That time I accidentally dried out a client's scalp with too much product buildup

I was doing a deep conditioning treatment on a regular client last Tuesday and she mentioned her scalp felt tight and itchy. I figured it was just dry winter air or maybe a reaction to her new shampoo. After I rinsed and dried her hair, I noticed a weird white residue around her roots even though I rinsed for a solid 5 minutes. That’s when I remembered reading a post on a cosmetology forum about product buildup from using too many heavy oils and leave-ins without clarifying shampoo. I went back and checked her history and she’d been using a coconut oil treatment every week for 3 months straight. I gave her a clarifying wash with apple cider vinegar rinse and that did the trick. Has anyone else run into this with clients who think more product equals better results?

3 comments

3 Comments

perez.patricia2mo ago

Read something similar on a hair care subreddit where a stylist pointed out buildup happens way more with coconut oil since it sits on the hair instead of penetrating. Your apple cider vinegar fix sounds spot on.

terrybennett2mo ago

Fair point but coconut oil actually can penetrate hair cuticles with enough heat!

henry6041mo ago

Wait, does that mean I gotta break out the hair dryer every time I use coconut oil now? I tried that once with my frizzy mop and ended up looking like a greasy scarecrow for three days straight. The heat just made it worse somehow, like the oil was melting and then hardening again on my ends. I guess my hair's just picky, or maybe I'm too lazy to do it right. Either way, I'm sticking with my cheap conditioner and hoping no one notices the buildup.