Best dandruff shampoo for pigment dyed hair?

December 6, 2015 1:34 AM

I color my hair with pigment dyes (manic panic, pravana) and have some slight issues with dandruff, what's the best shampoo/conditioner? Head and Shoulders won't cut it.

Slight issues with dandruff at the front of my scalp, but a couple years ago it got annoying enough to switch to Head and Shoulders.

I now color my hair in reds/pinks/magentas. That makes dye come out faster so I switched to the clear Herbal Essences. But now dandruff again, but this time on the back of my scalp sometimes too. Not enough to be shedding but enough that you'll see a stray flake. Ew.

What's a good shampoo, conditioner, whatever for this? I've seen a few options on Amazon, including Aveeno which I trust but products are all over the place. Some are medicated and some are "all-natural" some are loaded with oils.

My hair is thick, a super short bob, pink, it gets oily if I don't wash after a couple of days, I sometimes use product, wash no more than every other day, it can get fluffy/wavy/frizzy and ends can get dry. Leave-in things tend to weigh it down. Anything too moisturising will weigh it down.

Amazon Prime is best for shopping unless it's something I could pick up at a regular store. (My grocery store does have a really large haircare aisle.) Ideally no more than about $15-$20 per bottle. Cheaper is better.

posted by Crystalinne to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

H and S do a version for coloured hair, which allegedly reduces this problem. Do you know what kind of dandruff you have? The most appropriate shampoo will vary with what's causing your flakes. And the more potent medicated stuff is unlikely to be kind to hair colour but I've found I don't need to use that all the time, just targeted if there is a noticeable episode of flakiness as it were. So you may be ok just using the dandruff treatments in the days before you touch up your hair colour - I assume a very pink, short bob would need quite frequent colour touch ups in any case?.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:02 AM on December 6, 2015

I get dandruff sometimes, a mixture of the waxy kind and the dry kind with tiny flakes, and do an occasional diluted vinegar* rinse to keep it under control. I'm pretty sure that I've seen people with "fashion colours" recommend vinegar rinses for helping their dye last longer, so it's definitely worth doing a bit of reading to see whether this is an option for you.

*One tablespoon vinegar per cup of water.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 3:01 AM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Another thought, if you actually mean powder pigments that wash out I'm not sure why the effect of dandruff shampoo would even be a concern because presumably you have to redo those every time you wash your hair although no direct experience with the combination so perhaps I'm missing something.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:46 AM on December 6, 2015

Mr. gudrun uses Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner periodically for his scalp issues. It says it is color safe, but he does not color his hair so we have not tested that out. He also periodically (once a week) uses Neutrogena T/Gel (one of the questions/answers about it on amazon talks about color treated hair). This is also available at the regular stores.
posted by gudrun at 4:50 AM on December 6, 2015

Best answer: The best thing I've ever tried for dandruff is Aveda's Scalp Solution. It says to use it every day but it works so well I just put it on the night before I wash my hair once or twice a week. The other benefit it use just keep using whatever your favorite shampoo is. You can buy it on Amazon too.
posted by Requiax at 6:37 AM on December 6, 2015

Best answer: I used to rub my scalp with a few drops of tea tree oil about an hour before I washed it with color-safe shampoo, maybe once a week. It didn't seem to affect the color at all.
posted by corey flood at 6:52 AM on December 6, 2015

Try a shampoo with salicylic acid, such as Neutrogena T/Sal or equivalent store brand. Those are drying but I don't think they will affect your color-- of course, try a small test first.
posted by BibiRose at 7:16 AM on December 6, 2015

You have to wash your hair every day to get results with any anti-dandruff shampoo, and that means your pretty reds are going right down the drain :( Nothing that's going to effectively treat dandruff is going to be that color safe. Tea tree oil will help a little bit, but it's not going to make the dandruff go away completely. There are three main OTC things you can try:

1. pyrithione zinc -- Head and Shoulders (which you said isn't working)
2. selenium disulfide -- Head and Shoulders Clinical Strength
3. coal tar extract -- Neurogena T/Gel

I would try the second two products every day for a week each once your color is already kind of faded so you can see if it works without ruining a fresh dye job. Then once you figure it out, you can switch to using it once a week to maintain your scalp health.

