December Chit Chat - Page 7 « Back to Group Discussions

[Autumnshades]

My DH and I both have very sensitive scalps and it took us forever to find a shampoo that doesn't cause terrible issues (even natural ones were bad - the one we have now has coconut oil in it and is great).  My head gets bad still every now and then....  I usually use Head and shoulder shampoo one day a week to just keep it under control, so I am thinking of doing that to Eli's head ... I am desperate since nothing seems to help... 

[LunaLady]

My dh has been no poo'ing since before R was born. I was too and then started shampooing once a week because of the cradle cap- it just made my hair look gross.

I think it is fungal...

[Becky Wheeler]

Sorry I kinda got y'all in trouble, Joanie and Amanda. 

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 
We both have the flaky sort of waxy/oily scalp sort of thing. It's gross and annoying.

I developed this at about 6-7 months postpartum with my first two kids.  Mine would itch and when I scratched I would end up scraping off chunks of the scales and often they would bleed.  I also had flaky eyelids that would flare up and itch so badly I would rub them until they were red and puffy.  I went to a dermatologist once and they just told me to use anti dandruff shampoo and would happily prescribe me steroids for the itch.  I tried the shampoo with no success and did break down once or twice and use OTC steroid cream on my eyelids.  Then I found out a friend with a similar aged baby and similar parenting philosophy (hence breastfeeding on demand and co-sleeping, etc.) had the same problem.  She had been using pine tar shampoo.  So we switched shampoos to see if the other had any success and neither of us did.  I kept thinking it was from lack of sleep combined with depleting my body of certain nutrients due to breastfeeding combined with low body fat/weight.  My naturopath sister thought this as well.  It went away when I got pregnant again and didn't return until that same 6-7 month postpartum time.  And when I got pregnant with Avery, it went away again.  Soooo, my guess is that it has a link to hormones.  I fully expected it to return postpartum this time, but it hasn't!  I'm not getting anymore sleep than I did with my other two.  I'm breastfeeding just as much.  I did manage to hold onto about 5 extra pounds until just recently and I was wondering if that was what did it and whether it would return now that I'm back down to my "normal" weight.  We'll see.  But the one thing I did do differently was take those placenta pills for the first few months.  Who knows.

At any rate, if you have what I had it's seborrheic dermatitis (SD): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seborrhoeic_dermatitis

[TalkToMeNow]

You didn't get me in trouble, Becky! A mod just pm'ed me to delete the quote from my post! No biggie. I was like, duh! I shouldn't quote it if I didn't want to see it. I thanked her. :)

I have the flaky, scaly, itchy scalp thing going on, too, but only in the back of my head. It's been that way for like 4-5 years! I've tried tar shampoo, oils and creams, dandruff shampoo. Nothing works. Super annoying. It could be allergy related... I know there is something I need to cut out. I've been having a lot of tummy issues, too. Dairy is one issue, beans seem to be another. Also, tomatoes and anything acidic. But what they heck does that leave?! I know some people are perfect and can live off raw veggies and quinoa, but I can not. Plus, I am a very committed vegetarian. Blah blah. 

[dashley111]

My scalp get embarpassing bad sometimes, but I have found nothing that helps.  Its actually better now that I only wash maybe twice a week and use a TTO based shampoo.  I was no-poo for a LONG time, years, and it went really well until recently.   I think anything with TTO would be too harsh for a baby, though.

[seraf]

Each time I trialed wheat my scalp itched like mad, had lumps on it and bled when scratched. No fun at all.

[Abraisme]

My opinion is that cradle cap is either fungal or yeast as well.  I've had good success with removing it with coconut oil.  I put on a thick layer, let it sit for 30 minutes and then rubbed it all off with a soft tooth brush.  I did read recently that the skin is the LAST place that a systemic issue will present itself.  That means that by the time you have a problem with your skin, you likely have a lot of other internal issues as well.  No one really seems to understand it fully though.  Consuming a large quantity of coconut oil might help kill it on the inside as well.

[Jaimee]

So basically we all have this?  How coincidental is that?   I forgot to mention that I did try the anti dandruff shampoo on Avalon and it still didn't work.  And I tried TTO for myself and that didn't help either.  I used special TTO shampoo and later just straight TTO mixed into my shampoo.  Nope.  Only thing that got rid of it was getting pregnant.  Did you all have it while pregnant as well or did yours go away like mine?

