Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dandruff

If I could grow my hair through a Space Echo, the world would be a better place.

setanor — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:19:35 -0800

Help me understand why I am losing hair! YANMD, of course, but I do wish you were. I'll start from the beginning. For reference, i'm a 25 year old male, moderately active (a lot of walking), social drinker, no smoking, no drug use, maybe 2 americanos a day, tops.

About 8 months ago, I was conditioning in the shower and noticed a whole bunch of hair had come out of my head and was all over my hands, something that had never really happened before. This was at the start of a 6 month transition period without health insurance, so I was more or less on my own... So, I was, for sure under a bit of stress at the time, not much more than before in my life, but around the start of this there were a few things that were particularly stressful.

For the next several months, if I were to run my hands through my hair, I would usually come out with 3 or 4 hairs in my hands at any given point. Showering, the amount of hairs coming out would be higher, as I imagine the water makes the hairs have traction on the hands and they stick much easier.

Because of this, I've been more or less terrified of showers for the past several months, being excessively gentle after a life of vigorous lathering, because seeing so much hair on my hands every time I shower is a sickening thing to deal with.

A month and a half ago, I was able to see a doctor, who ran through the possibilites: normal pattern baldness/hair loss, iron deficiency, dermatological malady, something stress related, or some combination of more than one of those. She ordered a blood test, and things went on as normal. I would say now that my hair is definitely noticeably thinner, but not to the point I would expect given the amount of hairs that have come out.

Yesterday, I returned to the doctor as I hadn't been made aware of the results of the blood test. The first thing the doctor said was "if it's a slight iron deficiency, that might be the easiest thing to fix" and then I found out that, in fact and in his words, the results were "normal, better than normal, really" whatever that might mean. It was at this point that he decided to look at my scalp.

What he found, apparently, was a lot of yellowish scaliness in some regard, not scaly as in hard and scaly, but... I don't know, I didn't see it. He didn't seem too taken aback. I mentioned that it might be that I had been showering so lightly over the past several months that my scalp hadn't been exfoliated, but he more or less dismissed this as a cause. I left with a prescription for Stieprox shampoo, a recommendation to get "Stress Tabs" or an equivalent and a follow-up appointment in a month.

So, I showered this morning with the Stieprox for the first time, and I made sure to be vigorous, which made me incredibly nervous, and sure enough, a bunch of hair came out - much more than normal, which I am sure was not helped by the fact I was so nervous about it...

What are my questions? I'm not sure. Should I keep using the Stieprox? I realize that these hairs in the shower that come out aren't coming out because of the shower - they were already loose enough/out of the roots that they would come out anyway, they just happen to depart all at once at that time. My original thought was that this was telogen effluvium, but I know that this usually resolves within 6 months or so, and the pace at which my hair comes out hasn't really seemed to have changed. At the same time, I've noticed that my hairline has sunken a bit over the temples, something which could otherwise be quite normal, if it weren't for the hair coming out everywhere else...

I don't know, really. What questions should I be asking? My priority, as I see it, is to worry about it little enough that it doesn't make me stressed or bothered, which I can do most of the time, save for when it's time for a shower, or when I hit my head or brush my hear on something and I fear it's all about to fall out like a tree in autumn.

Thanks for all your help.

My scalp itches all the time!

stewiethegreat — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:27:31 -0800

I have seborrhoeic dermatitis/dandruff and my scalp itches so much it is often painful. The dermatologist recommended OTC shampoos help, but only turn the problem from impossible to ignore to bad. Can you help? seborrhoeic dermatitis runs in my family. The dermatologist who I saw said that I have it too, and that I should use T-gel and Nizoral. I do that, but if I miss a single day (and I like to go a day without shampooing my hair, or camping, etc) my head is itchy and painful all day.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because it itches so much. I don't itch, I know that would aggravate the problem, but gently massage to try to stop the sensation.

I've tried moisturizing my scalp by rubbing in tea tree oil or just plain olive oil- it gives temporary relief, but the angst comes back as soon as I don't shampoo every 24 hours. Is there anything I can do to alleviate these symptoms?

