Mark is curious about copper… I bought the Goody Copper Bristle brush today and I did have a thought and a question, since copper is being used on brushes now, would gluing copper pennies to my pillow (underneath the pillow sheets of course) help or would that be harmful? I just thought of this after thinking about those people who wear a copper penny on a bracelet and wondered if the same concept could apply here?

The Left Brain gives Mark a penny for his thoughts:

It’s surprising how many questions we get about dandruff. I’ve blogged about using copper as a cure before and didn’t find much to it. But  I decided to look for new evidence since I’m a good Beauty Skeptic. (You can be too, if you read our series on Beauty Skepticism.) 

Copper research

I did an even more thorough search than before can came up with a couple of additional references: A 1955 article from the Journal of The Society of Cosmetic Chemists entitled MODERN CONCEPT AND TREATMENT OF DANDRUFF AND SEBORRHEIC ERUPTIONS which states “In cultural studies of …the organism [that causes dandruff] was unable to grow in those areas of the medium where a high percentage…copper sulfate was present” and that “Clinical trials with external applications of a small quantity of certain copper compounds might be of interest.”

I also found a 1999 article from Pubmed suggesting that  ”hamycin alone or along with metal ions, specifically Cu++ [copper] may be useful clinically in the treatment of dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis.” Other articles state that copper salt solutions are effective at inhibiting growth of the fungus thought to be responsible for dandruff. The same is said to be true of  copper pyrthione (an analog to the zinc drug that commonly used in products like Head and Shoulders.) 

But I can’t find any research that indicates copper can be delivered from a brush or any other “solid” copper instrument (pennies included).

So what?

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence  that copper brushes are good for dandruff. And there is a scientific evidence that copper ions could exert an antidandruff effect. What seems to be missing is any research on a brush or any other “solid” copper instrument (pennies included) that have been tested for any effect. I’m intrigued because of all the anectodal evidence and by the fact that there is a plausible mechanism. The problem is, the copper ions from the brush need to be in the right form to have an effect on the scalp. That’s the missing piece of the puzzle for me and I’d need to see that data before I can draw a conclusion. 

The Beauty Brains bottom line

There is a scientific basis for a hypothesis here so I would say that further research is required before dismissing the Goody copper brush. If anyone comes across further data let me know and I’ll blog about this again. Or, maybe someone in the Beauty Brains community could design a beauty product experiment to test this theory.

Becky begs for help: What shampoo is good for a little kid with very greasy hair? My daughter, who’s five years old, gets very greasy hair over the course of the day. I wash it every morning, but by late in the afternoon it’s so greasy and smelly that I have to wash it again. I tried using a dandruff shampoo, and it did make her hair less greasy. But, it also made her scalp flake. I’ve been using a good degreasing shampoo, so the hair is getting clean, but it seems to get greasy again so quickly. What can I do?

The Right Brain responds:
Becky, this case is a bit tricky. Since your daughter’s greasy hair problem did respond to treatment with a dandruff shampoo we suggest exploring that avenue and experimenting a little further. If using a dandruff shampoo every day cured her greasiness, but caused her scalp to flake, why not try using the dandruff shampoo less frequently? We’d suggest using a good dandruff shampoo, like the Head & Shoulders, every other time you shampoo. If you still get flakes then try it every two shampoos. So one day use your regular shampoo, the next day use your dandruff shampoo, and so on. If the problem persists, you’d better see your pediatrician! Let us know if this helps!

What do YOU think? Do you have a greasy hair problem? What have you tried and what’s worked for you? Leave a comment and share your successes with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Susan’s Dissatisfied: I just read your article on natural skin oil and psoriasis. I’m sorry but “phosphatidylglycerol” doesn’t sound all that natural to me. And I don’t even want to know WHERE you get the skin oil to put into the product. Yuck! Isn’t there something else we could use instead?

The Right Brain responds: What’s the matter Suzie? You don’t like the idea of smearing oil from someone else’s skin all over your body? You’ll never get invited to a party at the Left Brain’s place with THAT kind of attitude.

