This is my first post and I have to say that I LOVE this site and all the wonderful advice I have gleaned from all of you.
I have waist length, fine straight hair which seems to like 'cones.  So, I'm using Pantene with great success and doing a vinegar rinse about once a week.  My problem is that for about 4 days after the rinse my scalp is irritated and covered in red bumps!  Now what?  

I'm tempted to try going 'cone free again just so I can get away from the vinegar - but I'm wondering if there are other options.

Hi Cloudee and welcome!
How much water are you mixing with your acv?  How much acv are you using?  Maybe it's the ratio that you are using that is irritating your scalp.  Have you had this reaction before?  Maybe if you give me and/or us alittle more info. we can offer other suggestions :)

Hm, well I don't really measure but I can try to eyeball it.

I'm actually using white vinegar and it never occurred to me until now that acv might be a bit gentler.  I'm currently mixing about 1/4 cup white vinegar with roughly 2 quarts of water.  

I've had this reaction since I started the rinses, about 3 months ago.  

Maybe it is time to "experiment".  How about either using apple cider vinegar or not doing them at all for a little while and take notes of what your hair and scalp feel?  The only way to know is if you try different things or eliminate things;just to see what happens.
For me I was using acv and it was ok,but then I bought this huge gallon of white vinegar and did my rinse and I got curlie than before!! ;D So if you play alittle cautiously,maybe the bumps will go away and clear up!
Let us know what happens.
Oh just so you don't get scared,I use either a quarter of a cup or 1/2 cup vinegar to 2 cups of water,give or take.

Hi there, Cloudee!

I would try lowering the amount of vinegar you're putting into your rinse, and see if that helps.  If you still have breakouts, another option would be to use a clarifying shampoo and/or conditioner and see if that's easier on your scalp.

Lots of luck to you!

Also, a thought... the vinegar isn't old, is it?

The vinegar IS old!  Egads, does it get stronger with age?  

I think I'm going to go the clarifying shampoo route and try to get off 'cones for awhile too, just to let my scalp rest.  

Can any of you recommend a good clarifying shampoo?

Hey Cloudee,

I have straight, fine hair also and used Pantene religiously for years up until recently. I also did white vinegar rinses once a week, but without a problem.

I probably used ½ a cup ?? of white vinegar in a 1L bottle and filled the rest up with cold water. I don't know exactly how much vinegar I used because, like you, I just eyeballed it.

Anyway, you might try lessening the amount of vinegar, buying a new bottle of vinegar or trying ACV. Your scalp might just be allergic to vinegar in general. If that's the case, then your only option would be using a clarifying shampoo instead.

I actually used to do both. Once a week, I washed with Pantene Purity shampoo, then did the white vinegar rinse, then washed again with the Purity shampoo. After that, I conditioned with my usual Pantene conditioner & didn't use any leave-ins. Just let it air dry. It worked wonders.

Anyway, hope you find out what's causing those red bumps. It sounds like an allergic reaction to me.

wrote on Jul 5^th, 2006 at 4:19pm:

The vinegar IS old!  Egads, does it get stronger with age?

You know, I'm not sure.. but I was thinking that with a lot of items, hair care, makeup, and the like, when the products get old, it can cause your skin to break out.  I was thinking that the same might apply to pantry items as well... many of them do have a shelf life...

I've personally never used a clarifying shampoo, but if you were trying to take a no -cone route, I would suggest checking out your local health food store for an organic clarifying shampoo.  Many organic shampoos are less harsh than the mass-produced drugstore counterparts, and would probably be a lot less harsh on your already irritated scalp skin.  Wish I could help you more on this route...   :-/  But lots of ((((hugs)))) and prayers that you find something that works!  

Do you rinse with plain water after the vinegar rinse?  I get the best results if I use a stronger vinegar solution, and then rinse it out with plain water.  But everyone is different.

I do rinse afterward - I'm starting to truly believe that it's an allergy, I even have a bit of a rash on the tops of my ears!   :o

Thank goodness it seems to be subsiding now.  I think I'm going to try coneless for awhile and see how my hair does.  I've never made it more than a week or so without my 'cones just because I'm so addicted to that slippery feel, but I think this time I'm going to give it at least 4 weeks or so.

Why don't you just use one of the deep cleansing shampoos designed to remove all kind of product build up? So you can use your 'cones that you love and clarify without vinegar that seems to be troubling you?
Pantene has one such shampoo, it's the one in the clear bottle (all other pantene shampoos are in opaque bottles)

You might also try using the vinegar rinse on the length of your hair and avoid the scalp entirely.  I use either a bowl or a wide mouth jug with my vinegar solution, then dip the length of my hair in it, let it sit a bit, then rinse out.  This keeps the vinegar off the skin entirely.

I started using the vinegar "dip" method when I had a sun burn on my scalp that was irritated by the vinegar.  Works great for me!

BB, thank you so much for the suggestion!  I just can't give up the 'cones, I'm an addict!  It's like a monkey on my back.

I did a rinse this morning and instead of pouring the rinse over my head, I leaned over and just poured it over my length (which is all I condition anyway).  So far today the scalp feels good and my hair looks wonderful!

I may have to get a clarifying shampoo also, just to clarify the root area from buildup on occasion - but I'm so hopeful that I've found a way to get my rinse without the rash.

I'm glad the partial rinse seems to be working for you.  You may find that you don't even need to clarify the root area (since that area is being shampoo'd, the build up can be less).  

If your hair likes the -cones, then go ahead and use them!  The occasional clarifying will help keep your hair healthy and still allow the -cones.