Method of rubbing in topicals

[KingC]

I recently buzz cut my hair thinking it would be easier to apply topicals but because the hair is so short it stands up and I'm having a real problem rubbing in topicals. Does anyone have and tips on rubbing in topicals because at the moment when I do it they are drying on top of the scalp as a slimy substance? I really feel I'm not getting hardly any benefit if they just sit on the scalp.

 

[Einstein]

Rub it in but wear a latex surgical glove. u don't need to rub an area more than a few seconds

 

[Jacob]

It depends upon what topicals are being used. I use my Hair Sonic for some topicals...others it's not necessary.

Are you sure it's not just a thick layer of sebum on your head? I'm being serious...years ago I could scrape the stuff off with my fingernails like crazy.

 

[blaze]

It depends upon what topicals are being used. I use my Hair Sonic for some topicals...others it's not necessary.

Are you sure it's not just a thick layer of sebum on your head? I'm being serious...years ago I could scrape the stuff off with my fingernails like crazy.

How did you stop the sebum build up jacob?

 

[Jacob]

Well at the time I just started treating my hair loss...so it was a combo of the topicals (Tricomin..don't laugh.. and Alterna's) as well as paying major attention to my digestive system- which I was having problems with at the time. Probiotics..enzymes...other things for IBS(Seacure..etc).

I'm trying to remember what shampoo I was using...may have been Alterna's. I know I started using Morrocco Method way back then..at some point.

 

[KingC]

It depends upon what topicals are being used. I use my Hair Sonic for some topicals...others it's not necessary.

Are you sure it's not just a thick layer of sebum on your head? I'm being serious...years ago I could scrape the stuff off with my fingernails like crazy.

You may be right about the sebum. I would definetly say I over produce. Having just done a quick internet search taking a mix of omega 3 and omega 6 seems to reduce sebum intake to normal level (doesn't reduce to much leading to dry skin). I'll probably start on some fish oil pills as if nothing else they are a good supplement for the brain.

 

[Jacob]

I think a good test would be to wash your hair in the morning- don't put on any topical. Later on towards the evening or even the next morning scrape your scalp with your fingernails and see if you get a glob of whitish crap in 'em. If that's not the problem..I'd be curious to know what topical(s) you're using.

Oh gawd I'm almost uke: thinking about how bad it was back then. I could just scrape and scrape and scrape....

 

[Jacob]

I thought this was interesting-Galvanic Current: Desincrustation etc: http://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/library/45_article_Finding_Solutions_for_Oily_and_Acneic_Skin.html


And then this..which I'm not surprised by, given my own experience. It also reminds me that around that time I also started doing liver cleanses, along with the digestive aids: http://lanisisland.com/clearing-your-acne-by-improving-your-kidney-function-and-digestive-system

When we are highly toxic, your body will produce excess sebum to eliminate more toxins through the skin.

 

[Einstein]

I used to do that with my scalp, scraping with finger nails, but I always thought it was dead skin. How can you tell if it's sebum for sure

 

[KingC]

I think a good test would be to wash your hair in the morning- don't put on any topical. Later on towards the evening or even the next morning scrape your scalp with your fingernails and see if you get a glob of whitish crap in 'em. If that's not the problem..I'd be curious to know what topical(s) you're using.

Oh gawd I'm almost uke: thinking about how bad it was back then. I could just scrape and scrape and scrape....

I'm using 15% minoxidil (think its called dualagen) and topical finasteride from genhair. I may try the test you stated tomorrow but I believe einstein has a point as regards knowing whether its dead skin or sebum. I guess if you don't suffer from dandruff then its probably sebum but in my case I do suffer from mild dandruff so I can't rule that out as a possiblity. I read somewhere that sebum overproduction can cause dandruff so it could be a mix of both. Either way if I have a layer of the stuff on my scalp its going to reduce the amount of topical reaching my hair follicles. As I only use topicals in my regimen this is particularly annoying. Its something I'm definetly going to actively try and stop in the near future.

 

[Jacob]

Obviously there will be dead skin(cells) in the sebum..but I can't see it being just "dead skin" if you're able to scrape off a bunch of gunk into your fingernails. It'll be waxy...kinda lardish...might even be able to put it in your suet feeder.

 

[Jacob]

On dandruff:

The presence of dandruff is also associated with the amplification of a natural phenomenon. For, like all the cells of the epidermis, scalp cells are constantly renewing themselves. Day after day, the oldest cells individually separate from the surface of the skin quite invisibly: this is ordinary desquamation .

But excessive quantities of a micro organism, "malassezia ovalis", naturally present on the scalp, can upset this function by accelerating the epidermis's renewal process. The cells therefore come to the surface of the scalp in groups before separating from it - and these are the particles of dandruff. The appropriate hair care products progressively limit the proliferation of the micro organisms responsible for this excessive desquamation.

http://tinyurl.com/6n8f4pp

Which reminds me of something else I've posted(probiotics, good):

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — The oral probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei achieved substantial, clinically meaningful reductions in dandruff in a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial.

Consumption of the probiotic also resulted in several secondary benefits, including reduced scalp erythema, itching, and greasiness, along with a steady decline over time in scalp Malassezia yeast counts, Dr. Audrey Gueniche reported at the annual congress of the European Society for Dermatological Research.

She and her coworkers at L'Oréal in Clichy, France, had previously shown that the probiotic speeds recovery of skin barrier function following controlled damage induced by tape stripping. They also demonstrated that L. paracasei helps regulate skin immune function.

