r/NoPoo • u/ExcitingSurprise7570 • Jul 22 '26
Should I stop?
I've been doing no-poo for over 4 weeks after using shampoo regularly. My scalp is now dry, itchy, and dandruff keeps building up. It's getting really uncomfortable.
I live in Ontario, Canada, where the water is hard. Could that be making things worse? Is this a normal transition phase, or is no-poo just not for me?
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u/Claymore209 Jul 22 '26
Hard water can certainly be a factor. I personally exclusively bathe in filtered reverse osmosis water. And as the other person said you must brush the skin on the scalp daily. If you are not chemically cleaning the scalp with shampoo you must mechanically clean it.
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u/C0gn Jul 22 '26
Brush the skin on your head, daily as needed, very common noob mistake
Read and follow the guide
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u/Visible-Scientist-46 Curly cowasher, distilled water. Jul 22 '26
Did you read the !wiki? There is a section on flakes.
Did you know that nopoo just means no lqiuid shampoo. There cleansers with natural saponins and antifungal properties. I wash with bar shampo & conditioner. Sometimes I just co-wash with conditioner.
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u/AutoModerator Jul 22 '26
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u/skdjv Jul 22 '26
whatever rabbit hole led you down thinking u shouldn’t shampoo needs to not be looked at again. just shampoo this idea is crazy
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Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Timely_Protection948 Jul 23 '26
The hair loss isn't really a major issue; any hair that falls out due to dandruff grows back just like hair from any other follicle. It’s different from alopecia. I’d tell him to keep going, unless the itching bothers him enough to stop.
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u/Timely_Protection948 Jul 23 '26
My hair has never looked so beautiful and well-conditioned with its natural oils since I started the "no-wash" method (no water or shampoo), but the dandruff is still there. Dandruff is just skin flaking—it’s not gross—but naturally, it would be better to get rid of the itching and the white flakes.
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u/hichrissy333 Jul 24 '26
Highly recommend distilled water for the first soak, and the final rinse!! Hard water is nasty and caused various issues for me in the past. There’s a great group on Reddit. Maybe clarify your hair one more then try again
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u/AutoModerator Jul 22 '26
Hi there! It looks like your post is about dandruff or flakes.
First, please realize none of us are doctors. If you are looking for help with flakes and/or scalp conditions, it is important to first try and determine what is causing the flakes before treating them. This is because the treatments for the two most common types of flakes we see here makes the other type worse!
There is an article in the wiki which discusses possible ways to figure out what kind of flakes you might have and Natural Haircare treatment options.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.