Scalp Infection Cures

Hello everyone on here, I am a 28 year old female who have had issues with hair loss and an oily scalp that produces sticky discharge.

I am across this website trying to find a homemade remedy to treat my itchy scalp and hair loss. I have read that people had great results with apple cider applied on the scalp.. which I did and it was the first time I ever did.. my scalp feels cold and not very itchy.. the first few minutes after applying I felt some burning.. but that only concludes that it might be fungus or bacteria. I have been trying to rid myself of this sticky build up and itchiness for years I have lost a lot of hair... I am balding around the temples and crown. my crown is basically very visible if I don't try to cover it with my remaining hair. I have also read that drinking apple cider might tackle fungus in the body. I did drink I tbsp. of cider mixed in with 8oz of water after an hour my eyes started to water.. and I started tearing up a little bit... Is this a normal reaction.. also my nose felt tingly and now some parts of my skin around my body is tingly.. Is it candida reacting to the cider.. I have eaten cider with my salads many times.. never had this reaction... Does that mean there is fungus in my blood stream?

I've been suffering with a fungal infection on my scalp and skin for 15 plus years. It took me 14 of those years to actually get a proper diagnosis, that a fungus was actually the culprit. I get what looks almost like mosquito bites on my scalp, skin-mainly neck, back, upper shoulders and occasionally legs.I start with an intense itch that burns and feels prickly. I scratch until it bleeds .A scab forms and it constantly itches.The scabs take a very long time to heal. So at any given time I usually have 100 or more of these in various stages. I went through total hell. At one point I was putting high heat on my head and skin thinking it would help. It made it ten times worse. Hence heat spreads fungus. Unbeknownst to me, it got so bad I thought it was scabies.

Went to every Emergency Room and urgent care as well as family practice docs. None were helpful at all.They looked at me as if I were dirty and crazy! To the contrary I am extremely obsessively clean. Finally had one doc scrape a small inflamed area and analyze it under a microscope.I have tried everything from lindane to nix, creams, topical and oral benadryl, calamine, apple vinegar, tea tree oil, Alcohol, bleach...

Borax was the only thing that has worked! It's amazing! 3Tb borax with 1 liter of aloe vera(100%). Massage into affected areas after shower and at bed.I am 85% healed.Some of my scalp was severe. So it's going to take a bit to completely heal. Literally spent thousands and dealing with an itch that has kept me from sleeping some nights. For under $5 and about 5mins to massage borax I am almost all healed! I recommend this to anyone suffering with itching/skin inflammation. It's truly a miracle. Finally after 15 years, almost completely healed! It's been a long time coming!

Ted, I was wondering if I still or can use shampoo and conditioner before or after this remedy? I am a black female from the Caribbean with course hair that usually needs to be conditioned and moisturized so that it won't get dry and break and be hard to comb. My scalp just started itching me severely about 3 years ago when I went from being natural to getting a relaxer again. Therefore, I will be trying this ACV remedy soon but will be putting the undiluted ACV on my scalp 1st to see if it gives me instant relief. Please advise, and if yes in what precise order to shampoo and condition? Also, could I use both the borax and the ACV mixture right after each other?

My entire scalp was red, painful, oozing, and covered in sores. After a week of various attempts at relief (mostly plant oils and cold water rinses), it was only getting worse. I ended up in the ER due to whatever reaction I was having spreading to my face, neck, and ears. I was prescribed steroids and given benadryl, yet after two doses, my scalp was getting worse. It was one of the most unbearable things I've ever experienced.

In desperation, I poured a 1:8 ACV/water rinse over my head. I was terrified it would make it worse, but after about 30 seconds of burning, I started feeling relief. I repeated the rinse 30 minutes later and OH MY GOSH, the results are nothing short of a miracle. Because I assume it was a bacterial infection, I blowdried my hair immediately to remove all moisture. The itching and pain are 99% gone, and the sores disappeared. I'm still in shock at how quickly and effectively this worked.

