new thread
I'm not going to touch on the psychological stuff; that stuff gets talked about a lot. Here's two things I was thinking about the other day.
1. Dandruff. I learned how to control dandruff, which was a problem even when my hair was short. First, I found out that it's a fungus. That might sound embarassing, but the same source (sorry, I don't recall) said that 70% of the population has this fungus. So, if you don't have the fungus you're abnormal :). Next, this brings us to the fact that fungi like damp, dark environments. It turns out, drying your hair and keeping it dry is the most important thing for dandruff control. I used to use Head n Shoulders and/or a generic brand containing pyrithrine (sp.?) zinc. I don't need it any more. I just focus on getting it dry after a shower, and I'm fine. In the past few months I've actually given up shampoo totally. I rinse for most showers, and about once a week I use castille soap to loosen up any built up greasy skin flakes that might accumulate. I have less dandruff then when I was shampooing with PZ-based products.
2. Jojoba oil. It's wonderful stuff for the hair, a lot of you already know that. What I learned that's cool is that Jojoba is wonderful for other stuff too. It's an oil, so it tends to emulsify (dissolve) other oils, as well as fats and greases. A little bit of jojoba, no more than a teaspoon full, is equivalent to "mechanic's soap". It cuts the grease like you wouldn't believe. For the same reason, you can sometimes use it to clean things around the kitchen. I went to work on the stove yesterday, and some stubborn black grease stains under the cover of the burners came right up with jojoba and a little bit of elbo grease.
Best of all, all of this stuff (castille soap, jojoba) has been used hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. It's simple, natural stuff. There are no bizarre unpronounceable chemicals in there.
Most dandruff shampoos contain allergenic/irritating ingredients which cause more itching and flaking than they cure. Just say no to Head and Shoulders. I used it when I was in high school. When I left home, I was too broke to buy it and my symptoms were gone within two weeks.
Steve,
This is very interesting, especially item 1 about dandruff. I had it as a kid and in those days we didn't know anything about it. My mom told me it was just soap. At some point in years gone bye it went away on its own. About 18 years ago I developed a nail fungus problem and went to a dermatologist. he prescribed a drug called grisofulvin and I had to take it for about 18 months to clear up the fungus. He said it would clear up any fungus I had anywhere. I said something like, What do you mean, and he explained that everyone has fungus and it's usually all over--chest, crotch -- and it's such a part of us it's basically impossible to get rid of. You can get rid of it for a period of time then it comes back, like athlete's foot. I don't think that's entirely true i.e. my nail fungus has never returned, but as you say, the key is not providing a hospitable environment. very interesting.
I tried jojobba oil and all it did was make my hair greasy. I probably used too much but in my case, if I simply rinse out or don't do any kind of wash for 24 hours there's enough scalp oil I can work that out to the ends so I don't need any extra. I still have some so I'll have to try it in other places like in the kitchen. see you,
rob
Hi Steve, I have found the same results by not shampooing anymore and no dandruff for me either, also take a look at the ingredients on the side of most shampoo bottles - it's a frightening concoction.
But as for Jojoba, if it cuts grease so well does it not strip all the natural oils from your hair. Just curious as if it is as good as people say then I may try it.
Thanks, Dave
I've heard that it's similar to sebum, the natural oil that comes from your scalp. Maybe it replaces the natural oil; but I haven't heard anybody say it strips it. Even if it did, since it's similar to the natural oil it would just be replacing it with something similar.
If you've got naturaly oily hair, there's certainly no point in using it anyway.
[snip]