Do your finest to keep away from hair care merchandise with heavy fragrances, alcohol, sulfates, paraben preservatives, and harsh chemical substances, Nicole Negbenebor, MD, a dermatologic surgeon and director of the Pores and skin of Coloration Clinic on the College of Iowa Hospital in Iowa Metropolis, Iowa, tells SELF: “These elements can irritate the scalp and trigger burning, dryness, and irritation.”
All the time use conditioner after washing, Dr. Oyerinde says: “A variety of the shampoos created particularly for dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis are typically drying, so when you don’t situation afterward, you’ll have extra brittle hair, which might result in breakage and issue retaining size.” Strive Head & Shoulders Royal Oils Moisture Renewal Conditioner or Exederm Eczema Care Day by day Conditioner.
2. Don’t add further hair oil.
“We create our personal sebum, our personal oil, that moisturizes the scalp,” Dr. Oyerinde says. So though you might love your jojoba and castor oil, it’s pointless. In reality, the yeast that causes seborrheic dermatitis feeds on them and might develop, which might worsen scalp eczema, Dr. Oyerinde says.
Go for a water-based moisturizer (and apply it to your strands, not your scalp), Dr. Oyerinde says. And don’t use an excessive amount of: Dr. Negbenebor says a pea- to dime-size dollop for skinny hair and a bit extra for thick hair must be sufficient.
3. Go simple on styling merchandise and sizzling instruments.
Strive your finest to chop again on how typically (and the way a lot) you employ hair spray, gel, and pomade, as an extra of merchandise in your scalp can result in flare-ups. And watch out in terms of high-temperature gadgets. “Use styling instruments with warmth sparingly and, when you do, use them at decrease temperatures,” Dr. Negbenebor says.
4. Watch out with locs, braids, and weaves.
Hairstyles like braids, cornrows, crochet braids, locs, and weaves all pull on the scalp and trigger pressure, which might harm your hair follicles.
With regards to weaves and extensions, “ask your stylist to keep away from putting [them] too near the scalp to scale back irritation,” Dr. Negbenebor says. And ensure they’re not tremendous tight.
In case your hair is in locs, keep away from an excessive amount of retwisting to attenuate further pressure in your scalp, as Dr. Oyerinde recommends. “Strive issues like utilizing a gel to tie down versus retwisting each time you’re feeling like your edges aren’t as laid as you’ll need them to be,” Dr. Oyerinde says. Then, ensure you (or your loctician) aren’t palm rolling or interlocking too tightly.
Although maintaining to a weekly or biweekly wash schedule is essential with scalp eczema, Dr. Oyerinde acknowledges that it’s not at all times practical with some kinds. In a perfect world, for instance, you’ll nonetheless wash your braids as typically as another coiffure, Dr. Oyerinde says—however the actuality is, they will get frizzy with an excessive amount of shampooing. Nonetheless, she says she at all times tries to work along with her sufferers to find out what’s practical for them.
5. Dry your hair gently.
In case your hair is very thick, or you probably have braids, a weave, locs, or extensions, use a hooded dryer on a heat setting. In case your hair stays damp too lengthy, “that moisture and darkness is the proper place for yeast to develop, resulting in, once more, the scaliness and itching,” Dr. Oyerinde says.
6. Strive your finest to not scratch that itch.
An itchy scalp is annoying and uncomfortable—there’s no method round that! Nonetheless, strive your finest to not dig in an excessive amount of—the extra you scratch, the more severe your rashes will really feel. Plus, “extreme scratching can result in bleeding, deep cuts, and ultimately an infection and worsening eczema,” Dr. Negbenebor says.