For 16 years, I've suffered from a scalp condition that includes symptoms like flare ups, inflammation, unbearable soreness, flaking, postules, hair bumps, hair loss, etc. I used straight raw apple cider vinegar to get rid of bacteria and yeast on my scalp. Then, I recently bought an aloe vera plant from a local hardware store. I've been splitting open the leaves and massaging my whole scalp with the gel mornings and especially nights. I just leave it on. It's a miracle. Not only is the aloe soothing, but it has dried/cleared up just about everything going on with my scalp! My hair also feels soft and moisturized.

I am a 57 y/o male and have had scalp problems my whole life which seemed to be increasingly worse the last 20 years. I have been to doctor(s) dermatologists, tried all of the dandruff shampoos, creams, etc .. I had really given up and figured I had to just live with this scourge. I would develop welts or zits on my scalp which would itch , ooze / bleed and crust over, eventually heal and then the process would start all over again. I would spend everyday picking the irritating crusts and scabs off my scalp. It WAS miserable.

After finding this site I decided to give the BORAX a try. OMG, I can't believe it. My scalp is completely healed and for the first time I know what it is like to have a normal scalp. The kicker is (as others have stated) my hair comes out so soft and manageable it is amazing, better than any shampoo / conditioner ever. I will never use shampoo again.

Simply dissolve the borax in water. I would use 1/2 to 2/3 cup per gallon ( if its too much you will get some borax crystals in the bottom of the jug no big deal) Soak your hair in it and shampoo into the scalp. I leave it in while I shower, and then rinse it out. I have been following that with the ACV / H202 solution that TED recommends and rinse again. I may discontinue the ACV rinse but so far I haven't wanted to mess with a good thing.

It has been about eight weeks and my problem is cured. It only took about two or three shampoos to cure it but I wanted to wait and make sure before posting here. Thanks to everyone who is supporting this website, it is like a miracle to me. My only regret is that I didn't know this 40 years ago.!

PS and the dandruff is next to zero too!

A combination of 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Part Hydrogen Peroxide, 10 parts water has worked miracles for me. I have had these bumps on my head for years that become small sores. The doctors always gave me some antibiotic or such that would give relief for a brief time but had me going back. The first time i used the apple cider vinegar / water mix on my head I had almost immediate results and over the past two weeks my scalp has not felt this good in years. My case was quiet severe and so though not healed I am much improved. I also started applying tea tree/lavendar oil combination to my scalp after each shower...even better improvement. This site has been an eye opener and blessing. Thanks all

I'm a woman. I had an itchy, flaky scalp for months and was starting to lose my hair on top of my head. I used various shampoos that smelled horrible and went to the dermatologist. Symptoms would stop for awhile but then start up again. I did some research on line and decided to try the apple cidar vinegar and peroxide cure talked about here. It's the only thing that worked for me. I have had no more problems and my hair has grown back.

I had scalp issues for 4 years after 3 dermatologist & many scalp prescriptions.... I used two lemons just squeezed them on scalp and it cleaned my whole scalp from fungus, dandruff. & dustmites.

Hi James from Waterford, I had this same issue for about the same length of time as I have variously reported here on EC. I too am cured! Anyway, what you may find you also have to do is wash/rinse your hair with Milk of Magnesia from time to time. This really helped me 'nail it' in the end. Good luck, Shaun

I'm searching for an exact measurement of a solution to cure my scalp infection/odor. It started after leaving coconut oil on my scalp overnight which seemed to have fueled a fungus that may have already been present. I'm currently taking "fungal defense" by garden of life (2 pills, 3x daily), and drink 3 large glasses of lemon water(one fresh squeezed lemon in 24 oz of water). I've cut sugar and fruit to almost non-existent in my diet. An exact measurement of a solution to cure this scalp odor, itching, redness, and hairloss is needed. Hairloss is an overall even thinning. If you could include how much water(not "parts"), how often to apply, how long and how often to leave on scalp, and exactly how to apply (I have long curly hair) would be greatly appreciated. This scalp odor has greatly affected me and is beginning to be a source of depression. Please HELP! Thank you!

My scalp was badly embedded with an infection/fungus with extreme itching and hair loss. VCO & ACV did not help. What finally worked after trying so many products was non-deodorized mouthwash - cheap lysterine. From the first wash -- less itching. After daily use for a week, the infection and itching was gone and my hair started filling in where it had thinned. I applied to hair and scalp, scrubbed and massaged, waited 15 minutes, then thoroughly rinsed. No shampoos or conditioners required. It worked so well that this cleaning method is all I use and only once a week. I was hesitant at first but realized I occasionally use mouthwash in my mouth! As long as it beautifully works and I have no side effects, I'll continue using this cleaning method.

