Excessively dry scalp and hair

[FurballsMom]

I have tried everything I can think of.  My scalp is dry and itchy.  It sometimes has eczema or dermatitits in addition to this problem.  I've added healthy oils to my hair and scalp and left them in.  In a short time, my hair is back to its dry, dull and frizzy self.  I'm at my wits end with this.  I have loads of allergies, so I'm careful as far as that goes.  I don't wash more than once every week or every other week.  Sometimes I just run the warm shower through my hair while I massage it, but I don't even use shampoo because it doesn't seem dirty--just really dry and I don't want to strip my hair and skin even more.

I also have a really bad problem with excessively dry lips that peel--everyday.  Sometimes it just comes off in sheets that cover nearly the entire lip, especially the bottom lip.  The skin is obviously getting really thin.  It is so irritated.  I try gentle hypoallergenic single ingredients, like shea butter, and I'm still having problems.  I also keep getting clear blisters inside of my mouth that really bother me 'til I scrape them out and sometimes still bother me even after that.  That usually works for these blisters, but I've been getting them more often than usual--and before I started taking the B complex supplement.

I started taking a B complex vitamin, but I don't know how much I should be taking.  The ones I'm taking have 100 mg of most of the B vitamins and 400 mcg of folic acid.  Is it possible that I should be taking more of these vitamins than I've been taking, since I'm told they're water soluable?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Dryness of scalp can be due to hormonal imbalance, poor health, poor hygiene, allergic hypersensitivity, lack of rest, emotional stress, excessive consumption of sugar, fat or starch, heredity predisposition and medical causes like eczema, atopic dermatitis or seborrheic dermatitis.
External causes include excessive use of hair sprays and gels, improper use of hair-coloring products, cold weather and dry indoor heating, infrequent shampooing of the hair or inadequate rinsing of the scalp and hair. Regarding the chapped lips, it can be due to vitamin B deficiency. Take some vitamin B complex esp. Vit B2 and B 12 for some days and see if your symptoms improve.
Secondly, it can be due to atopic dermatitis or eczema. Diagnosed by blood test like RAST. Treatment is by topical steroids or oral therapy of corticosteroids in severe cases. Topical creams like tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus are also useful. My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist and discuss these causes with him.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.

[FurballsMom]

Do you think it's possible that all of the factors you mentioned could be involved?  I know that my sinus allergies are driving me nuts and the skin on my lips is still peeling like mad.  I have chemical sensitivities, so I don't add hair fixatives to my hair and scalp.  I typically add olive oil, coconut oil or jojoba oil after I wash my hair in the shower.  I've been taking extra B vitamins, too.  This is really driving me mad, because it's making me miserable.

[FurballsMom]

Do you think it's possible that all of the factors you mentioned could be involved?  I know that my sinus allergies are driving me nuts and the skin on my lips is still peeling like mad.  I have chemical sensitivities, so I don't add hair fixatives to my hair and scalp.  I typically add olive oil, coconut oil or jojoba oil after I wash my hair in the shower.  I've been taking extra B vitamins, too.  This is really driving me mad, because it's making me miserable.