I can go back to the derm, or to another derm, but my insurance doesn't cover it so it is out of pocket and given that I just dropped $120 on my last visit, I'd prefer not to repeat the experience too soon.

Apparently I have scalp psoriasis. What should I do now?

Sloop John B — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:16:58 -0800

Apparently I have scalp psoriasis. What should I do now? For the last year or so, I've had some pretty mean dandruff. Head and Shoulders does absolutely nothing for it. It's gotten a lot worse over the last few months, so I went to my dermatologist to get it checked out.

She seemed pretty sure that I have scalp psoriasis, even though I don't have psoriasis anywhere else on my body. I should mention that I hadn't washed my hair for a few days, so it probably looked particularly bad that day. She prescribed Clobex shampoo (.05% clobetasol) and a mousse called Luxiq (.12% betamethasone valerate). She also told me to use Neutrogena T-Sal shampoo and Nizoral shampoo (the over-the-counter variety) on alternating days for 8 weeks, and after that to only use the T-Sal and not the Nizoral. Before I left her office, she loaded me down with coupons and free samples for the medicines.

Anyway, when I was finished at her office, I went online and did some research on Scalp Psoriasis. The google image search I did scared the crap out of me. And then I did some research into the drugs that I was perscribed, and they seemed really powerful. I was particularly concerned about the Luxiq - according to one source, suddenly stopping the betamethasone can cause a "rebound reaction" wherein your condition suddenly becomes a heck of a lot worse. Also, some of the corticosteriods have the potential to "thin the scalp," which I'm concerned would lead to hair loss.

So I went to get a second opinion from another dematologist. She did not think that I have scalp psoriasis. She said that what I have is seborrheic dermatitis. Still, she prescribed me a generic form of the Olux mousse (.05% clobetasol) and told me to use it for two weeks. She said that I didn't have to worry about a "rebound reaction" when coming off it because she didn't think I had psoriasis. And of course, she gave me a ton of coupons and free samples of the medicines.

Finally, I went to get a third opinion from yet another dermatologist. He was of the opinion that I do have scalp psoriasis. When I asked him about the diagnosis of sebhorrheic dermatitis, he said, "Well, they both look very similar .... depends on what it looks like that day. If it's red, they say psoriasis." or something to that effect. He didn't seem to think that the Nizoral or T-Sal did any good. He proscribed me Taclonex (calcipotriene 0.005% and betamethasone dipropionate 0.064%), and told me to take it for about 4-6 weeks or "until it gets better." He wasn't concerned about a "rebound reaction." He did say to avoid scratching, because removing the scales "makes it worse." And before I left - wouldn't you just know it? He gave me a handful of coupons.

So here I am, totally confused. I don't know what's wrong with me or how bad things will get. Right now, I just have really bad dandruff and an itchy scalp (which may have been less itchy before I started washing my hair every day) How bad will this condition get? Will I lose my hair? Will I wind up with a head full of scabs? Will I wind up like these poor unfortunate souls?

Should I take the medicines that have been prescribed to me? So far I haven't had any of the perscriptions filled. If I did take medicine for this, which one(s) should I take? I'm concerned about side effects. I'm concerned about a rebound reaction. I'm concerned about resistance and dependence. I'm concerned because all 3 doctors told me basically to "take it until the condition goes away," which sounded inexact and scary. I'm concerned because each one of these doctors gave me a handful of coupons and free samples - obviously the drug lobby has been hard at work here.

What should I do?

And... finally, I have to ask this - why do dermatologists always disagree? Every time I go to dermatologists to get second/third opinions, they ALWAYS disagree, they ALWAYS prescribe different stuff, and they ALWAYS give me lots of coupons and free samples.

(full disclosure - I use Clindagel (1% clindamycin) twice daily on my face for acne)

My beard is flaky... in the not-good way.

mephron — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:36:53 -0800

I've recently decided that, at the age of 40, I'm old enough to deal with facial hair. I now have a pretty reasonable goatee, but now I've run into a new trouble: dandruff of the chin. Now, I do have dandruff of the head, and I've used my Head and Shoulders on both the head and the beard, but it seems that my chin is flaking out a bit more than I'd expected it to happen. But the past few days my beard, especially on the corners of my chin, has been getting itchy and shedding flakes of skin like regular dandruff.

