Hey guys,
Long time poster here that has been trying to figure out this inflammation itchy scalp crap for the past three years or so. I have tried everything. You name it, I've probably tried it. Whether it be shampoos, topicals, steroid creams, supplements, finasteride, I've tried it. I recently tried finasteride (from August 2017 - December 2018) and I felt that it did help my scalp a bit but if I didn't wash my hair for a day or two, I'd get inflammation again. So I quit finasteride and have been doing this new protocol for the past four months or so.
I first shower and clean my scalp really well with shampoo and conditioner. I like to use free and clear shampoo and conditioner because it's free of many irritants that can cause inflammation to sensitive skin. On days where I use 1% nizoral, I use that instead of the shampoo and still use the free and clear conditioner. I also sometimes use 3% salicylic acid T/sal shampoo for dandruff, but very rarely. I also like to comb out my hair while it still has conditioner in it. I then get out of the shower and don't dry my scalp or hair off. I then take about 20mL of jojoba oil and add it it ten drops of peppermint oil and ten drops of rosemary oil. Use pure oils. I rub this mixture all throughout my scalp and hair. I still have pretty long hair on the top, like an undercut, so if you have shorter hair you probably need way less of this mixture. Keep the ratios the same though because it can be really strong if you don't dilute the essential oils enough with the carrier oil (in this case the jojoba oil). I leave this in my hair for about a half hour and then I get back in the shower and wash again with shampoo and conditioner. I then get out, let my hair air dry for about a half hour and then blow dry completely dry using mainly cool air. If I'm running late somewhere I skip the air drying and just blow dry. I do this entire process at least once a week, sometimes twice a week. On other days I just was my hair normally everyday.
DISCLAIMER: I made the mistake of not dilluting the peppermint and rosemary oils at all the first time I did this and I had to wash it out in less than five minutes because it was burning really badly. You need to dilute it with the jojoba oil. You can seriously give yourself a chemical burn with strong essential oils. Your scalp will tingle after having this mixture on for five minutes. Don't underestimate it. I at first would only leave the mixture in for about ten minutes but if you leave it in for the whole thirty, your scalp should stop tingling by the end of that timeframe.
This also has the added benefit of making your hair look very healthy because the oil moisturizes your hair shafts. I feel that my hair is less frizzy and less dry looking nowadays.
I have no idea if this regrows hair. I remember reading a few papers that stated that rosemary was just as good as rogaine in a few studies but I doubt it. It can't hurt though. I primarily use this because it helps with inflammation in my experience.
OTHER THINGS I DO INCLUDE: I also like to sleep with an essential oil diffuser going with peppermint, rosemary, lavender, and orange oils. Dunno if that does anything either. I take a multivitamin daily and sometimes take 10k iu of vitamins d3 and zinc oratate 25mg. Gonna start cleaning up my diet shortly and working out more but I still eat like sh*t currently. I'm also going to start eating lots of broccoli sprouts daily too. I dermastamp my temples once every few weeks with a 1mm stamp. Idk how you guys roll once a week with 1.5mm because I bleed ALOT when I do the 1mm, but that's another discussion...
I really really really hope this helps others dealing with inflammation as this forum has been a great source of information and hope for me for the last three years (at least when y'all aint being depressing af, but I understand lol).
Let me know if you guys have any questions and if you're gonna try this!
Tl;dr: Essential oils helped my scalp inflammation to the point where I no longer feel pain or get itchy. I also have less scalp acne as far as I can tell. Read the full post for directions.
Long time poster here that has been trying to figure out this inflammation itchy scalp crap for the past three years or so. I have tried everything. You name it, I've probably tried it. Whether it be shampoos, topicals, steroid creams, supplements, finasteride, I've tried it. I recently tried finasteride (from August 2017 - December 2018) and I felt that it did help my scalp a bit but if I didn't wash my hair for a day or two, I'd get inflammation again. So I quit finasteride and have been doing this new protocol for the past four months or so.
I first shower and clean my scalp really well with shampoo and conditioner. I like to use free and clear shampoo and conditioner because it's free of many irritants that can cause inflammation to sensitive skin. On days where I use 1% nizoral, I use that instead of the shampoo and still use the free and clear conditioner. I also sometimes use 3% salicylic acid T/sal shampoo for dandruff, but very rarely. I also like to comb out my hair while it still has conditioner in it. I then get out of the shower and don't dry my scalp or hair off. I then take about 20mL of jojoba oil and add it it ten drops of peppermint oil and ten drops of rosemary oil. Use pure oils. I rub this mixture all throughout my scalp and hair. I still have pretty long hair on the top, like an undercut, so if you have shorter hair you probably need way less of this mixture. Keep the ratios the same though because it can be really strong if you don't dilute the essential oils enough with the carrier oil (in this case the jojoba oil). I leave this in my hair for about a half hour and then I get back in the shower and wash again with shampoo and conditioner. I then get out, let my hair air dry for about a half hour and then blow dry completely dry using mainly cool air. If I'm running late somewhere I skip the air drying and just blow dry. I do this entire process at least once a week, sometimes twice a week. On other days I just was my hair normally everyday.
DISCLAIMER: I made the mistake of not dilluting the peppermint and rosemary oils at all the first time I did this and I had to wash it out in less than five minutes because it was burning really badly. You need to dilute it with the jojoba oil. You can seriously give yourself a chemical burn with strong essential oils. Your scalp will tingle after having this mixture on for five minutes. Don't underestimate it. I at first would only leave the mixture in for about ten minutes but if you leave it in for the whole thirty, your scalp should stop tingling by the end of that timeframe.
This also has the added benefit of making your hair look very healthy because the oil moisturizes your hair shafts. I feel that my hair is less frizzy and less dry looking nowadays.
I have no idea if this regrows hair. I remember reading a few papers that stated that rosemary was just as good as rogaine in a few studies but I doubt it. It can't hurt though. I primarily use this because it helps with inflammation in my experience.
OTHER THINGS I DO INCLUDE: I also like to sleep with an essential oil diffuser going with peppermint, rosemary, lavender, and orange oils. Dunno if that does anything either. I take a multivitamin daily and sometimes take 10k iu of vitamins d3 and zinc oratate 25mg. Gonna start cleaning up my diet shortly and working out more but I still eat like sh*t currently. I'm also going to start eating lots of broccoli sprouts daily too. I dermastamp my temples once every few weeks with a 1mm stamp. Idk how you guys roll once a week with 1.5mm because I bleed ALOT when I do the 1mm, but that's another discussion...
I really really really hope this helps others dealing with inflammation as this forum has been a great source of information and hope for me for the last three years (at least when y'all aint being depressing af, but I understand lol).
Let me know if you guys have any questions and if you're gonna try this!
Tl;dr: Essential oils helped my scalp inflammation to the point where I no longer feel pain or get itchy. I also have less scalp acne as far as I can tell. Read the full post for directions.
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