Since those defects play an important role in dandruff conditions, the investigators decided to explore L. paracasei as a potential treatment for this common flaky scalp condition.

Thirty white men with moderate to severe dandruff were randomized to 57 days of daily consumption of L. paracasei in powder form or to placebo. Participants had to agree not to consume yogurt or other food products produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk during the trial and not to alter their customary face and scalp hygiene routine.

Biweekly clinical assessments documented declining levels of free and adherent dandruff, the coprimary study endpoints. The divergence between probiotic and placebo became significant after 4–5 weeks. After 57 days, the probiotic group had a 70% reduction from baseline in their standardized free dandruff score and a 72% decrease in adherent dandruff, compared with reductions of 23% and 34%, respectively, in the placebo group.

Investigator ratings of scalp erythema showed a 58% reduction in the probiotic group after 57 days and a 31% decrease with placebo. The reductions in dandruff and erythema scores were still maintained 1 week after the end of probiotic supplementation, according to Dr. Gueniche.

Global efficacy ratings made by blinded investigators on day 57 showed that 64% of patients in the probiotic arm were scored as having "good improvement" or "total healing," compared with 27% of controls, she reported.

Patients in the probiotic group rated their dandruff as reduced by 57% at the study's end, compared with a self-assessed 16% decrease in the placebo group. The L. paracasei group rated its scalp pruritus as 47% improved, versus a 13% reduction for controls. The probiotic users also rated their scalp erythema as 72% improved, compared with a 43% reduction reported in the placebo group.

Total Malassezia yeast counts showed a significant decrease over time in the probiotic group. In terms of M. restricta and M. globosa—the two species that have been identified as the major players in dandruff conditions—scalp counts increased sharply in the placebo group from day 15 on but remained steady over time in the probiotic treatment arm, Dr. Gueniche said.

L'Oréal does now have a product based on that. There are other products with the strain in it as well.

And:

For example, most cases of acne are now believed to arise not only out of the presence of an androgen hormone called DHT within the sebaceous glands, but of an individual's particular sensitivity to that hormone. According to Garcia, hormone activity is profoundly affected by the balance of bacteria in our guts, because the liver's ability to successfully metabolize hormones, is greatly influenced by our probiotic health.

 

[KingC]

Jacob, have you taken any Lactobacillus paracasei and if so what were your overall results whilst on it regarding general scalp health?

I've been reading about it and it definetly seems worth a shot as regards my dandruff issue. I don't have bad dandruff but it is very stubborn. I naively thought a shampoo could rid me of it which is true in many cases but with mine I think more has to be done to address the issue. Also it seems to have more health benefits such as digestion improvements which is an added positive.

 

[KingC]

Also Jacob, can you recommend any supplements that contain Lactobacillus paracasei for me to use.

 

[Cassin]

Obviously there will be dead skin(cells) in the sebum..but I can't see it being just "dead skin" if you're able to scrape off a bunch of gunk into your fingernails. It'll be waxy...kinda lardish...might even be able to put it in your suet feeder.

More reason to use something like Jason's Thin to Thick right?

Or maybe T/SAL

 

[Jacob]

If you want the actual L'Oréal/Innov product: http://www.cocooncenter.co.uk/Inneov-Hair-Health-DS-30capsules!10229.html

I'm not sure if you really need the actual strain(s) they used: "The company investigated the effect of a mixed preparation of Lactobacillus paracaseï CNCM I-2116 and Bifidobacterium lactis CNCM I-3446 in human volunteers with reactive skin. " ....you have to wonder if there is much or any difference..but I'll list some others below. The first one is one I used for awhile(I can't say if it did much..I've used different probiotics for years and years..many other strains are good for the skin as well):

http://www.natrol.com/prod_digestive.aspx?prod=36

http://www.iherb.com/Metagenics-LactoViden-ID-60-Capsules-Ice/20630?at=0

http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals-Life-Flora-3-Billion-Cells-120-Capsules/1261?at=0

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Probiotic-Defense-90-Vcaps/6105?at=0

http://www.iherb.com/Symbiotics-Can...um-Plus-and-Probiotics-120-Capsules/4092?at=0

http://www.emersonecologics.com/Products/EmersonMain/PID-MSP21.aspx

http://www.emersonecologics.com/Products/EmersonMain/PID-J30263.aspx

http://www.emersonecologics.com/Products/EmersonMain/PID-PRO18.aspx

You can eat 'em as well: http://www.yogenfruz.com/home/en/nutritional-facts

Those are just ones I've posted before..made it easy for me ..plenty of others out there..I'm sure.

Here's another that talks about skin health:

http://www.kinu.us/

Another option is topically..I still use that Kerastase product here and there: http://www.connollyhair.com.au/PDF/Kerastase_Biotic_2008.pdf

Or something like this: http://rhozeekefiran.com/BTwixtOrder.aspx

 

[Jacob]

Obviously there will be dead skin(cells) in the sebum..but I can't see it being just "dead skin" if you're able to scrape off a bunch of gunk into your fingernails. It'll be waxy...kinda lardish...might even be able to put it in your suet feeder.

More reason to use something like Jason's Thin to Thick right?

Or maybe T/SAL

I think something like this is better dealt with internally..but can't hurt to use the right shampoo and/or topical as well.

 

[KingC]

Thanks for the links Jacob, much appreciated.

 

[Jacob]

I wonder what exactly is in this product...for the pre/probiotics: http://www.hairgrowthlab.com/itchy-scalp-fungal/dht-probiotic-with-saw-palmetto-green-tea/