Scalp is constantly itching, flaking, and shedding.

[El_Caballero]

This problem began quite a few months ago. I noticed my hair texture suddenly change - it became very dry, coarse, and brittle. It began to break very easily and whenever I washed it there was a lot of shedding. However, I didn't (and still don't) seem to be actually losing any hair. I did have a slight problem with dandruff. Some nights I would massage coconut oil into my scalp then wash it out the next day. This worked very well as the dandruff was far less noticeable the day after the oil application.

Still, I couldn't do anything about fixing my hair texture. I read that the sudden change could be related to a hormonal imbalance or be the result of a serious illness. I did just get over pertussis (whooping cough) prior to this happening - my coughs were so bad they would usually cause me to vomit. Also, my diet was not the best either - I would have about one to two meals a day of low nutritional value. Nevertheless, this is me just trying to figure out where the problem might have started.

I've recently made a big change to my nutrition, and I've cut out any junk foods. My hair started to get on my nerves as it was unpredictable and unmanageable. I have since cut it very short in hopes of starting a new regimen to help it grow back more healthily. However, my scalp seems to be drier than ever now. It's constantly itching and the flaking is profuse. I notice it a lot on my shoulders when I wear dark shirts. Also, if I scratch my scalp I'll notice a lot of tiny white specs on my fingertips. I've been using coconut oil and jojoba somewhat regularly to remedy this. Whenever I apply it, the itch completely dissipates, but when I wash it out the itch returns sometime later (I wash my hair with cold water).

Also, the shedding hasn't really improved. I'll shed a hair or two now and again when I scratch my scalp or when I apply oils to it. More often than not, the hair will have that white bulb on the end of it – my eyebrows have a similar problem as well. I plan on seeing a dermatologist, and possibly and endocrinologist, soon, but until then, if anyone has any ideas as to what the problem might be I would appreciate any help.

Thank you.