Have you tried washing with borax? This will help kill any fungus you have that is causing the build up on your scalp.

I tried the coconut oil for scalp odor and it just seemed to make it worse. I've been suffering since January, and would describe the smell as very bad. I would wash my hair in the morning and 3 hours later it already stunk! by the end of the day it was unbearable. I tried the following: coconut oil, pumpkin seed oil, ACV, medicated shampoo, all sorts of hair products, rubbing MSM in my scalp (for sulphur), hydrogen peroxide, yoghurt, white vinegar, borax. Finally in the past few weeks I've been making progess- I bought grapefruit seed extract and bergamot essence oil. this helped alot but not 100%. I then bought CITRONELLA oil at the pharmacy- success! I think it should also be available at health stores in the oil/essences section. Rub it in every night for 3 nights (do it over the weekend or when you won't be going out bcos it smells quite strong, not bad just strong). wash it out in the morning. This did the trick. I was able to go a week without washing my hair and there still was ZERO odor!! hope this helps someone because this smelly scalp is very debilitating socially.

Well my story started out last summer when I brought a stray kitten into our home... little did I know what I just got myself into! The kitten had ringworm and we didn't know it until it was too late. My daughter eventually ended up getting it on her scalp. Two prescriptions later it still wasn't better! The ACV solution has made a huge difference. Its been a month (I treat her head every single night)and all the small spots are gone and the two large spots she has are 75% healed!! I also, in the evening, rub a cut garlic clove on the spots.

Follow the ACV treatment and dont stop until it is gone! I'd also recommend treating for 2-3 weeks after to make 100% sure.... you dont want it coming back.

Im so thankful I came across this website!

OMGoodness...After reading your story I have hope that what has been going on with me and my scalp is something that can possibly be cured or controlled. I started having issues with my scalp and then my hair...which I was proud to say, were the most beautiful locks and I never realized that what has happened to my hair , was possible . I am 49 years old and seems like out of nowhere I started getti g random pus pockets or blisters on my scalp . They didnt so much bother me other than they were very weepy once it popped and then my hair started feeling like I had put glue in it...kinda like the old time rubber cement from back in the day. Then my hair started falling out by the handfulls at my temples and top and crown of my head, but I think the strangest thing of all for me was the amount of gray hair I started to have...literally over a month or so time and it is very weird hair .In the beginning it was thick gray long hairs that were as strong as fish line and then it started to change into spiderweb looking hair as one peice would come out ...it would just keep coming and coming as if I had 3 feet of this silvery white spiderweb mess...and then there were the bald spots from losing it . I am sorry for rambling but I havent felt hopeful in so long thatI had pretty much just accepted that I was going bald and wither away!!!!! Please tell me what if anything has changed and if u found out what it is and what it is called . And thank you so much for posting, Diane

I thought I'd blend in on this subject: Once a month before bed, I pour 1/2 c baking soda down my bathtub drain, then pour about a cup of ACV or white vinegar (whichever is available) after it. I let it sit overnight. It fizzes and breaks up the hair that has accumulated down there with the end result being the disappearance of hair, oil, and gunk clogging my drain; my drain works smoothly again. I though I would say this because I noticed that when I combined these 2 products and used them to wash my hair, I got lots of hair going down the drain. I thought perhaps this combo was eating my hair as it does the hair in my drain. This does not happen when I use them separately. But, for a while now, I only wash my hair with diluted ACV (1/1), pouring it onto my hair and scrubbing it onto my scalp; I let it sit for about 5 minutes, then I rinse it out thoroughly and do a natural dry. I then spritz with a favorite organic cologne. I use virgin coconut oil as a scalp and hair moisturizer every 2-3 days. I use LouAnn (from Wal) because it does not have a strong coconut smell, yet gets the job done I.e. keeping my scalp from feeling tight and itchy. Once a month, I use Dr. Bonner's rose oil soap (very diluted) to wash my head and hair and strip it of old oil or dandruff. This strategy really works for me and is preserving the hair my thyroid condition has left on my head. (alleviating this condition is a work in progress).

