Please help - what on earth is this?

[waffle4]

Hi hair geeks, I've nipped over from nails to see if any of you clever old hair geeks can possibly help me. Basically, for the last 2 weeks, every single time after I've washed my hair I'm ending up with tiny, sticky white flakes in my hair on the top of my head and it's driving me nuts coz I don't know what's going on:cry:. I can only liken it to looking similar to when you've accidentally left a tissue in the washing machine and you have all those tiny bits stuck to the clothes!. I thought it might be caused by one of the styling products I was using(macadamia oil, osmo thickening blow dry cream and Tesco panthenol hairspray), SO I left out each product one by one to eliminate them but my hair was still flaky (it's nothing like dandruff though). I also changed my shampoo and conditioner but it made no difference at all. Tonight I gave it 2 thorough washes with Tresemme clarifying shampoo and conditioner and blow me, when I took the towel off my head the specks/flakes were there again!!!!. What the bliiming heck can this be? I do have coloured hair that was last coloured (tinted) about 6weeks ago so could it be the colour flaking off or something???. Please, please can you give me some advice as to what it might be and how to get rid of it coz it's driving me nuts as I'm having to wear my hair with the crown pulled up to try and hide it as the flakes are all in the crown/fringe/scalp area and not on the lengths at all.
Crossing my fingers you'll help me and sorry for the long post
Big hugs and thankyou :hug: xxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Fuzion]

Are you sure it's not dandruff? What you've described does sound like it, my description of dandruff is "soggy crisp crumbs"! Doesn't usually itch. Try Neutrogena T-gel shampoo from your pharmacy. It could be stress related, if your feeling that way, are you run down, been ill?

Or another thought, which I've seen a lot since the suns been out, sunburn!! If it's just the top of your scalp, if your hair is quite fine.

Just a few ideas HTH x

 

[waffle4]

Are you sure it's not dandruff? What you've described does sound like it, my description of dandruff is "soggy crisp crumbs"! Doesn't usually itch. Try Neutrogena T-gel shampoo from your pharmacy. It could be stress related, if your feeling that way, are you run down, been ill?

Or another thought, which I've seen a lot since the suns been out, sunburn!! If it's just the top of your scalp, if your hair is quite fine.

Just a few ideas HTH x

Hi, thankyou for replying and I will try the TGel as reccommended. I didn't think it was dandruff though as the specks are sticking to the whole length of the strands not directly at the scalp (think how nit eggs stick) and some are at the bottom of my fringe!. Yes, I have been run down and stressed but that's actually quite normal for me (!) and I'm also on medication but have been on it for 14 years with no problems before............
I have also noticed a few grey hairs have also appeared round the temples and the specks are sort of a greyish colour, but then again, if I use my fingernails I can pull the specks down and out of the hair. Also, don't know if this is linked but I seem to be losing quite alot of hair lately (on the pillow/on the carpet etc) and it seems to have suddenly turned frizzy too and dull instead of shiny. Perhaps you're right and it's an illness related thing - underactive thyroid maybe???? are they similar symptoms for hair???............

 

[sarahchinee]

Hi, I noticed I was getting what looked like dandruff, I never suffer with dandruff and and it seemed to go after washing, which made me think it was a build up of product,the only thing I had been using differently was argon oil...also a client was complaining of the same thing and she had started using morrocan oil, you mentioned using an oil so maybe it is this , I have stopped using mine and it has gone, I'm going to start using it again though as it does make my hair better, just going to keep to the ends and see how it is

 

[persianista]

Sounds like hairspray build up. This goes white and flaky along the hair shaft after washing. Leave the hairspray alone for a few weeks, and use a clarifying shampoo. Even leave the shampoo on for 5 mins every now and then.

