The Whine thread.

[WarpGirl]

So sorry to hear that, sweetie. Hang in there.

Thanks!

[Rigil Kent]

Sometimes, I hate my scalp. Yeah, weird thing to complain about, eh? But I swear, the only shampoo I'm apparently able to use without it leaving behind tiny chunks of ... something in my hair is the Medicated version of Selsun Blue. And that crap is expensive!

[Aquarius]

Sometimes, I hate my scalp. Yeah, weird thing to complain about, eh? But I swear, the only shampoo I'm apparently able to use without it leaving behind tiny chunks of ... something in my hair is the Medicated version of Selsun Blue. And that crap is expensive!

A few questions from your friendly neighborhood hair care professional:

Do you use styling products? If so, what?

Do you use conditioner? If so, what kind?

Do you drink enough water?

How often do you wash your hair?

One of the major problems I have with "drug store" hair care products is that they often treat the symptom and not the cause. (Yes, there are professional products that do that, too, but a stylist who's worth a damn will know the difference and educate their client on how to properly use what things and when to use them.) You stop using it, the problem comes back. I advocate trying to find the cause and solving the problem.

A word of caution: sometimes when changing one's hair or skin care regimen to address a problem, sometimes there's a brief period of the problem getting worse before it gets better as the body adjusts.

[Rigil Kent]

Do you use styling products? If so, what?

Occasionally, I have to use the gel stuff to avoid an Anime Hero look with my hair (until it gets long enough for sheer weight to keep it in place.) I'm using one of those Axe putty things, but don't really need to use it every day. I think today is the first time I've used it in ... uh ... a week? Or so.

Do you use conditioner?

No.

Do you drink enough water?

Probably not.

How often do you wash your hair?

Every day when I shower.

A word of caution: sometimes when changing one's hair or skin care regimen to address a problem, sometimes there's a brief period of the problem getting worse before it gets better as the body adjusts.

Yeah ... I'm using a different kind of shampoo right now than the Selsun Blue that I usually use, so this crazy, itchy scalp thing came out of nowhere and started to annoy me to no end.

[Aquarius]

Okay, without seeing for myself, off the cuff I suspect you're simply suffering from dry scalp, and not dandruff per se. Here's what you do:

Start using conditioner. *good* conditioner, not cheap Suave or whatever. Many of those drug store ones are a lot less concentrated than the professional formulas. They make up their volumes with water and waxy substances that can coat the hair and actually make some problems worse. For a fella with what you're describing, I recommend American Crew Daily Conditioner. It's a men's line so you don''t smell like flowers and rainbows and kittens...it won't weigh your hair down even with daily use, and it contains peppermint oil, which is good for the skin. Another benefit: if you have curly or wavy hair, I've noticed it reduces frizz. It isn't marketed for that, just something I noticed with two curly-haired individuals in my household. And--yes, it costs more than the drug store stuff, but if you use it nicely and don't pour a ton of it out every time, it'll last you longer than the drug store stuff. Most people over-use product, but that's a whole 'nother matter. Depending on how much hair you have, start with an amount about the size of a quarter...spread it around in your hands before you glop it onto your head, then work it through, starting with the ends if you have longer hair. A little bit goes a long way.

Also, your shampoo should be "moisturizing" or "hydrating." Do not use a 2-in-one in lieu of using a separate conditioner; it doesn't make much sense to put your conditioner in with the same stuff that contains something that'll wash it away...

Second, for each non water-beverage you drink, drink one 6-8 oz glass of water. Make a conscious decision to switch to water every other time. This will help to cleanse your body of impurities and hydrate your tissues. Try to reduce the amount of caffeine you drink, it's a diuretic.

I don't suspect it's your styling products, but if you like, I can try to look into alcohol-free lines for you.

Start there, give it a couple of weeks, see if it gets any better or worse. And if you (or anyone else) have any questions, let me know and I'll try to help.

[WarpGirl]

Aquarius Why is it everytime I use anything other than Pantene, I get hives and then my hair falls out with Salon stuff? My sis is one of the best hair people I've ever known, (and I've known a few) and she can't tell me why.

[panyasan]

Sometimes, I hate my scalp. Yeah, weird thing to complain about, eh? But I swear, the only shampoo I'm apparently able to use without it leaving behind tiny chunks of ... something in my hair is the Medicated version of Selsun Blue. And that crap is expensive!

