These flakes are loosely attached to the scalp and therefore easily come off the hair.
Hair not washed properly after shampooing and left over traces of these hair care products results in dry scalp. A dry, flaky scalp is an embarrassing situation. When it is accompanied by scalp sores which cause itching or burning sensation, it can become a serious scalp condition.
Causes and Symptoms of Dry Scalp
Under secretion of sebaceous glands can lead to the condition of dry scalp. Excessive use of shampoo, chemicals and hair drier can also lead to dry scalp. Most of the shampoos in the market contain Sodium Lauryl sulphate, which is one of the main ingredients of liquid dish wash detergent. This degreases your scalp.
Hormonal and environmental factors can be the cause of dry scalp condition. Besides, lack of essential fatty acids in the diet can lead to the dry scalp condition. Excess intake of diuretics or caffeine promotes water loss through urination and leads to dry scalp.
Cold winds during cold winter months are one of the most common environmental causes of dry scalp. Washing your hairs with hard water and alkaline soaps can trigger dry scalp.
Deposition of some oily looking white flakes on the scalp, scratchy and itchy scalp are some of the signs of dry scalp. There is a condition called Seborrheic dermatitis in which skin becomes red and deposition of yellowish or whitish flaky scales occurs. It affects particularly those areas which are wealthy of oil glands.
These areas can be eyebrows, groin area, underarms, back of the ears, back of the ears, breastbone and sides of the nose. Seborrheic dermatitis of infants is called “cradle cap”. Psoriasis can also impinge on your scalp. A silvery bulky scale that is an excessive accretion of dead cells occurs in Psoriasis.
Sensitivity to specific hair care commodities can also lead to scaly, reddish, itchy scalp called “contact dermatitis”. Hot water can exacerbate the condition.
Natural Home Remedies for Dry Scalp
• Though it stinks, there is no end to the goodness of vinegar. Vinegar rinse helps in restoring natural acids, remove buildup left behind by shampoos, conditioners and other styling products like gels and balances pH. Hence, it serves as one of the best natural home remedies for Dry Scalp.
• Dried herbs like thyme, stinging nettle, yarrow, comfrey, calendula, rosemary, red clover, aloe vera, burdock, and witch hazel are traditional objects which are used to cure dry scalp.
Fill a jar with these herbs and then cover them by white wine vinegar or apple cider. Tightly place the lid on jar. Place the jar at warm place and keep shaking it twice a day for 4 to 5 weeks.
Filter the mixture through a piece of cheesecloth. Add one cup of water and 10 drops of essential oil such as olive oil to this mixture. You can use this Vinegar rinse after shampooing.
• Giving a massage to your scalp with lukewarm olive oil really helps. It promotes blood flow to the scalp. It not only reduces dryness but also help in improving overall quality of your hair.
• Rub some plain yogurt on the scalp. Keep it for 15 minutes. It helps reducing dandruff.
• Whisk an egg into the yogurt and then apply it on the scalp and keep it for 15 minutes. This is a sure shot home remedy for dry scalp.
• Treat your dry scalp by massaging the scalp with vitamin E oil or lavender oil.
• Vitamin B oil can also be used to get rid of dry scalp as it aids the production of melanin. Thus it not only provides moisture to the scalp but also color the hair.
• Whisk one teaspoon of each of lemon juice and coconut oil with fuller’s earth. Apply this paste to your hair and scalp. Keep it for at least an hour. Rinse your hair. This is a sure shot natural remedy to get rid of dry scalp.
• Prepare a delicious mask by combining banana and honey. Apply this mask on scalp and keep it for 30 minutes. After that rinse off with cold water. This moistens the hair and serves as one of the most valuable natural home remedies for Dry Scalp home treatment.
• Mix grounded oat meal with water. Gently massage your hair with this paste. Leave this paste for 30 minutes. After that wash your hair with cold water.
• Conditioning your hairs with oils and herbs helps restoring moisture to the scalp. It not only promotes blood circulation but also prevent itching and flaking.
• Neem extracts and oil removes itching and redness because of its ideal skin conditioning properties.
Diet for Dry Scalp
Diet should be rich in Vitamin C, B, zinc and iron. Vitamin A should not be taken in excess. Protein is must for healthy scalp. Intake of caffeine and alcohol should be as low as possible. Besides, application of natural home remedies for Dry Scalp helps reduce this problem considerably.
My scalp only gets dry occasionally due to the weather or stress or what have you, and I used to just massage warm olive oil into my scalp before washing my hair. Based on everything I have researched on the internet, I’ve come up with a mixture I like much better. It consists of about a cup of plain yogurt, 2 tsps honey, 3 tbsps coconut oil, 3 tbsps olive oil, and one egg. All mixed together its about the consistency of quick-set pudding before it sets. I find it much easier to apply than just the straight olive oil was. I part my hair and massage some of the mixture into the scalp, then repeat the process making each part about an inch apart until my whole scalp is done. The I wrap my hair in a towel and wait about 20 minutes to shower and wash it all out. It works like a dream. Hope that helps!
how often to use this mixture?moreover i have got very thin hair? so please tell me something which would make my hair thick.
I am having problems with dry ,itchy,flaky scalp due to cold weather.I wanted to use the vinegar solution but afraid that will dry it out even more. This solution that you make with the yogurt, how often should you apply it to scalp? Once a week or twice a week?
Do u wash ur hair with shampoo and conditioner before or after…or at all???