I ONLY use diluted baking soda to wash my body after I have used a clean, rough, white, car cloth to dry-scrub off the coconut oil I slathered on my body beforehand. This has changed my skin for the better soooo much. All other soaps (and I've tried hundreds), including Dr. Bonner's has left my skin dry and cracked and itchy. Peace out, Cat

I'm a 30 year old woman with no kids no history of scalp or hair issues and no female hair loss in my large family. For the past 4 months my hair has been falling out (diffused) and then the last month my scalp has become red, inflamed and feels hot and burning. It doesn't itch much but will burn on and off all day long. The hair fall greatly increased when the burning and redness started. I have no flaking or bumps but a few areas of small flat red spots and areas where the scalp is entirely red. It doesn't hurt to massage the scalp but hurts to move my hair- which I don't understand. The reddest areas are just below the top of the back of scalp and on the sides of my head is worst for redness and hairloss. If I wash my hair with anything other than shampoo that has pyrithione zinc the burning gets pretty severe. I tried an anti- fungal shampoo and a tea tree oil shampoo-both seemed to make the burning worse especially the anti -fungal. I've tried going without any hair products and didn't seem to make any difference. I tried rinsing my hair with apple cider vinegar which helps temporarily but the burning always comes back within about 12 hours. I also made a paste of baking soda and applied to the scalp - it didn't seem to help and dried my scalp and hair horribly. I've been to my doctor who did bloodwork and everything came back as normal. I don't know what to do and am scared I won't have any hair left soon as my hair started coming out in handfuls within the last couple of days. Any idea what this is or how to treat it???

Parts - think about it as equal portions. 1 tablespoon is a part. So the 1 part, 1 part, 10 parts would look like 1 tablespoon of ACV, 1 tablespoon of hydrogren peroxide and 10 tablespoons of water. Bigger jug? 1/4 cup is a part. So the 1 part, 1 part, 10 parts would look like 1/4 cup of ACV, 1/4 cup of hydrogren peroxide and 10 quarter cups (or 2 1/2 cups) of water.

When my brother tried to commit suicide in Feb. 2006, my scalp suddenly became extremely sore & huge pieces of it began to slough off. This wasn't like little bits of dandruff here & there. The pieces were sizeable square inches of skin. Because the pieces were so large, they wouldn't fall off because several hundred hairs were still threaded through them. The pieces looked like off-white tissue paper hovering about 1/2 inch above my scalp. It was a very alarming sight (though not as alarming as the condition of my brother). I first tried Scalpicin from the hospital pharmacy, but that only provided a very brief, cooling sensation. I looked on the internet & read about apple cider vinegar. The recommendation for scalp problems was to dilute the acv with water. I was in a state of extreme anxiety due to long hours in the ICU, & just wanted very fast relief. So I poured several cap-fulls of acv on my scalp & massaged it in a bit. The only thing I noticed was the vinegary smell & a very slight tingling sensation. I sat for an hour or so, & then rinsed my hair & scalp. It's hard to believe, but after that one treatment, the horrible huge pieces of skin stopped rising up from my scalp immediately. I repeated the same treatment one week later, just as a preventative measure. The problem never returned, despite several months of equally stressful hospital experiences.

I have same problem, I used it last night, I feel better already. I'm glad you're recovering my friend!

This helped me rid my scalp of the itchy, peeling condition.

You'll need:

• 2 ounce sprayer bottle
• 1 ounce distilled water
• .75 ounce 70/30 alcohol. Having this amount alcohol will keep this self-preserved!
• 8 drops Lugol's Iodine
• 1/8 tsp borax, this is equivalent of a tiny pinch

Allow solution to sit and dilute the borax or it will clog sprayer.

Note: You can use without borax.

Use several times a day. If you have demodex, spray as soon as you feel a tickle.

This may hurt on affected area, but as they dry up and flake off this will no longer happen. Benefits easy to use, less discoloration than using full strength iodine.

Use on body parts without having iodine stain, knees, feet etc.

Do not add any other oils, or herbs to this - it will make it hard to preserve and you can make the spray bacteria soup.