Anyone have some ideas of things I can do? I'm a bit uncertain as to the best way this can be dealt with.

Can I have dreads if I need a specific shampoo to keep my scalp under control?

baphomet — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:01:24 -0800

Question about dreading my hair if I (think I might) suffer from seborrhoeic dermatitis (sort of like dandruff). First, why I think I have this condition:
1) About a year and a half ago I started getting wicked dandruff.
2) Tried Head & Shoulders and it did literally nothing.
3) Tried other methods recommended on AskMe, also did nothing.
4) Read up on dandruff on Wikipedia and it was suggested that trying shampoos containing selenium sulfide (as opposed to zinc pyrithione, which is the active ingredient in most dandruff shampoos like H&S), which is usually used to treat this form of dermatitis, might be useful.
5) Bought some Head & Shoulders Intensive Care (containing selenium sulfide) and it worked like a charm- as long as I wash my hair 2-3 times a week with it I have no problems whatsoever and my hair feels and looks great, but if I go longer than a week my scalp freaks out.

From what I've read, if I do have this condition my case is very mild, but I'd like to keep it under control. I haven't seen a doctor about it due to lack of insurance and the fact that the selenium sulfide shampoo works just fine.

I've been thinking about putting my hair in dreadlocks for a while now, it's long enough and I think I'm ready to do it. I'd use the backcombing/wax method. Most sites I've read up on suggest that you should wash your dreads once a week for the first two weeks and 2-3 times a week after that, but that you should use a residue-free shampoo-- is there a good residue-free shampoo that contains selenium sulfide, or if not is there a good way to follow up washing with my SS shampoo to cleanse my future dreads of potential residue? Or is this just not going to work out in any way, regardless of what products I use?

How to help cat dandruff?

k8t — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:07:36 -0800

Cat dandruff: miracle solution? Our short-haired cat has dandruff all of a sudden.

Googling says that it may be caused by fleas, but we don't see any on our dog or either of our 2 cats. (We did an extra dose of flea meds just in case though).

It may also be caused by stress, which is entirely possible as we just returned from an extended (6 months just me and 3 months both of us) stay abroad and we had a housesitter who brought another dog into the house and kitty was not happy about this. Housesitter says "I never saw her." But since we've been back, she's been out and about sitting with us at all time. She was peeing on the rug too, which has stopped since we returned. We have 2 Feliaway diffusers running though. And I've added olive oil to her wet food (another Google suggestion).

I've brushed her out 3 times with the Furminator and the hair just keeps on coming. I haven't given her a bath because, well, I never have had to do so before and I think that she would hate it. Also Google says that dandruff can come from too many baths.

Any other ideas?

And I don't even like tea tree oil. It smells like health food stores

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:59:19 -0800

What is the most "stripping", powerfully cleansing shampoo out there? Prell isn't enough. I need something that can remove a tablespoon of oil from a head of medium-length hair. My scalp flakes constantly in the climate that I have moved to. I know it has to be the dry climate, because when I visit my humid hometown, the flaking and itching stops.* The only really effective treatment I have found is to soak my scalp in Hollywood Beauty blended tea tree oil overnight while I sleep. (I wish I could afford to use a purer blend in the quantities I need it!)

The problem with this is that I have light, fine hair to my shoulders. I can wash my hair three times over in the morning with Prell -- which is like the Lava soap of shampoos -- and I still look like like I overslept and forgot to wash my hair at all, because it's so greasy and lanky from the oil. I need to look professional in the mornings, and I'm embarrassed when I look unwashed. (This is also why I can't try the earthy-crunchy suggestion of not washing your hair at all.) I stopped the oil treatment and switched to other tea tree-derived things, but they just don't cut it.

So what is the fiercest thing I can wash my hair with, without giving myself a rash or other unwanted side effects? Dr. Bronner's? Bar soap?

