Melbourne

Yeah, mine is fine and gets oily quite fast so either I have it long and have to struggle with washing and detangling it all the time or have it short and have the small amount of hair get messy and turn into an oil slick… I’m looking into a compromise of a bob that’s still long enough to tie back or clip up. Constant hygiene routines are hard.

I had to stop using most traditional shampoos and conditioners because of silicones (dimethicone or other ‘cones). Between my natural oil and the buildup of the cones my hair would be oily and sticky creating a vicious cycle of washing.

Now I use Akin, Redwin tea tree oil shampoo or - as bad as it is - a synthetic cleansing bar like Dove, lathering well at my roots to get the grease and letting it rinse out through the lengths to clean without stripping them. Another shampoo and conditioner combo I liked was Garnier Coconut Water as it cleaned the roots really well (sulfates) but the conditioner was a bit heavier for the dry ends. The strong scent is the only reason I don’t still get it.

Going silicone free has a really awkward phase where your hair is really damaged and dry or oily because it’s had moisture sealed out for ages and since it’s no longer being laminated hidden damage now shows. I went Garnier > Akin > Redwin/bar but the upside of the short style is that you can grow it out healthy when you want it long again. I hear biotin helps grow hair faster but can give you skin reactions (never tested it).

Another thing I found really useful was to use a small amount of leave in conditioner on the ends and lengths well away from my scalp. It meant I could really wash my scalp with a clarifying shampoo and then add something that would ease combing and control frizz. Then when dry it would ease brushing. (I’d definitely recommend a silicone free one like Akin or you can end up back in greasy town.)

Bandannas, headbands and pinning the front back in a little pompadour all help with hair being a jerk. You can also lean over the sink and wash only your fringe or the front of your hair.

The psoriasis is tough as it’s an autoimmune condition. But it runs in my family so I’m familiar with Pinetarsol and T Gel. The T Gel unfortunately has silicone and both ranges have a distinct coal tar or pine tar smell but they might help at least with itching.