 

[Fuzion]

Hi, thankyou for replying and I will try the TGel as reccommended. I didn't think it was dandruff though as the specks are sticking to the whole length of the strands not directly at the scalp (think how nit eggs stick) and some are at the bottom of my fringe!. Yes, I have been run down and stressed but that's actually quite normal for me (!) and I'm also on medication but have been on it for 14 years with no problems before............
I have also noticed a few grey hairs have also appeared round the temples and the specks are sort of a greyish colour, but then again, if I use my fingernails I can pull the specks down and out of the hair. Also, don't know if this is linked but I seem to be losing quite alot of hair lately (on the pillow/on the carpet etc) and it seems to have suddenly turned frizzy too and dull instead of shiny. Perhaps you're right and it's an illness related thing - underactive thyroid maybe???? are they similar symptoms for hair???............

After reading this part, think I agree with Persianista, hairspray is a bugger for leaving build up on the hair. I don't use it on my clients because of it, maybe try a gel spray instead, far better hold and no build up. Keep trying with the clarifying shampoo don't forget to condition your hair afterwards.

 

[Rapunzelxx]

I vaguely remember the older ladies(!) in a salon I used to work at used to use Borax(?) to get the build up out of their hair.. It was a White powder we would mix with the shampoo!!

It was brutal to the condition of the hair though.. I bet it's banned now lol xx

 

[waffle4]

Thankyou sooooo much ladies. I'v already stopped using hairspray for the last few days but yesterday bought Ellnett as an alternative as I thought that would brush out easier but should I ban this too????. I used the Tresemme Clarifying shampoo and conditioner last night and left the conditioner on for 5 mins but am gonna give it a good scrub again tonight. Would product build up also cause my hair to go frizzy and dull and shed more than usual?? And the specks always seem to be in exactly the same place which is weird???.....Which Clarifying shampoo and conditioner do you reccommend I use?????
Thankyou for your help. Blimey, it's amazing how much we stress over our hair isn't it!! xxxxxxx

 

[persianista]

Tresemme is pretty dreadful stuff. Anything OTC is not gonna be much more than a mixture of detergent and silicone. Pop into a nearby salon and let them rec you a clrifying shampoo. Ranges I like are Redken, pureology, kerastase.

 

[JoJo1980]

Yep, Im with Persianista on this one. Cheap products = false economy.xxx

 

[waffle4]

Tresemme is pretty dreadful stuff. Anything OTC is not gonna be much more than a mixture of detergent and silicone. Pop into a nearby salon and let them rec you a clrifying shampoo. Ranges I like are Redken, pureology, kerastase.

thankyou. I bought the Tresemme as it was the only clarifying shampoo in the whole of boots!. I'm able to go to Capital and buy something professional (won't ask my hairdresser as she reccommended Tresemme to my daughter before!!). Do they all say "clarifying" or do they say something different as they are professional use??
Thanks again girls xxxx

 

[persianista]

Pureology do a shampoo called purify, Redken is called hair cleansing cream.

 

[Rapunzelxx]

Pureology do a shampoo called purify, Redken is called hair cleansing cream.

I second the Redken one xx

 

[Fuzion]

Thankyou sooooo much ladies. I'v already stopped using hairspray for the last few days but yesterday bought Ellnett as an alternative as I thought that would brush out easier but should I ban this too????. I used the Tresemme Clarifying shampoo and conditioner last night and left the conditioner on for 5 mins but am gonna give it a good scrub again tonight. Would product build up also cause my hair to go frizzy and dull and shed more than usual?? And the specks always seem to be in exactly the same place which is weird???.....Which Clarifying shampoo and conditioner do you reccommend I use?????
Thankyou for your help. Blimey, it's amazing how much we stress over our hair isn't it!! xxxxxxx

Elnett leaves a build up to, think you should ban hairspray entirely, try the gel spray. Nexxus do a fab clarifying shampoo, can't remember the name off hand, will have to look in the morning, think it's Kelate??

