Now that I'm realizing my problem is probably *mites* and not folliculitis, I see why I would do things that would work, but a week later my problem would come back. From what I've read, the mites lay eggs that are impossible to reach, and hatch in 15-20 days, which would mean that any successful treatment would be one that would need to be continued for a LONG time (probably every other day for 3 months, I'm guessing?).

Lavendar Oil from Young Living Essential Oils worked.
So did Oil of Oregano from North American Herb and Spice Co.

But in order to coat the scalp, it takes about half a bottle...at which point, those cures become VERY expensive.

The other thing I tried that I found to be successful was raw apple cider vinegar. I took about 1/2 to 1 cup and slowly saturated my scalp with it (do it while bending over a large bowl with your head down, then you can use a small measuring cup to recycle the vinegar that drips off, pouring it back on your scalp and rubbing it gently in with your fingers until saturation is reached). I would then wrap a towel around my head and leave it on for 15-30 minutes, sometimes more. Rinse with water when done, shampoo if desired. (This does great things for the hair, by the way).

I did this for a week straight, and then every couple days...and then my head felt great and so I stopped...

Well, a week or two later, my scalp erupted with problems again...the itching, the tingling/crawling sensations, the soreness, the painful spots and sometimes painful bumps...

I thought that meant the vinegar didn't work, but now am realizing that to fight the mites, I would probably need to hit my scalp again for a week straight, and then start alternating every other day for...a few months, I guess.

Again, I'm not actually sure if the cider vinegar works, since I don't have a microscope, but as far as *feelings* go, it felt like it was doing something.

I am happy to hear that the Ponds Cold Cream works on the skin, so I bought some today and will start using that on my face and back (my back was where this mysterious problem all started, in March, and I get a few on my face every so often).

I did bite the bullet (I'm going broke here, sheesh) and order some of the dermedex shampoo and soaps...if they work, I'm going to be SO happy. But in the meantime, while I'm waiting for them to show up, I'm going to use the vinegar. I'm not sure how effective it actually is, as far as percentages go, but it seems to help.