Seborrheic Dermatitis vs. Propecia/Rogaine

[Martin M]

Very recently I had a consult with a clinic in New York City. Up until this point I have been on Propecia and Rogain for roughly 8 months. I have seen very little improvement; the frontal 1/3 has gone unchanged and more or less continues to thin at the same rate (Didn't have high hopes for this using Propecia and Rogaine anyway), my crown has shown a bit of very small improvement, the hair is very thing there but has strengthened just a little bit and the loss has slowed.

 

The doctor I spoke with said I have severe seborrheic dermatitis and that I must have a dermatologist "scrape" my scalp and solve this problem before I can do anything else.

 

Does anyone have any knowledge of this or any experience with it? Can I assume that the heavy dandruff and build up has adversely affected the medication's progress? I am considering buzzing/shaving my head after I find out where to get this "scrape" so that maybe the meds may work better.

 

ANY comments/advice/experiences from Docs or Posters ALWAYS appreciated.

[Jotronic]

"Scraping" your scalp might not be necessary but of course I'm not a dermatologist.

 

I had a bad case myself and after going through about ten different medicated shampoos with zero success I tried Polytar AF. After two weeks my dandruff went away and I've been fine since (I still use it). Plug the name into Google to find out where to buy it online. It should only cost between ten and fifteen bucks.

[Martin M]

Thanks Jotronic.

 

Was this before, or after your transplants? I am still hoping that I will respond better to the medications if I can get rid of all the gunk on my scalp.

[Jotronic]

It was just last year and my last HT was over five years ago. Oddly, my hair was looking thinner too as dandruff can cause hair thinning. Once it was addressed my hair thickened up considerably. I bet the same would happen for you once you get it under control.

[Speegs]

Nizoral is pretty effective in stopping scaling, use it a few times weekly and your itching is likely to stop along with visible scales. Mild dandruff may continue but it will more powdery than flakey and not itch.

[Dr. Ricardo Mejia]

As dermatologist, I treat this frequently. Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory condition of the scalp. Bad cases can be associated with temporary hair loss. Treatments include tar shampoos, nizoral shampoo and selenium sulfide and topical 1% hydrocortisone. They all can be obtained over the counter. Prescription strength topical steroids can improve the condition. You can find your local dermatologist at www.aad.org. A scraping is done if one suspects a tinea capitis or fungal infection which is rare in adults but I have seen it before.