PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IS a bitch, huh? Between the physical pain of actually shedding the lining of your womb, you’ve got to deal with an increased appetite, lethargy and a helter skelter of hormones.
Literally, who gave our bodies permission to do us dirty like this?
On top of all this, some people struggle in silence with less common symptoms.
That, combined with the lingering stigma that still surrounds periods and PMS in general, meant I struggled to connect the dots when I suffered with scalp problems.
I’m talking, tearing-the-skin-off-your-head-with-your-acrylics-itchy.
I tried everything - hair masks, coconut oil and cider vinegar – but nothing gave me long term relief. It would get excruciatingly bad for a week, and then my hair went back to normal. I was at a loss, and needed to do something before asked me if I had nits AGAIN. No Gary, but I do have a womb that’s currently going postal, thanks.
Why does it happen though?
As your uterus begins shedding, levels of estrogen are at rock bottom and levels of pro-inflammatory molecules like prostaglandins are super-high. With extra prostaglandins circulating in the system, your scalp can feel bananas sensitive.
I reached out on Instagram – because I am a millennial and have no friends in real life – for advice, and was very kindly sent some shampoo and a scalp treatment from Eucerin. The brand’s been around since 1902, so I figured they must be doing something right.
I was never drawn to this brand because, like most people, I’m a sucker for snazzy packaging. Eucerin never appealed to me, despite the many benefits, because it just looked so clinical. I want shine and softness goddammit, not just clean, stripped hair.
But I tried it, and similar to Camila Cabello, I would never be the same as a result.
(Important to note – this isn’t a ‘sudsy’ kind of shampoo. It will lather, but you need to use a decent amount and work with it for a bit. I have no idea if this is because it doesn’t have sulfates or not. I should read this things but I’m also not arsed).
After the first wash, the itchiness was significantly reduced – to the point where I didn’t even feel the need to try the scalp treatment until the lead up to my next period. Not only that, but my hair was extremely soft – comparable with any of my fancy-schamncy snazzy bottles of stuff.
(I did find that it washed out the colour a lil’ bit in my blonde ends, but that wasn’t a massive concern for me. It might be for you though, so just FYI).
Yes, it does have urea in it. Yes, urea is a composite of urine. But urea actually acts as a moisturizer for dry, rough, cracked and flaky skin. So there you go.
I use the scalp treatment on particularly bad days, when the shampoo needs some extra support. You apply it to your wet scalp after the shower and just rub it in. You can kind of go HAM with application without worrying about your hair getting greasy and nasty.
I used A LOT the first time and was extremely paranoid I was going to look like I’d bathed in deep fat frying grease but I was absolutely fine. And not an itch or a scratch to be felt!
Moral of the story – your brightly coloured bottles might look class in your shower tray, but they could also be aggravating the shite out of your scalp come Period Week. Don’t play yourself.