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by Abraisme 

I did read recently that the skin is the LAST place that a systemic issue will present itself.

Interesting... my experience has been suppressing symptoms on the skin (like eczema or cradle cap) results in worsening symptoms elsewhere.  Like, if it can't express itself through the skin it pops up somewhere else like asthma.  I know in the case of the atopic march (eczema, rhinitis, asthma) if one gets suppressed the others generally get worse unless you cut out the trigger(s). 

For those of you on GAPS, do you expect these things to go away once your body is more balanced?  Have you noticed improvement at all since starting the diet in these atopic ailments?

[LunaLady]

I haven't noticed any improvement in my scalp or DH's and we've been on GAPS for... almost three months. R's has very, very slowly gotten better, but he still has some spots. I'm not picking it, though.

That is crazy we all seem to have some form of this!!

[TalkToMeNow]

My dh has this problem, too. I think there was a small improvement when I was pregnant. Actually, I forgot. I found one thing that helps. If I slather calendula cream on my scalp before I go to bed and wash my hair in the morning, I notice an improvement. But it is messy and you have to be washing your hair first thing in the morning or you look ridiculous. So that almost never happens. I need to try doing that again. So hard to remember. My personal theory is that it is caused by over washing and styling. Our scalps are freaking out! But limp, greasy hair is just not in style. Bummer. Also, I have no clue what I'm talking about... I'm just making stuff up!

[Abraisme]

Luckily, my dh and I don't have any skin issues, so I can't answer that question.  I only had to remove Coralies cradle cap once, so maybe it's gone?  My kids all do eat a very small amount of grain and sugar, so I can't say that they're fully on the GAPS diet, they just mostly eat this way.  

I'm pretty sure that it takes longer than 3 months to heal a systemic fungal or yeast infection.  It may even take a short term, super restricted diet to kill yeast fully.  I do hope that all these things are slowly dying because we are doing this diet.  Only time will tell..

[birdhappy85]

I've never had this scalp issue.  Sora hasn't had any cradle cap either. DH has had lifelong dry skin that he's had to treat with topical steroids on occasion, and his scalp gets flaky. Maybe Sora and I just lucked out.

[birdhappy85]

 My thoughts are with the recent shooting victims and their families. 

 Why children??? Why? 

[dashley111]

I have very thick, curly hair.  I have been gluten free and dairy free at periods in my life.  I did paleo.  I never style my hair and use absolutely no products on it.  I have frumpy thrown in a ponytail mom hair ALL the time.  So...I have no idea what causes it for me.  Strange, good observation Jaimee.

My husband had dermatitis on his face that cleared up when he went gluten free.  So, Im sure for some it is definitely a diet/allergen thing.

[dashley111]

On a completely unrelated note.  Anybody watching the news? 

I think about things like this LITERALLY EVERY DAY I send my kids to school.  We had a school shooting in this area about a year ago, and ever since every morning I make it a point to not fight or argue, and to kiss my kids before I send them to school.  I feel so bad that I feel bad about sending them to school.  They need it, they love it.  I know that.  But...things like this just shake me.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by dashley111 

I never style my hair and use absolutely no products on it.  I have frumpy thrown in a ponytail mom hair ALL the time. 

Me, too.  No over styling here and I only wash my hair every other day.

[seraf]

Mine is gone. It's only when I eat wheat. Soren gets horrible eczema when I eat wheat.

My ex has been on an anti-candida diet for 2-3 years and still feels symptomatic.

[Becky Wheeler]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

 My thoughts are with the recent shooting victims and their families. 

 Why children??? Why? 

I cry for everyone involved. 

Originally Posted by dashley111 

On a completely unrelated note.  Anybody watching the news? 

I think about things like this LITERALLY EVERY DAY I send my kids to school.  We had a school shooting in this area about a year ago, and ever since every morning I make it a point to not fight or argue, and to kiss my kids before I send them to school.  I feel so bad that I feel bad about sending them to school.  They need it, they love it.  I know that.  But...things like this just shake me.

I think about it too. Anything can happen, even in a small town of 9000 people, like where I live. It makes me feel guilty for not homeschooling.