Moving away from constantly styling my hair, opting for lower-tension hairstyles and no longer following practices like oiling my scalp, which, according to trichologist Ebuni Ajiduah, “can also contribute to skin conditions and make scalp symptoms much worse,” were hard adjustments despite the fact they inevitably helped get my scalp back to normal.
According to Ajiduah, “the body works by continually monitoring its environment and adjusting its response, so when we grease or oil our scalp, effectively we are telling the sebaceous glands to kick back, and we will handle it. That would be okay if we didn’t have a whole system designed to do it already, and the products we used matched the natural secretion and were not harmful. The products I listed are mostly relics because people have realised that the ingredients, such as petroleum and mineral oil, generally do not help and may even harm in the long term. The naturalista of today is more likely to use oil or butter, but the same problems still arise.”
Almost a decade on, there are some days when navigating seborrheic dermatitis flare-ups whilst trying new hairstyles and products often feels disheartening. Along with each new style, or let’s be honest, new adult stressors, there remains the fear that another flare-up is on its way. However, now, when faced with a sore-to-the-touch scalp or seemingly never-ending outpouring of white flakes firmly at the cross section of the crown, I have a handful of products I rely on to help get my scalp back to normal.
Scroll to discover the seborrheic dermatitis–friendly products I love, as well as the buys I turn to again and again to help rehydrate my hair.
Tagged: hair