Dry Crusty Scalp... but I don't think this is dandruff

So, before I went natural I always had scalp issues. Dry and crusty. At the time, I didn't really fuss too much over hair, I didn't research, I wasn't really interested in healthy hair care. So I just assumed it to be dandruff and never did too much about it aside from greasing my scalp. Well, the issue actually went away for a while when I first went natural. But here I am a year into my natural hair care journey and it seems to have returned. Now I'll attempt to describe it without being gruesome and tell u why I don't think it's dandruff.

1. It's big thick patchy crusty scales. Dandruff usually is small powdery and flaky. Also it's mainly in the front of my hair. Not really all over.
2. It's there even right after I wash my hair. (I haven't really changed shampoos too much to I don't think it would be that causing it after all this time)
3. I have dry skin all over. My face gets dry and crusty as well. I have patches of skin that crust and flake. I have to give it constant attention daily in order for it to even be presentable. So, this could just be an extension of what's going on on my face. After all, my scalp is skin too.
4. I have this patch of a gross something on my neck. It's gray and scaly and crusty and it turns my skin dark. I went to my primary care doctor for it. She said it was probably eczema and gave me nystatin and antifungal cream. It did help. The stuff on my scalp almost looks like the stuff that was on my neck.

Sigh... anyway. I just don't know what to do. I don't really think there's a problem with my hair care routine because my hair itself is doing just fine. I do oil my scalp with a jojoba oil mix or spray with some aloe gro or use doogro oil (the one without mineral oil) or DB eucalyptus butter. I put something on my scalp at least once a week. So I feel like I'm doing everything I can on my end. But something must be done. Help.

My only suggestion would be to have a dermatologist take a look at it.

You're right Lynn. My fear is that they're going to give me something I'm not going to want to use. My neck cream was chock full of propylene glycol and parabens. I just sat their shaking my head thinking, and this is supposed to help? lol. And this is coming from someone in pharmacy school. Lol. The more I learn, I tell u, the more I stay away from pharmaceuticals. Haha. Plus, I've heard alot of curlies say that the stuff derms gave them for scalp or hair issues only made things worse. But I might just have to charge it to the game (as they say) and go.

sounds like to me u have a dermatitis type situation and no it's not dandruff...yea go see a dermatologist b/c if not taken care of, it can get out of hand...good luck~

I would suggest you consult a dermatologist i found this ideas maybe you can try they have at least 4 different options There are several effective home remedies to treat this condition. One of the most popular ways of preventing your scalp from becoming too dry is to soak your hair and scalp in some apple cider vinegar after washing it with a mild shampoo, and rinsing it off with water after a few minutes. If your scalp also feels itchy, you should oil is with lavender, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils, as they soothe and nourish the scalp naturally. For another remedy, soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in a cup of water overnight. The next morning, grind the seeds to a fine paste and apply this paste all over your scalp. After about 15 minutes, rinse your hair with a solution of a few soap nuts soaked overnight in water. Before the final rinse, add a few drops of lime juice to the water and soak your hair for a few minutes in this solution. This remedy produces excellent results on dry, flaky scalp if followed regularly. Scratching makes an itchy scalp hurt, so mash a ripe guava and apply it on your scalp if the problem is severe. Guava has natural analgesic, antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help soothe the fine bruises on the scalp. Application of the juice of aloe vera leaves is another popular and effective remedy for naturally moisturizing and soothing a dry, flaky scalp. It is also crucial that diet included sources of B and C vitamins, as these are necessary for maintaining a healthy scalp. Eat lots of fresh fruits and green, leafy vegetables in order to supply these nutrients to your scalp through the bloodstream. This will not only make your scalp soft and well nourished but also induce the hair follicles to produce stronger hairs in greater numbers, thereby solving the problem of hair loss.
I also heard jojoba oil , tea tree oil and vitamin E oil are great for dry scalp
hope this help

I thought I had dandruff too but come to find out, I have Ichthyosis. I have very dry, scaley skin on my legs and scalp. My feet get really dry and crack as well as my hands. The stuff they gave me was some sort of ammonium hydroxide or something. It burned like crazy when I applied it. The only thing that helped me was to do "skin brushing". Skin brushing gets the skin off that my body cannot naturally get rid of. My dermatologist was surprised it worked. I hope you find what is causing your dryness!

Might I just add that I have seborrheic dermatitis, and while all the antifungal creams do work, I didn't like putting all that petroleum on my skin!

I started to wash my face & body with a sulphur soap and that gradually took care of the problem. It's not as quick as using the prescription creams, but I feel like it's better for my body.

I get mine from the Rastas near the Sulphur Springs in my country, but I found this one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Adovia-Mineral-Skin-Care-Sulfur/dp/B000F6PJ5K

Juices-n-Berries wrote:So, before I went natural I always had scalp issues. Dry and crusty. At the time, I didn't really fuss too much over hair, I didn't research, I wasn't really interested in healthy hair care. So I just assumed it to be dandruff and never did too much about it aside from greasing my scalp. Well, the issue actually went away for a while when I first went natural. But here I am a year into my natural hair care journey and it seems to have returned. Now I'll attempt to describe it without being gruesome and tell u why I don't think it's dandruff.

1. It's big thick patchy crusty scales. Dandruff usually is small powdery and flaky. Also it's mainly in the front of my hair. Not really all over.
2. It's there even right after I wash my hair. (I haven't really changed shampoos too much to I don't think it would be that causing it after all this time)
3. I have dry skin all over. My face gets dry and crusty as well. I have patches of skin that crust and flake. I have to give it constant attention daily in order for it to even be presentable. So, this could just be an extension of what's going on on my face. After all, my scalp is skin too.
4. I have this patch of a gross something on my neck. It's gray and scaly and crusty and it turns my skin dark. I went to my primary care doctor for it. She said it was probably eczema and gave me nystatin and antifungal cream. It did help. The stuff on my scalp almost looks like the stuff that was on my neck.

Sigh... anyway. I just don't know what to do. I don't really think there's a problem with my hair care routine because my hair itself is doing just fine. I do oil my scalp with a jojoba oil mix or spray with some aloe gro or use doogro oil (the one without mineral oil) or DB eucalyptus butter. I put something on my scalp at least once a week. So I feel like I'm doing everything I can on my end. But something must be done. Help.

Please consider having your blood sugar levels checked to eliminate insulin resitance as the source of your problem. What you described, especially point number 4 , are symptoms I experienced. My dermatologist gave me some cream that gave me topical relief but I still had flare ups until my primary care physician referred me to an endocrinolgist.
HTH

OK...I have(or had) the same problem. I went to the dr and received several prescriptions. I was frustrated bc I knew that I wasn't going to spend hundreds of $ each month on meds that were masking my conditions.
So I finally found a regime that cleared up my problem...
Here it is:
I have to wash my hair weekly. No exceptions!
I prepoo with EVOO or some type of oil.
I cowash with WEN, HEHH or Suave Almond/Shea.
I DC under the dryer for 30 mins. with MJ Super Sweetback.
SN: I'm still looking for my holy grail DC.
ACV rinse.
Style with Kimmaytube leave-in.