During a hot summer, one might think snow would be a welcome sight. However, when the snow comes from a dry scalp, those embarrassing flakes signal a dandruff problem. And that’s not “cool.”
I’ve written about dandruff before, in Scratch, Scratch, Itch, Itch: Homeopathy Relieves Dandruff. However, a Mighty Member asked me to teach a bit more.
While I normally would answer this question within a Memo to Mighty Members, I decided that this topic was so universal that everyone ought to benefit from the information. (Plus, this demonstrates the kind of give-and-take that my Mighties enjoy with me. If you are not yet a member, join today and benefit from a vast private enclave of additional education.)
How are the dry scalp and flakes presenting?
Christopher was a happy 12-year-old, all except for a few patches of flaky skin on his scalp. His mom confirmed that they were not eczema, psoriasis or any other skin condition. They weren’t inflamed or red, just dry and flaky.
Because more serious conditions have been ruled out, it sounds to me like young Christopher is suffering from garden-variety dandruff.
Even though it’s not the whole scalp that’s affected, it can still be garden-variety dandruff.
For that condition, I would, more often than not, turn to the Banerji Protocol outlined in the aforementioned post. However, in this case, it apparently didn’t quite do the trick.
When a chosen homeopathic medicine doesn’t act, do we get discouraged? Do we make the blanket statement that homeopathy doesn’t work?
Oh, nay, nay. Instead, we use this opportunity to pivot to a different, more tightly chosen remedy.
To pivot, we would consider specific symptoms. My friends, symptoms are our gifts. We use them to differentiate between potential remedies — and there are quite a few that can be used for dry, flaky scalps.
Let’s look at two common scenarios, shall we?
Yellow, scaly dandruff
If there's a yellowish tint to the flakes, then we would likely think of Kali sulph 6X twice a day. Kali sulph, Schüssler’s cell salt, has historically been shown to address skin desquamation, such as dandruff. (Read more on Kali sulph here.)
When Kali sulph is called for, there is often voluminous shedding — a lot of flakes.
Itchy, painful dandruff
If instead, the scalp is itchy and even painful, then we might use Graphites 30C twice a day. The itching and pain can often be intense, but they don’t have to be to employ this medicine.
Another interesting symptom that suggests considering Graphites is when there is improvement after shampooing. However, after a little time passes, the dandruff returns.
Important note:
When the symptoms dissipate (are very much better), halt the medicine. We do not continue taking homeopathic medicines beyond when they are necessary. Homeopathy is not a supplement.
So, observe, observe, observe … just like a detective.
Whichever homeopathic medicine you choose, remember to utilize the key points of case management with these resources:
Podcast 55 — How to Take a Case
Podcast 98 — How to Take Your Own Case: Prioritize!
How to Get to Carnegie Hall
Expectations vs. Reality: Why Healing Isn’t Always Instant — Even When We Wish It Were.
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Warmly,
This is GOLD !! THANK YOU !!!! None of your other blogs mentioned the only symptom my son had… “better by bathing”. So even though his hair does not need to be washed every day, it was the only solution apart from toxic shampoos. I even purchased your skin course to solve this problem but unable to find “better by bathing”. I also purchased Robin Murphy’s Meta Repertory which had nothing about “bathing ameliorates”. So happy you mentioned….better by bathing. Off to administer graphites 30c, twice daily until better. Once again, THANK YOU !!
‘Happy to hear, Cath!