However, if you try each of these, and it's not getting better, you need to see a dermatologist. It might be something else that's easily treatable but that isn't going to be affected by normal anti-dandruff ingredients.
posted by ananci at 10:21 AM on December 6, 2015

An alternate approach, maybe? You can also use a color-eating dandruff shampoo and try to make up for it by mixing some of your regular dye in with your conditioner to brighten it up after , or else using something like Overtone, which has the color mixed in already. (I haven't used Overtone myself, I'm caught in a spiral of second-guessing color intensity and how much to order vs. shipping costs.)
posted by Andrhia at 10:45 AM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have a seriously itchy and flaky scalp that no medicated shampoo, has ever put much of a dent in--and I've tried OTC stuff, natural/organic stuff, and prescription stuff. The only things that have helped are treatments applied directly to my scalp. I've had great luck with both Aveda's Scalp Solution and Lush's Superbalm. The latter seems to help more with the flakes so I tend to use that more often. I also pigment-dye my hair (purple, with Pravana and Elumen) and have never noticed the scalp treatments affecting the color's longevity.
posted by rhiannonstone at 10:56 AM on December 6, 2015

Best answer: I third the Aveda scalp solution. It comes with a dropper, so you can apply it sparingly (or it did the last time I bought it, which was some time ago. That stuff lasts too!)
posted by areaperson at 11:57 AM on December 6, 2015

Response by poster: Hm the scalp solution paired with a new shampoo (maybe an oil one like this?) sounds like a good solution. It seems my dandruff is from dry skin and some of the stuff by the crown of my head may be build up. I also get dry skin on my forehead. Also I dye it about every 6 to 8 weeks - sometimes longer if I'm extra lazy.
posted by Crystalinne at 1:48 PM on December 6, 2015

Response by poster: Okay I ordered the Argon one I linked (with conditioner) and the Aveda Scalp Solution.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:05 PM on December 6, 2015

I don't dye my hair, but I have dry scalp/dandruff, although at this point I seem to have more or less gotten that resolved using an apple cider vinegar rinse. I do a somewhat more concentrated dilution than kinddieserzeit of about 2 ounces vinegar diluted to with water to a total of 8 oz. (So basically a 1/4 ACV solution.) I experimented with doing this once every week or two, using it after I use shampoo and conditioner, and then eventually I got to the point where I've ditched shampoo altogether. My hair was always prone to getting oily, so I never actually thought I would do something like this, but it's been great. My scalp is happier and my hair is much happier, since it was prone to getting frizzy and dried out.

My current routine is to put conditioner on the ends, let it sit for a few minutes, then I use a spray bottle to spray the vinegar rinse mostly on my scalp, and then I comb it through the ends, and I let that sit for about 5 minutes or so while I was the rest of my body, then I rinse it out.

Currently, I usually do this every 2 to 3 days, on average, although during the summer it was closer to every day or every other day.

Based on some reading I did at one point, I've heard some people say that a vinegar rinse is good, or at least not harmful, to color treated hair, but ymmv on this.

If you do want to try this, I would start with something less concentrated, and only do it as an occasional thing, and then go from there. You can definitely use it in combination with other shampoos and conditioners. Also, fwiw, I'm generally very skeptical of natural remedy type stuff, and I have tried other things such as the Neutrogena T sal shampoo, which gave somewhat okay results, but this is what has worked best for me.
posted by litera scripta manet at 2:16 PM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Overtone is amazing, seriously. I can't help with the shampoo question, but using Overtone conditioner will help it stick longer. And it will also help because you'll be applying more color right after your (maybe harsh) shampoo.
posted by getawaysticks at 5:19 PM on December 6, 2015

I would suggest skipping dandruff shampoo altogether-- just mix tea tree oil in with your color-safe shampoo, and then massage a dandruff shampoo (head and shoulders makes a million difference scents) into your scalp either after or on alternate days. The key to controlling dandruff, and I have an embarrassing-to-admit level of experience with this, is using several different ingredients to combat the fungus buildup that causes the flaking. So the tea tre oil will be anti-fungal, and the zinc in the conditioner will do the same. Then the salicylic acid that's in the scalp serum you already bought (and they make cheaper versions of that!) will help encourage the skin to exfoliate and not build up.

There are many other anti-dandruff agents, but it can be hard to find them in preparations that work for color treated hair. In general I'd suggest looking for serums and treatments you can use before shampooing or after, or in a conditioner. I've never tried a "dandruff shampoo" that wasn't very stripping.

I used to have a Brazilian blowout and a flaky scalp, and the aftercare for a blowout is similar to coloring- no sulfides allowed. That is basically the regimen I used but obviously different things work for different people.
posted by sometamegazelle at 10:35 PM on December 6, 2015

Neutrogena Tsal (Walgreens makes a generic) and this Avalon Organics mint and tea tree oil shampoo were the only things that worked for me when even expensive Rx shamppos failed. I also had MAJOR problems with the "no poo" method but that Avalon Organics is paraben and sulfate free so it should be less harsh on your hair. Try only to shampoo your roots — the ends of you hair (especially if they are dry) do NOT need to be shampooed.

Also, if you are using Manic Panic, you can add some of the dye to your conditioner for maintenance.
posted by Brittanie at 6:05 AM on December 7, 2015