----
* I don't think there's a water issue here.

My Cat Does Weird Things. Why?

arnicae — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:31:34 -0800

Cat-filter: Can cats go in reverse? Why does our cat compulsively sit on my laptop? How does the groomer trim his butt fur and nails without getting scalped? Is there a way to treat his dry skin? After some advice from the ask.me community we adopted a feral FIV+ cat last year. He is the greatest of cats, and we love him dearly, but he puzzles us occasionally and hoped the great hivemind could help elucidate some of his more odd mannerisms.

For example, we've never seen him walk backwards. If he wants to back up, he often just falls over and rolls onto his feet in the opposite direction. Do cats walk backwards?

Also, he sits on our laptops all the time. My partner just set his laptop down to come and check out my ask.me question, and the cat is already lounging on the keyboard. He also does this with a little less alacrity with books that are open and being read. Why does he do this? He also sits on laptops when they're not on or being used.

Next, he is a bit of a ferocious wild thing when we try to clip his nails. First time with a cat that it has been a problem. We gently but very firmly hold him down (it is a 2-3 person job) and cut his nails but he hisses, growls and tries to bite the whole time. We definitely aren't hurting him. We took him to a groomer the first time and the groomer told us that he was "a peach!" and "the easiest cat to groom, EVER!"

How is the groomer pacifying our savage beast? Ditto for butt fur- we try to trim it because our cat doesn't groom "down there" and he goes nuts when we try to do it, but the groomer had zero issues with it. How do you give your cat the lion cut on the butt he so desperately needs?

Finally, he's got dandruff, mostly on his back, and pretty thin fur up there. We got him a humidifier, and the vet says that he isn't allergic to anything (common causes of cat dandruff are fleas and parasites), we don't have new carpeting and he isn't sunburned. Should we moisturize him? Use olive oil (which I use for *my* dandruff) on him occasionally? Any ideas?

Thanks for any thoughts about any of the above!

Flaky hair is back with a vengeance.

electric_counterpoint — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:59:34 -0800

My dandruff is back, and bad. Help! I have lots of very thick hair. Seriously, almost every new barber I've gone to has commented on how thick it is. It's fairly dry, but it can get oily.

As a kid, I had dandruff that could appropriately be called "hellacious." wow, why didn't I post this anonymously? When I went off to college, though, I could more or less keep it under control. I attributed this to a) cutting my hair shorter (I used to have a Jewfro) and b) showering with municipal water (back home, we had softened-but-still-basically-hard water). Life was good.

Now that I've moved to a different city, though, it's back. Neither a) nor b) has changed, but lately I find that I only have about 10-12 hours after each shower before my hair gets flaky. This is ... not ideal.

I tried shopping from the embarrassing shelf in the shampoo aisle as a teenager (T-Gel, etc.), but it never made a difference and I haven't tried the specialty stuff since. Should I give it another go now? What else do you recommend?

I want to wear black shirts again.

Elmo Oxygen — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:51:34 -0800

Looking for an all-natural, hair-friendly, anti-dandruff shampoo. For the longest time, I used Herbal Essences, and everything was alright with the world. I'd have to wash my hair more often in the summer then the winter, but it was no big deal. (think twice a week during the winter, every other day during the summer)

However, about 6 months ago, they changed their formula and threw my world into chaos! Since then, I've tried a few different brands (including the new Herbal Essences formula) and none have worked for me. Most disturbingly, I've developed dandruff! Yuck!

So, bottom line, I need a new shampoo. I've tried the standard anti-dandruff shampoos before (think Head and Shoulders) but they all scared me - they burned my face, had a real mediciney smell, and made my hair look awful. Worst of all, they used things like 'coal tar.' Yuck!

I'm looking for all-natural shampoos and conditioners that will keep the dandruff at bay and will also make my hair look great. My hair is naturally very thick and wavy and bouncy. I don't know if this matters or not.

Also, bonus question - the dandruff has mostly appeared in the last few months. It isn't super super bad, but it's at the point where it even appears a few hours after I've washed my hair. I'm pretty sure that it's never been this bad before. Can one 'develop' dandruff? Could it be seasonal? Or is it due to using the wrong haircare products?

