[MERGED] Dandruff

yax-ytterp

oh no!!!

before, everytime i combed my hair i noticed flakes of parang dry skin. i thought na dandruff yun so i switched to ivory (from pantene) and started to rinse my hair extra well.

but i still have it now! oh no...! this is like the first time i had dandruff! and worse, i can sometimes feel the flakes sticking near the roots of my hair and it feels mahapdi when i try to scratch or remove it.... wahhhhhhhhhh!

what do i do?! is this just plain dandruff or something else?!

Ira

You most probably have seborrheic dermatitis, which is a cause of dandruff. Dandruff is just a layman's term for excessive scaling. Skin cells that grow and die off too fast are the cause of dandruff. Some people with severe flaking have overactive sebaceous glands (whose task is to lubricate the skin with oils); ccassionally, dandruff may be aggravated by fungal infection by the microorganism Pityrosporum ovale. Other factors include allergies, excessive heat, genetics, shampoos, and stress.

First off, stop scratching. Get yourself a bottle of Selsun Blue or Nizoral, shampoo it thoroughly, leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse off. Do this daily for 5 days, then decrease your use to 2x a week for at least a month. Rotate both shampoos every 2 weeks to avoid their losing effectivity. Avoid using hairsprays and gels, brush your hair regularly, avoid blowdrying, and avoid shampoos with too much chemicals/oils in them and stick to mild or organic shampoos instead.

If these don't work after a month, see a dermatologist who can start you on prescription shampoos and medications for your problem.

yax-ytterp

ohhhhh....wait! could it be the blow-drying?! i've been kinda doing it on a regular basis especially when i go out at night.

thanks, Doc!

Ira

I seriously doubt if it's just because of the blowdrying, yax. Buy the antidandruff shampoos, anyway.

*BuTTerFly*

doc ira.. ano naman ang maisa-suggest nyong anti-dandruff shampoos na effective?

Ira

Either one of the mentioned shampoos (Nizoral or Selsun Blue) is effective. It's up to you to choose.

knoty-boy

I got dandruff when stress out... what will I do about that... nizoral didn't work for me... sabi nila, magpa hot oil daw ako, pero very costly saka lalaki ako maikli ang buhok... what will I do?

Ira

Unfortunately, some people are more prone to dandruff and thus, this will be a recurring problem. It's best if you use an antidandruff shampoo for 5 days straight (if Nizoral doesn't work, try Selsun Blue, Head and Shoulders, or Stiefel's Polytar Liquid), scrub for at least 5 minutes (tagal, 'no?) and keep it on for 10 minutes. Try using mild shampoos too (don't use "heavy" shampoos, esp. the ones with conditioners), wash your hair very thoroughly to get rid of the shampoo buildups, brush your hair with a brush with natural bristles, and stay away from too much hair products. Hot oil won't really help much. To prevent recurrence, use an antidandruff (whether or not you actually have dandruff) around 2x a month.

Ira

Apologies to scarab...I was trying to delete one of his double posts and deleted both of them by mistake. Here is what scarab said:

try using two kinds of shampoo, one anti-dandruff and one mild shampoo (pref. baby shampoo). use it alternately.

Mister Dean

Lately, I've found myself flaking excessively. I'd like to think it's stress, but I suspect it might be our water supply. Is that possible?

And lately, the skin off my nape has started to dry and flake as well. Any suggestions?

Ira

I've personally never heard of water supply causing dandruff. It might be stress plus the change in weather recently. Try switching to Nizoral shampoo first, see if it goes away (see above replies on how to use it). If the flaking and itchiness on your scalp and nape persists after a couple of weeks inspite of antidandruff shampoos and is accompanied by inflammed skin, it may be time to see a dermatologist--you might also have an underlying skin problem (e.g. eczema).

neptune

I have sebborheic dermatitis, too. I had it since 1997. Hanggang ngayon, di pa ako magaling. I'm using Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo right now pero the medication only works for 1-2 weeks. I haven't visited my derma since then and I think that my dermatitis is getting worse kse lahat na yat ng dandruff shampoos na-try ko na pero none of them work.

[I just deleted the original post with a different handle and left this one. -Ira]

Ira

You should see your old dermatologist or maybe go to another dermatologist--whichever the case, you should have it treated medically. The Neutrogena shampoo alone is not sufficient and you may need additional treatments. Your eczema will probably not disappear on its own, and may even get worse.

theEnglishBeat

shampoo

xyzseaman

Doc,
My dandruff prob is getting worse....Nizoral doesn't work as it used to be. Padami ng padami yung flakes. Sabi daw nila, nasa iniiniom daw namin sa barko iyon (yung tubig daw) Nasa kinakain ba iyon? Iniinom? Environment? Thanks.

Ira

I'm not quite sure where you're based and whether you can buy the products I'm going to mention, but what the heck...

If your dandruff isn't responding to Nizoral anymore, you can instead shift to Head and Shoulders Intensive Treatment/Selsun Blue and Ionil T shampoo (or any coal tar-based shampoo), and use them on alternate days. Shampoo in vigorously, leave on for 2-3 minutes, rinse off, then shampoo in again, leaving the second shampoo on 5-10 minutes to loosen the scale. Use these daily for 2 weeks, and once the problem is controlled, use them (including Nizoral) around 1-2x a week on a rotation basis. If your dandruff is still uncontrolled after 2 weeks, consult a dermatologist--you may need prescription drugs to control your problem.

When your dandruff is accompanied by scalp redness, or when the redness and flaking spreads to cause greasy scaling on the face, eyebrows or sides of the nose, you may have seborrheic dermatitis, and you should also see your dermatologist already.

Dandruff is caused by seasonal changes, stress, allergies and other illnesses, fungal infection (P. ovale), excessive perspiration, poor hygiene, hair care producs, hereditary disposition, tight-fitting hats, and excessive hair drying, among others, while severe cases are additionally caused by an underlying skin problem--seborrheic dermatitis/eczema. Your water probably doesn't have anything to do with your dandruff.

xyzseaman

Seasonal siguro....wala naman ito dati eh. Anyway, thanks Doc!

Ira

You're welcome.

BALAKUBAK

Any Doctor out there?

I'm a sufferrer of Sebhorreic Dermatitis. My symptoms include severe dandruff, rashes and flakes on my eyebrows, face, ears upper body. And I've been using Elica cream to control this.

I've had this maybe 20 years already. Help.

Any suggested treatment?

Ira

I'm afraid that steroids is basically the treatment mainstay in seborrheic dermatitis. The problem will be recurrent. Just continue with your Elica cream. In addition to your steroids, if you get scaling of the scalp (dandruff) and your body, daily shampoo using an antidandruff preparation like Selsun Blue or Ionil T is recommended. Shampoo it in your hair and your body and let it stay for 5-10 mins. before washing off, then once the scaling is controlled, do this 2x a week. You can try applying olive oil or baby oil daily for the scaling. Just be careful not to apply the shampoo accidentally on your eyes. You can also add Nizoral 2% cream once or twice daily in areas with severe scaling when the Elica isn't wholly effective.

If your seborrheic dermatitis is resistant to treatment mentioned above, see your dermatologist and ask if you can be a candidate for Roaccutane treatment.

BALAKUBAK

Thanks a lot, doc. Can you tell me more about the Reaccutane treatment? And is it more effective than Elica and Nizoral? Because these 2 are already very helpful. And is it expensive?

I also noticed my hair thinning more than usual. Is this a direct result of Seb. Derm. or is it because I'm aging? Im 37.