Another natural ingredient that really works

No worries, though, because there IS another natural anti-itch ingredient that just made science headlines. The latest and greatest magic ingredient is… Ta Da! Green Tea!

Ok, I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t we already know that green tea is good for us because it’s an antioxidant? This isn’t new news!” You’re right, tea has long been known for its beneficial properties. But researchers at the Medical College of Georgia have just discovered a NEW benefit of green tea – it can soothe the kind of dry, red, flaky skin like you get with dandruff and psoriasis.

What causes dry flaky skin?

Both conditions occur when the mechanism that controls skin cell growth goes crazy. The cells don’t die when they’re supposed to and create lesions on the skin. Green Tea can regulate the expression of a protein known as Caspase-14 that controls the life cycle of a skin cell. When the skin cells die off at the right rate, dandruff disappears.

Where Can I Buy This Magic Tea Treatment?

Slow down, there’s a catch. Actually, there are two catches. One, the active ingredient in green tea has to penetrate the skin to work. Two, the ingredient is very reactive and will oxidize before it ever gets on your skin. So there’s no product on the market right now using this technology. But if cosmetic chemists can figure out how to properly stabilize and deliver the ingredient, we could all be living in a flake free world without Head & Shoulders. Woo-hoo!

Meg’s brushing up on dandruff: I just bought copper-infused hair brush that supposedly gets rid of dandruff. Will it really work?

The Left Brain’s flaky reply:

Meg is talking about the Goody “Styling Therapy – Reduce Dandruff – Copper Infused” hairbrush. It claims to be “Infused with copper-plated bristles, this brush: kills 88% of the fungus that causes dandruff and dry, flaky scalp; destroys bacteria and fungus associated with common scalp conditions. Copper is proven to kill the leading cause of dandruff.”

I can’t find any credible research to show that a brush made with copper can fight dandruff. But there is a kernel of truth behind their claims. It is well known that metal salts of pyrithione are effective dandruff control agents. Zinc Pyrithione, for example, is widely used in commercial dandruff shampoos. There have been studies (see Nature and Pubmed) that show copper salts may have some effect, but zinc salts are by far the most effective. If a copper version worked better, trust me, big companies like P&G would find a way to sell that in a product.

Even if copper ions are effective, it’s highly unlikely that a copper brush could provide enough scalp contact to deliver any sort of anti-fungal effect. I say you’re much better off using products like Head and Shoulders, Selsin Blue, or Nizoral.

Faith is Fearful of Flakes: I would like to know what causes my ears to be dry, flaky and itchy. The inner part of my ear and the part behind the lobe gets so dry I can just peel a layer off. I use lotions and oils, but it comes back. What can I do? The Right Brain reassures her:

Ok, I’m going to catch a lot of heat from the Left Brain on this one because it’s based on my personal experience and not a peer reviewed study, but here’s my answer: Wash your hair with a dandruff shampoo and rub some of the lather in your ears and behind them. I did this and after a couple of days the dryness went away.

Why does this work? Normally, the stratum corneum cells (the upper, dead layer of skin) fall off in pieces so tiny that you don’t even see them. But dandruff messes up the cellular adhesion so the cells stick together and come off in clumps or flakes. (Contrary to what you might think, cellular adhesion does NOT mean you should drive around with your phone stuck to your ear. But I digress…)

Dandruff shampoos control cellular adhesion, they speed up the rate at which the skin cells flake off so you get more microscopic flakes that you can’t see and less big white scaley chunks of skin on your little black dress. If it’s a dandruff like condition that’s causing your ears to feel flaky and itchy, the solution may be as simple as changing your shampoo!

(If want to learn more, go read our post on what to look for in a dandruff shampoo.)

So why, you ask, don’t dandruff shampoos advertise that they’re good for itchy ears? Two reasons, really. First, itching can be caused by other mechanisms that have nothing to do with dandruff. And second, since dandruff shampoos are over the counter drugs they’re only allowed to make claims that have been approved in the drug monograph. So even if they do work on ears, they can’t tell you that.

So there you have it – my unproven, but scientifically sound suggestion. There’s really no downside to trying it, so give it a shot and let me know what you think. In the mean time, bring it on, Left Brain!