Dandruff?!

contog — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:31:58 -0800

I am male. I have had dandruff or flaky scapl for as long as I remember. The OTC shampoos do nothing. Sometimes I think it might just be dry scalp. What can I do?

Dandruff vs. Hat

luftmensch — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:59:11 -0800

Is frequently wearing hats a bad idea if you have dandruff? Some days it's cold enough to warrant a hat, but mostly I just like hats and not having to do my hair. Would styling it with hair product be any better or worse?

My head itches

FortyT-wo — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 02:32:24 -0800

My scalp itches terribly in one spot. I'm not sure how to tell wether it's dandruff, dry scalp, an allergy or some silly nervous condition that makes me scratch it. Basically, there is a large spot behind my right ear, down by the neckline, that itches. It has for, I'd say, several years. When I scratch it, usually vigirously, flakes fall out onto my right shoulder, though I suspect these are just skin cells. I scratch it until I come up with red beneath my fingernails on a regular basis.

Info that may or may not be relevant... I've never noticed flakes or itching in other areas of my head. I've been told a few times by different hair cutters that I have unusually thick hair down in that area between my ears. It's difficult to see much of the scalp by parting the hair there. Also, a few years ago, I became suddenly allergic to something in makeup, don't know if whatever that was could be in shampoo too. The weird thing is that any sudden stressful, nervous, anxious situation will cause the area to itch overwhelmingly, and pretty much if I become stressed, I am immediately vigorously scratching this spot on my head. I'm right handed and this is the most convenient spot on my head to reach.

If I'm scratching it when I'm nervous, does that mean there's nothing really wrong and that it's irritated because I'm scratching it, not the other way around? If that's the case, I'm worried there's nothing to help it. It's very hard not to scratch an itch.

Over the years, I've tried dandruff shampoos, dry scalp shampoos, hypoallergenic shampoos, tea tree oil, deep cleaning, deap conditioning, etc., with no improvement. I pay very special attention to rinsing this area, since it's more difficult than the top of my head, to make sure that there isn't a buildup of stuff happening there.

Also, I'm not really sure who has domain over your scalp. Does a dermatologist deal with hair issues? Would I be laughed out of the office and told to go get selsun blue? Can they help at all if it's a nervous condition?

Selsun Blue Is Not An Option. . . .

Medieval Maven — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 20:13:54 -0800

My cat has dandruff. We've found the Grizzly Salmon Oil at Drs Foster and Smith, but I was wondering if anyone else has added Omega 3's to their pets' diets with other supplements. (I know I could just feed them salmon, but that would get expensive fast.) For example -- I know that vitamin E is good for human hair, nails, and skin -- so does this apply to cats as well? I've been told there are "capsules you can break open in the food," -- does anyone know what these actually are, and if they are pet safe?

For extra points, I've got one cat with a cast iron stomach and one that is a rehabilitated daily yakker (ie, the stomach, it is not so good).

What can people tell me about dandruff?

Slimemonster — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 16:03:13 -0800

What can people tell me about dandruff? Is it just dead skin cells that get mixed up in your hair or is it some major dry scalp problem like the commercials tell me? I've been reading some very conflicting reports as of late. What's the best treatment for it? Is treatment necessary or even healthy?

Anti-Dandruff tips for the winter

TimeFactor — Fri, 06 Feb 2004 07:56:13 -0800

Ask MetaFlaker: Dandruff [more] A couple of weeks of 24/7 sub-zero temperatures here in New England has left me scratching my head. I get bad dandruff every year around the coldest days of January and it tends to continue until April. In the past I've tried most of the OTC shampoo remedies: tar, pyrithione zinc, salicylate, selenium sulfide, and those now-available-without-prescription (but with-the-same-exorbitant-price) ones with names like Flazoxil and Nizorquidal. None seems to make much difference. Anyone have an ancient [ethnic group] secret that's worked for them or should I just adopt a pastel wardrobe and wait for spring?