dandruff

Mahes Visvalingam
Post-retirement postings

Please note that this site is under construction.

Some Experiences with Natural Medicine
and related observations

Dandruff : Castor Oil | Cider Vinegar & Rosemary

Please note that this page is was written to put some facts on record.

Excessive dandruff

Several of the sites listed below explore possible causes and treatments of dandruff. We continually shed skin, more so in some areas of the body than others. Therefore, the shedding of skin from the scalp is not a problem in itself. However, some triggers, including ill health, stress, allergies and medication, increase the rate at which skin is shed making it clump into large flakes, especially on oily scalps. Fungi and/or bacteria, which all of us have, tend to multiply under such conditions. This irritates patches of skin, which become itchy and inflamed. In my experience, pollen, dust and sweat can also induce similar reactions. So, dandruff is difficult to prevent and has a tendency to recur. However, when symptoms are severe this may be due to seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis of the scalp. So, if the scalp is very sore and itchy, it is best to see the doctor.

Commonly cited treatments

nutrition; several sites and books suggest zinc for normalising sebaceous gland functions. Maxine, the manager of Flex Hair Salon in Hull, recommends Cod Liver Oil since she has noticed a distinct improvement in hair condition. A variety of herbs, and mineral and homeopathic supplements have been suggested. Of these, we have tried regular intake of pumpkin seed (for zinc), rosemary and thyme in food, and cod-liver oil in winter. I have also tried homeopathic sulfur noted by the University of Maryland. I have not noticed any immediate or dramatic effect on the scalp as a result of the last.

On the other hand, fermented food, such as shrimp paste (belachan), which is found in the very tasty Chilli Oil, and some other food can bring on a touch of dandruff and eczema as part of the body's cleansing process in my case. Biolive natural yoghurt helps to counteract this. Acidophilus is also good for regulating the level of fungus in the body and I found that a six-month course will help the body recover from parasitic fungal proliferation caused by antibiotics. I stopped taking antibiotics in 1988 and realised that my gut-feelings about them were probably right after reading a frightening account about Candida Albicans (Chaitow, 1991).
household remedies; apple cider vinegar, salt, lemon juice and tea tree oil are regularly cited but I have also come across the use of garlic, yoghurt and neem leaves (leaves of the Margosa tree) for fungal complaints. Artemesia arboratum (Southernwood), traditionally used for healthy hair, has been recommended by users.

H K Bakhru (1994 : 58) states that : If used regularly as hair oil, it (castor oil) helps the growth of the hair and cures dandruff .
Batram (1998: 371) suggests rubbing live yoghurt into the scalp after washing and rinsing and leaving it to act for 15 minutes before rinsing it off with water and then with 1 part cider vinegar to 10 parts warm water (he also suggests other treatments).
shampoos; Wikipedia notes that acid-based shampoos help to break down oils and prevent dead skin from clumping together. Many sites suggest shampoos with different chemical ingredients and the benefits of alternating between them. We have used Selsun (which contains selenium sulphide) and Seba Med (a German product given to me by my hairdresser, Maxine).

Our experience and thoughts

When I was a child, Saturday was head bath day for children in Tamil households. The men had their head baths on Sunday - the only holiday in the week. Once a month, we all had a full blown oil bath, an exhausting affair which took up the whole morning. It proceeded as follows:

Tamils ate unpolished par boiled rice. It has a stronger taste than polished rice but it is more nutritious because the rice is par boiled in its husk before the husk is removed and the rice is dried. Par boiled rice is cooked by boiling it in a lot of water and straining it. The strained liquid is very starchy. On head bath day, this liquid is boiled again with more water and with one lime (usually those which have started to go hard) per bathing person.
The seed pods of Acacia Concuine (Chee-akai) which is very acidic is boiled separately. I came across the Latin name in (Grieve, 1992: 3). Acacia sinuata (soapnut) is also used by some Indians as a shampoo.
Cold pressed sesame oil is believed to be to be cooling to the body in hot climes. It is rich in Vitamin E, which is also good for the skin. The oil was poured on the head and massaged all over the body. Web sites and my books suggest that different cultures used different oils/fats which depended on what was locally available - castor oil (considered by the Indians to be the best but which is difficult to wash off), olive oil and clarified butters made from the milk of a variety of animals (including the yak). Oil softens dead skin and bestows other benefits.
Children were left to play in the sun with next to nothing on until it was their turn to be bathed by mother.
After throwing buckets of cold water on the the head, the scalp was scrubbed with tolerably hot Chee-akai to remove the oil and dead skin. It was then rinsed off. Then the hair and body were washed with warm rice water and rubbed with the boiled lime cut in half. After the final rinse, the long and often curly hair had to be untangled while still wet by combing - a rather painful affair - which was said to stimulate blood flow to the hair roots..
When the hair dried, it turned soft and frizzy. So, the head was anointed with gingerly oil on the following morning before it was groomed.

The children had glowing skin, bright eyes and thick, glossy black hair. We did not have dandruff but had to be de-loused from time to time! The Indians believed that 'treating' the head with oil and acidic 'shampoo' was good for the body and not just the scalp. But, you needed to be fit to undergo this ceremony. We gave up this exhausting practice (especially for my mother) when modern shampoos came along, especially since gingerly oil is now too expensive for such lavish use. I have not had an oil bath since my teens, since I do not relish all the cleaning up after the event.

My experience in UK

Castor oil has cleared up small patches of dandruff. Dandruff itself is not infectious but it is possible to pick up infections at the hair dresser. Having seen people with scalp infections and bald patches, we use Selsun, SebaMed or Head & Shoulders shampoo after our infrequent visits to have a dry hair cut.
I wash the hair 2 to 3 times a week since I have oily hair.
In the summer, I steep rosemary in cider vinegar on a sunny window sill for two weeks; cheaper vinegar seems to be as effective. I remove the rosemary and steep another batch of rosemary in the same vinegar topped up for another two weeks. Thyme and/or bay leaves are also effective. I have not tried Southernwood. I cannot tolerate some preparations of Tea tree oil, the smell seems to affect my brain. The same goes for wormwood despite its refreshingly sweet smell. So far for me, rosemary is the best. Books on herbs suggest many other herbs for hair.
When my hair gets lanky, mostly in winter, I mix a little of this cider vinegar with a little shampoo diluted with warm water and wash my hair with this. Rosemary vinegar and coconut shampoo smell heavenly. I also add a little of the vinegar to the water in the final rinse. Maxine says she has noticed that the hair seems healthier since I started doing this.
In the hayfever season, I wash my hair more often. To stop it getting too dry, I rub some oil (any oil) and leave it on for a while before the vinegar & rosemary treatment. If the scalp is itchy, I use castor oil. This treatment leaves the hair soft and glossy but it is not always convenient.

Summary

Medicated shampoos, oil and herb-vinegars have helped us avoid infections of the scalp. I am curious about other natural hair treatments. One I am trying out now is banana skin macerated in oil since it seems to be beneficial for the skin (see Warts). I use the lotion as a hand cream after washing up. I will try Southernwood when I can get hold of a plant. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please leave a comment at the web log on Natural Cures for Dandruff. Please click here for information on Community Server.

Web sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandruff

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=121&sectionId=20236

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/dandruff.htm

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