Dry scalp and hair loss

[Hairlossquestion]

In recent years I have experienced a receding hairline and thinning hair. What I have discovered is that I have unbelievably dry scalp and hair. It feels like dry grass that breaks if you touch it. So I have recently started to massage oils into my hair. I believe I have seen a little bit of improvement over the last couple of months or so. However, there are still some issues that I am trying to work out and to understand, so I was hoping some of you could help me out here.

First of all, I am using some hair oil product that is supposed to moisturize and nourish your hair. The instructions tell you to use it before shampooing, or to leave it in for about 30 min with a towel wrapped around your head, and then shampoo and rinse out thoroughly. However, I find that if I wash it out, my hair and scalp tends to get dry very fast. So I have started to leave it in, and then I rinse it out when I shower in the morning and then I reapply and leave in for the rest of the day. My question is, do you think leaving it in can be harmful for my hair and scalp by blocking pores etc.?

My second question is: how important is shampooing? I tend to avoid shampooing on a daily basis, since I'm afraid it will be too harsh for my dry hair. Also, I don't have access to warm water at the moment, and it is not comfortable to shampoo and rinse properly with ice cold water (I'm also wondering if this can be harmful since it hurts when I rinse thoroughly with ice cold water). So I have to boil water in a pot when I shampoo (I try to do this at least once a week). On a daily basis, I just briefly rinse my hair in the cold water when I shower. The well water here is also very hard (coming from underneath the bedrock), and I wonder if this can be harmful by leaving calcium deposits on my scalp, and if there is anyway to counteract this.

Anyway, hope someone can give me some insight or advice.
Thanks!

 

[yello911]

In my experience, hard water definitely affects the quality of my hair. I visited my sister for a while when she was living at a home with well water. The water was so bad that she actually had to wash her whites somewhere else or they would turn orange! When I showered there, my hair would feel heavy, brittle and flat.

As for shampoo, my hair is oily so I shampoo everyday, however, if I shampoo more than that, it actually makes my hair seem oilier and dry/irritated at the same time if that makes sense. Shampooing is a balance you will need to figure out on your own.

I am a firm believer of brushing hair regularly whether your hair is oily or dry. Brushing your hair not only stimulates the vital little blood vessels on your scalp but helps spread and stimulate your oil glands. I think when most people start losing their hair, they stop brushing it because they feel it is pulling too much hair out. In my opinion, that is the worst thing you could do.

It seems you are the right path on keeping your scalp moisturized, however, you may want to try it from the inside out. Do you get enough fat in your diet? Try taking fish oil daily and eating foods like avacado.