TIGI Bed Head Superstar Sulfate-Free Shampoo

So, here was my problem.... Highlighted blonde hair + psoriasis/ dandruff + anti-dandruff shampoo = discolouration.

I'll explain... I have heavily highlighted hair and an oh so sensitive scalp. I can't really tell if it's my psoriasis acting up, my sensitive skin or just plain old dandruff, but flakes have been known to appear. With my love of dark clothing, it's just a bad combination. Why not just use any old anti-dandruff shampoo? Well, besides the fact that I'm not even sure it's dandruff, they are supposed to be really bad for your hair. Have you ever tried to find an anti-dandruff for colour treated hair? They're not easy to find, are they?

Now, I have tried. I found H&S for colour treated or highlighted hair and used it for a while. It did get rid of flakes, but left my scalp a bit tingly, which I did not like at all and it seemed to make my scalp and roots oily. I'm convinced my hair got brassier than usual as well.

I tried Goldwell Inner Effect Regulate Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, which was also effective, without the nasty side-effects and left my hair feeling healthier than with the H&S. However, I like to rotate my shampoos and wondered if there was something a little gentler than a regular anti-dandruff I could use. 


After some research I came upon some blogs and articles about sulphates and sulfate-free shampoos. What are sulfates? They are the ingredients that make your beloved shampoo foam up. They claim that sulfates can be very harsh on both scalp and hair and may provoke reactions. 


I pondered on this for a while and came to the conclusion that were this true, it was perfectly feasible that the flakiness could be the same type I get on the rest of my body when it's stripped of moisture. A definite aha/ eureka moment. 


As with so many of these moments, this resulted in my surfing the net to find a sulfate-free shampoo and I found TIGI Bed Head Superstar Sulfate-Free. I ordered, I waited, it arrived. I've been using it for about a week now, but fear has held me back from abandoning anti-dandruff completely. I've come to a compromise, which means my every-other-day shampoo is with Superstar with a once weekly of Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Dandruff Control Shampoo. 


Results: My hair looks thicker and better than ever when I use the TIGI. I have what I can only assume is called volume, an alien concept to me. My scalp and subsequently my roots seem less oily and yes, no flakes. I intend to experiment with this combo and perhaps try to phase out the anti-dandruff, we'll see. I'm curious to see if this will help to preserve the blonde as sulfates are also reputed to fade/ damage colour. Here's hoping and I'll keep you all updated.