My advice for you would be: take Aquarius' advice at heart or.... wait untill you get past 40 and get bold like all the 40 plus men I know.

[Aquarius]

Aquarius Why is it everytime I use anything other than Pantene, I get hives and then my hair falls out with Salon stuff? My sis is one of the best hair people I've ever known, (and I've known a few) and she can't tell me why.

Unless you've tried every single salon product on the market, I doubt it's all "salon products." I have never heard of a shampoo making someone's hair "fall out"--however, lots of times people think they need more protein in their products than they actually do too much protein can make the hair brittle, so products with too high of a protein content will make hair break off--which is way different than "falling out". When most people believe their hair is "falling out," what it's actually doing is breaking off. You could be simply buying the wrong formulas for what your hair actually needs, I don't know, it's hard to say without information like specific brands and formulations. The hives make sense to me in that there may be something you're allergic to in some of the products you've tried...

...but honestly? With all of your health problems and all the medications you're probably on, this sounds more like a question for your doctor than for a stylist who hasn't had the opportunity to examine your scalp or hair, let alone one who hasn't been with you for the step by step process of elimination and trial and error with specific products and can't formulate a workable theory about what they have in common that isn't working for you.

And a doctor isn't likely to pursue it any further than to say "well if the Pantene isn't causing you problems, then just use that." He isn't going to care about whether you're getting all the volumizing or color protection or anti-frizzing you need. It sounds like you're looking for a simple answer, and in your circumstances there isn't one.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

It's a men's line so you don''t smell like flowers and rainbows and kittens...

I just at that line!

[Aquarius]

Ooooooookaaaaaay........

[WarpGirl]

Just curious... I'm actually off all the meds now. My sister and I went through half of the salon before I gave up. She got a lot of discounts. I'd use one brand for a few months get hives lose my hair, (I know the difference between falling out and breaking) switch brands for another few months making sure I had enough time to adjust... It just never worked out. I fully admit to it being weird. It drove my very professional sister out of her mind. She didn't like my "drug store" products of course. I don't blame her. But even with my drug store products I have a killer head of hair. It's my only vanity.

[Rigil Kent]

Okay, without seeing for myself, off the cuff I suspect you're simply suffering from dry scalp, and not dandruff per se. Here's what you do:

Snip. Shiny. I'll have to suck it up until Friday when I get paid, but I'll definitely try to track down that conditioner - should I go back to my usual Selsun Blue Medicated shampoo stuff as well? That was my initial plan. And what stores carry this American Crew Daily Conditioner, BTW?

Depending on how much hair you have

Not much at the moment. OKC is too fraking hot to wear long hair and even when its not, its just too much trouble to take care of it.

Second, for each non water-beverage you drink, drink one 6-8 oz glass of water. Make a conscious decision to switch to water every other time. This will help to cleanse your body of impurities and hydrate your tissues. Try to reduce the amount of caffeine you drink, it's a diuretic.

Yeah, I've been trying to do that for a while, no matter how much I hate the taste of water. I blame the Army for that - I have very clear sense memories attached to water now thanks to Basic where the drills would have us drink an entire canteen after a road march or something. IMHO, nothing is worse than warm water that tastes of plastic.

[Brandyjane]

Here's my whine: My air conditioner is STILL busted and it's HOT here. It's not even 9:00 yet and it's 87 degrees. Fans aren't doing the trick. It's been getting pretty close to 100 degrees every day the A/C has been out. WHIIIIINE!

[WarpGirl]

UG!

[Alelou]

Here's my whine: My air conditioner is STILL busted and it's HOT here. It's not even 9:00 yet and it's 87 degrees. Fans aren't doing the trick. It's been getting pretty close to 100 degrees every day the A/C has been out. WHIIIIINE!

That's terrible.

When our air conditioner got busted in FL (usually from one of the daily summer lightning storms), we'd often pack up and go to the mall or the movies or a pool, and once I remember we even went to a hotel.

I never understood how anyone could survive that awful humid heat without air conditioning, but plenty of people did. Of course, the older style of homes in Florida are better-equipped to deal with it than the more modern subdivision boxes, but I'm sure it was more a matter of what people could afford. AC is still pretty rare among our Puerto Rican relatives on the island, though in recent years I notice window units are beginning to creep into bedrooms.

But sheesh, at 100 degrees I would think no AC could constitute a health emergency.