 

[waffle4]

Hi girlies, just updating you on the dreaded "specks", bane of my life!!. I was passing a posh hairdressers today so went in and showed them the specks and first of all she thought I'd maybe burnt my hair (gulp!!) which I was totally shocked at seeing as I'm sooo careful and leave my hair to dry naturally quite a bit too. However, on closer inspection she said that she thought it WAS product build up. I asked for a clarifying wash/condition and a treatment mask to be put on as that blimmin Tresemme had made it so dry. They didn't use a clarifying shampoo but used "L'oreal Professionelle Intense" for dry/damaged hair, but she assured me it would get the product build up out. Also used an "intense" mask too. After washing, she said the specks had gone and so blowdried my hair with "Tigi, queen for a day" thickening spray at the roots and a very fine mist of Tigi hairspray when finished. It looked gorgeous, lovely and clean (phew), and shiny and bouncy. I was so chuffed I didn't even choke at the exorbitant price I'd been charged (was so desperate, I would've paid anything!). However, after being home for an hour or so I went and looked in the bathroom mirror and low and behold I could see some of the specks again!!. Now, I don't know if they were there after she did my hair (as I didn't examine every strand of hair in the hairdressers), meaning she'd got rid of most of it but not all of it, OR the specks had suddenly re-appeared all on their own?! With a sinking heart I rang the hairdressers and she said it could be that I've got a "sensitive scalp" and to buy a special shampoo for scalp treatment (I'd already bought the l'oreal professionelle one that she had used on me in the shop!). Went round the school to pick little'un up and showed a haidresser mum who thought it looked like product residue and to buy a clarifying shampoo instead!!. Then went to Capital and showed the hairdresser in there and she said I need to buy a good moisturising shampoo. In the end, with all this conflicting information, I bought a Macadamia oil travel pack with shampoo, conditioner, healing oil, masque, comb and leave in cream. My question is who should I have listened to and what should I have bought????? It's still doing me in so any help will be gratefully recived. Sorry for the long post too (yawn yawn!) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Tess Warwick]

Tonight I gave it 2 thorough washes with Tresemme clarifying shampoo and conditioner and blow me, when I took the towel off my head the specks/flakes were there again!!!!.

Please, please, please get rid of the Tresemme ... The only thing it's good for is washing the car - and then I'm not sure about that ... (the ads say that it's used in salons ... god forbid!!!)
Awful stuff ...

 

[waffle4]

Elnett leaves a build up to, think you should ban hairspray entirely, try the gel spray. Nexxus do a fab clarifying shampoo, can't remember the name off hand, will have to look in the morning, think it's Kelate??

Hi Hun, which gel spray do you reccommend?? - never used one before as always thought they left the hair rock hard or sticky??? and my 80's days have long gone. Thanks for your help xxxx

 

[waffle4]

Please, please, please get rid of the Tresemme ... The only thing it's good for is washing the car - and then I'm not sure about that ... (the ads say that it's used in salons ... god forbid!!!)
Awful stuff ...

Been consigned to the dustbin. It dries out my hair to straw!! and the hairdresser needed to put a treatment masque on to save it!!! . The bad thing is, I remember my hairdresser reccommending Tresemme to my daughter to use on her coloured hair! Blimey, that makes her sound good doesn't it?!!xxxx

 

[pippy]

hey there, i just wanted to say that in the salon i work at there is a lady with terrible product build up and it looks like what you are describing white and sticky what we do is lather the shampoo on her hair while dry and leave it in for about five minutes. we then rinse it off and shampoo as normal but we give the ends and mid ends of the hair a really good scrub in the process. you might also want to consider combing the conditioner through your hair to allow any bits left over to slide off.

I hope it works for you. let me know how it goes good luck:-x

 

[Fuzion]

Hi Hun, which gel spray do you reccommend?? - never used one before as always thought they left the hair rock hard or sticky??? and my 80's days have long gone. Thanks for your help xxxx

Hiya, much as I hate to say it, but the Tresemme gel spray is fab, professional only though from my local wholesalers, or proclere. Lol the 80s! That's probably why I'm so stuck on it....my era!