About 2 weeks ago I noticed 3 different knots or small mats forming in my hair, they were about the size of a quarter. I didnt think much of it because my hair is very long to my butt, and has always gotten tangled easily. I had also been sleeping alot lately and not brushing my hair after showers. Well I a friend offered to brush out the knots because she is a hairdresser. So she worked on my hair for 4 hrs one night, and didnt get out a single knot, as a matter of fact, they all got BIGGER, and hard, they formed actual shapes, one was shaped and sized exactly like a computer mouse, one was perfectly circle and flat about the size of a 50cent pc, and the third was perfectly round like a ball. The amount of hair in each knot grew, like it was attaching itself to all the hairs. They got so big and firm that I couldn't even push a safety pin into one, not even a mm in! I scoured the internet along with my friends and family for 3 days trying to find anything that even came close to what I had, we couldn't find anything because these were no normal knots.

I came across and discovered It was from an EXTREMELY rare little known condition called Plica Polonica (I suggest anyone suffering from weird hair conditions, like sticky/tacky/dark slimy-like sections of hair, anywhere on the hair, look up this condition). Doctors still know very little about the cause and there is no cure or remedy except to cut the masses of hair off. But I suspected all along this condition is actually due to a fungal or bacterial growth. I tried everything known to man to get the knots out including wearing an entire giant jar of mayo on my head for 18 hours! I tried vinager, listerine, dawn, olive oil, hot oil, everything! I ended up cutting off the hair after a week of failed attempts to even remotely loosen them. But ever since I cut them all off 2 days ago, I have been getting these big pimple like bumps all over my head.

So I tried tea tree oil directly on the bumps, and its working! I don't know what the bumps are, but I know they have something to do with the scalp hair condition Plica Polonica, and the Tea Tree oil is killing it. If you have very knotty sections of hair, or you feel something kinda sticky in your hair, I suggest doing Tea Tree oil all over your scalp. I think if I would have paid more attention to the signs and treated my hair and scalp earlier, it never would have developed into Plica Plonica.

Hi Shanti,
Borax (2O Mule Team) from the laundry aisle is the first thing I would try. It's safe and effective. It's anti-fungal. It's great for your skin. I would get some pure Castile soap (such as Dr Bronners). Get the soap lathered all over your scalp. Then add a handful of borax on top of your head and work it throughout your entire scalp. Massage it in and let it sit for a while. Rinse. If you're going to use conditioner, then only apply it to your hair and not your scalp. This should really help relieve the itch and get your hair nice a clean.

Other great things to try-
- Tea tree essential oil (added to shampoo or to some coconut oil for scalp treatment)
- Scrub wet scalp in shower with baking soda. Wash as usual. Final rinse with water mixed with some apple cider vinegar
- Coconut oil and / or Castor Oil (pure, 100%). If you feel your scalp is dry and irritated, massage with oil and leave on for an hour or overnight. 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil added in can be soothing.

Hope this helps!

DENISE,,,,,,, Get you a plastic jar add 20 mule team borax until 1/2 full. Add water. The jar will be saturated. Pour on your hair after washing your hair and then shower. When done, rinse your hair. Do not wash again. Keep adding water to the jar until there is no borax in the bottom after you shake. Start over. Hey girl, it's just that simple. Keep doing this until your problem is solved or you know this ain't gonna help. I have been doing this for many, many years. The only scalp problem I have is due to the sun and Borax will not solve that problem. It should take care of dandruff or a fungus.

Wish you well. =====ORH====

If "they" are not sure you have candida, what do they base their assessment on? I used to work for a naturopathic physician in NYC. Some of his clients would come after going through "mainstream" medical exams. Blood tests did not show candida. BUT these patients had POCKETS of the candida that did not show up in blood stream. When those were addressed, patients healed. - They all seemed to get some periods of detox. The way we explained it to them was simple:

"If you are feeling great, and next morning feel lousy like catching the cold, it is detoxing. Why? Because your body was feeling strong, looked around and said- let's get some clean up done. Otherwise getting sick feels like coming DOWN with something. Hop into Epsom salt and baking soda bath - about 1 cup total, and you'll be good tomorrow." It was so true . Next day we got calls that the patient was feeling good again - and of course till the next detox. Usually one a week was what we heard, and saw.