Shampoo and Conditioner for 8 Yr Old with Sensitive Scalp

Updated on March 10, 2015
M. asks from Dallas, TX
11 answers

My 8 year old has been complaining of a very itchy scalp lately. I checked for lice first! And that is not the issue. I am wondering if she has developed an allergy to something in her shampoo or conditioner.
I am looking for recommendations for fragrance free/hypoallergenic hair care for her. As a side note, she has very long hair, so I would like to find something that will not dry out her hair.
Thank you

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J.☯.

answers from Springfield on

My scalp gets very dry if I wash my hair everyday, so you could consider washing less often. I also tried a few different brands and found that the cheaper ones did bother my scalp. For me, it us worth it to buy the $5 bottles.

Everyone is different, so you might have to be patient and try a few different ideas.

1 mom found this helpful

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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

I'd look at Aveeno shampoos or Neutrogena.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

She may be allergic to silicone, like me. Look for dimethicone in the ingredients list. It's used in just about every hair product out there because it makes hair nice and smooth. For me, it makes my hair nice and smooth, and my scalp an itchy, hot mess.

Tressemme has a Naturals line that doesn't have any silicone products in it. My itching stopped as soon as I switched to that. I have very thick, dry hair and it makes it soft.

2 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

How often do you shampoo? Too much can dry out the scalp. You can try two things with the conditioner - one is to rub a little into her scalp to see if it helps the dryness/itch, but the other is to avoid the scalp entirely and just condition the ends (or the bottom half of the hair shaft) only. The newest hair (from scalp out a few inches) probably doesn't need much conditioning, and it's not going to get all tangled anyway. Try one week doing it each way.

Switch to another brand (it doesn't always matter what, just a change), and go for something with fewer ingredients overall - if you do no-sulfates, you won't get a lot of lather, but it doesn't mean it's not cleaning. I use that on my hairdresser's recommendation.

A lot of scalp (and skin) problems begin below the surface and aren't affected by topical things like soaps, shampoos, and lotions. So "inside out" cellular nutrition and health can make a difference when surface treatments do nothing.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

You can become allergic to anything. My SD is allergic to Herbal Essences and I can't use Neutrogena. We use Dove on my DD who is prone to eczema. We use the deep conditioning shampoo and conditioner on her very long hair.

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A.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I like www.lunaroma.Com
My kids and I all have eczema and we get itchy heads, too! Try showers every other day and shampoo twice a week, condition four times a week.

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I'd run some vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar) through her hair first. Use it like shampoo and really work it in. That will remove any buildup. Kids this age aren't so great at washing and rinsing their hair very well yet. That can cause a lot of buildup on the scalp, which is itchy. Same exact thing happened to my daughter. I put on my swimsuit and got into the shower with her and showed her how to wash her hair (thoroughly, and twice) and then how much conditioner to use, and how long she had to rinse it before it was truly rinsed out of her hair. (I know you *think* they should know these things by now, but I swear that at this age they just lose their minds when it comes to personal hygiene.) Periodically going forward, have her use a clarifying shampoo/conditioner to help keep buildup at bay. My girls both use the same type of salon shampoos that I use myself - I think it's worth spending extra for a good shampoo. We use the Matrix Biolage shampoo/conditioner. They make several kinds (and I think you can even buy it at Target now??), depending upon whether her hair is fine, curly, etc.

T.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I really like Honest Company products - we've used their unscented hair + body wash since our girls were born, and now use the vanilla orange scent they sell at Costco. For my 3 year old, we sometimes use Wen lavender - far fewer tangles, and it's a 'conditioner only' cleanser, as other moms here suggest.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I suggest you drop the shampoo all together for a while.

I put a bunch of conditioner in my hands and massage it into my scalp and hair and rinse then repeat it, while it's in my hair the 2nd time I comb the tangles out.

I was clawing my head until it was bleeding and getting scabs all over it. I hated washing my hair and I'd used anti itch, medicated, and hypo allergenic and still, it was itching just as bad, if not worse.

I read on my niece's pintrest page about co-washing hair. I messaged her on FB and asked her about it.

She told me her scalp had been itching too and she'd switched to washing with a lathering conditioner and it made it worse. So she'd used a simply conditioner for dry hair and it stopped itching in days.

So I started using my Dove conditioner for dry hair. I do not have an itchy scalp anymore. I have lucious hair that's shiny and fluffy and gorgeous.

Have you ever seen those commercials where they notice something is different? I had people at church stop me and ask me what I was doing differently to my hair. It's curlier and swings and is soft to touch.

I use only conditioner, not a lathering one or washing one but a plain old conditioner.

My daughter argues with me that I MUST be using shampoo because putting conditioner on my head without it being clean would leave a greasy mess but I proved her wrong. She still has issues with doing it on her own hair but I "washed" my hair using only conditioner while she was here and I told her to make sure there was no shampoo in my shower, only conditioner, and then I went and did my stuff. When my hair dried, on it's own, she felt of it and was surprised.

I was sick for the last week and didn't feel like showering. So my hair was pretty greasy yesterday. I used only conditioner and when I "washed" my hair in the shower yesterday I felt like I'd have to come back today and wash with shampoo but after letting my hair dry yesterday it was just as nice as if I'd been cleaning it every day.

So conditioner works to clean the hair. I'm not sure how it does it but it does. I stopped itching and clawing my hear. I have several little bald spots on my head where I'd dug so deep I removed the hair follicles. I don't itch anymore. The conditioner stopped this.

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M.G.

answers from Portland on

I have kids with eczema, allergies and dandruff (or a combo of all three) - and the first thing I would do is to determine if her hair is being over washed.

Sometimes when we use adult shampoo on kids such as volumizing or deep clean it will strip the delicate balance of oils on kids' scalps. It's the usual culprit for kids developing an itchy head. Similarly, not rinsing thoroughly will do it sometimes too. Especially in winter.

So I would switch to a milder shampoo first and use sparingly, and maybe skip a wash or two - and use cooler water. Hot water can dry out a child's scalp too. So can excessive blow drying so maybe concentrate heat on ends more and let top of head air dry as much as possible.

If that doesn't help, then I would try the hypoallergenic route as a last resort. If you're concerned about allergies, generally they will have other sensitivities (not just scalp).

If I use a strong shampoo (like deep clean) on my hair, I get very itchy. I'm not allergic or particularly sensitive - but if it strips the oils, my scalp feels very tight and itchy.

Good luck :)

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