OMG! Finally someone that uansretdnds! My friends think I’m crazy for ranting about my itchy scalp. Tried everything you listed. May take more time, but try this. Take the little clamps and clamp off the hair around a dread. Dampen a wash cloth (water only) then clean your scalp. Works wonders with less re-twisting. Have you tried waterless shampoo?
Do u wash ur hair at all with shampoo/conditioner?
My problem is a long related stress problem which reacts to my scalp but I will definitely try to use Vinegar rinse. Thank you. Regards, Margarita
I’ve used the vineger remedy for buildup for 15 years. I have oily hair so I only shampoo before I use the vinegar but if you have dry hair I wouldn’t recommend it since it will dry your hair out. I use 50% vinegar and 50% water but you can adjust depending how much buildup you have and how often you do a vinegar rinse.
To apply I’ve found the best way is to use a spray bottle. You have better control than just pouring it on your scalp. I let it set on my scalp 3-5 minutes. (it may burn a little) then rinse out.
I always shampoo and condition after I’ve rinsed to try and get some of the vinegar smell out and to moisturize the hair.
Hope this helps!
this has helped me soooo much! i cant wait to try them!
I mix a cup of water with about a tablespoon of baking soda and rinse that through my hair after a vinegar rinse to neutralize the odor. Works great!
I’m a Master Cosmetologist who got tired of the chemicals on the market and have used natural remedies with great success.
I would NEVER finish with a rinse of baking soda because hair should be naturally acidic, i.e., vinegar. Baking soda is alkaline, and literally destroys the hair shaft by opening up the “fish scales” that seal the hair shaft. Vinegar closes said scales, thus retaining the protein and moisture required for healthy hair, and if you, for instance, color, also locking in the color.
I DO use baking soda, to remove the gunk built up and before a chemical process to open the shaft, BUT I ALWAYS FINISH with a vinegar rinse. If you rinse it well, the smell only lasts as long as the hair is wet, and if it is bothersome, there are essential oils that can be mixed into the water to finish-rinse. My favorite is lavender.
Thanks, Michelle B!!!!
So, I am not sure if I have dry scalp or psoriasis. My scalp itches ( but not a lot) but I see some layer of dry flakes forming on my scalp. I scratch it for some time and they come off as dry flakes. What should I do? I was thinking of doing this.
Whisk an egg into the yogurt and then apply it on the scalp and keep it for 15 minutes. This is a sure shot home remedy for dry scalp.
Please let me know.
This is what I use and does wonders.
Mix amla powder, hibiscus powder , fenugreek powder[each 1 tbsp], 1 egg, 2 tbsp oil[mix coconut oil, almond oil,olive oil all your choice],lemon juice, 1cup yogurt,water mix it well apply on your scalp.Put a shower cap. Leave it in your hair and wash it with mild shampoo[I use herbal shampoo]. Do this process bi weekly and your hair will look shiny and no itchy scalp.It also removes dandruff.
I don’t know who came up with the banana and honey mixture, but apparently they had no hair on their head. I tried this last night and the honey turned to glue, I couldn’t get it out of my hair, my husband had to wash and brush my hair for me to try to pick it all out, took close to an hour and i still have some of it in there today. I’d definitely NOT suggest anyone trying that particular remedy
I cant believe it, I have just tried cider vinegar after months of buying expensive shampoo s . AND as soon as you stop using the shampoo s , the dry scalp comes back I put the vinegar in my hair for about an hour then shampooed it out and dryed it and I cant believe it no flakie scalp and my hear feels great and more life in it , Thanks you to the other people for putting the comments up .. As it worked for me and I hope it helps many people that are in the same situtation, Good Luck.
do you just use the cider vinegar or do you mix half with water?
My daughter has had what seems like dry scalp for a long time i only have her every other weekend but it seems worse now than ever don’t know if it is just dry scalp she has spots in her hair where the dryness is very thick not sure what it is can someone send me some answers thank you
Hi sharon can you help me out plz ,how much cider vinegar do you put on the hair? then did you use normal shampoo? and what about conditioner? hope to hear back very soon ty
@June, for apple cider vinegar rinse you should mix one part of vinegar and two parts of water. I shampoo my hair, vinegar rinse, condition, wash it and seal the moisture in with olive or coconut oil. Works well on my hair and scalp.
@Jennifer, you probably used to much honey or it was to think and did not mix well with banana. I use the honey from squeeze bootle, blend it in electric blender with banana, lemon, occasionally add avocado. Works well to revive life in the hair! However, the avocado is more difficult to rinse out (manageable in straight hair, but difficult in curly hair).
Well, no one answered June, from Dec. 3, 2012 – about how much vinegar to use, mix with water or what? – sharon did say she shampooed after, but didn’t mention conditioner. What kind of shampoo &/or conditioner did Sharon use??
We really stuggled with water changes and weather changes since moving to our new home but these are such marvelous ideas. I hope they can change my girls’ dry flakes issues. We’ve tried everything else and they have otherwise beautiful healthy hair. If i can suugest please be specific when sharing vinegar ideas. I am still uncertain if its straight vinegar or diluted we should use. Thx
I have been suffering of dry scalp recently, I bought the T shampoo an all it did was stiffen my hair and stink it up. So I just have been using baby oil with coconut oil. I will definitely try this vinegar stuff and hope it works. Thanks for the tip 🙂
Yes. I have used the vinegar technique before. It is best to dilute it. Using a spray bottle helps to focus on where the dry spots are. For example, i have more on the crown of my head. So i spray more there and it helps. Spray it on (you may feel slight burning) leave it on for about 10 minutes, then rinse, shampoo and condition as normal.
Hope this helps.