Dandruff

[earllogjam]

I'm having a bout of dandruff lately and the Head and Shoulder's or the other shampoos just ain't cutting it. It just may be the colder winter weather drying out my scalp. It is driving me nuts.

Anyone have a dandruff regimen that works?

 

[ZOS23xy]

Nope. Clean and bush as often as you can. I've found I had to experiment with various kinds of shampoos to get it right where it doesn't build up.

It's dead scalp skin. the only cure to to stop living.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Dandruff is caused by a skin fungus.

Once its in the skin, its there for life, like atheletes foot... you can try and control it... but never entirely eradicate it...
No topical treatment kills the microscopic fungal fibers that penetrate deeply into the tissue.


There are new antifungal treatments that work systemically, poisoning the fungus by making your actual skin toxic... most commonly prescribed for that hideous fungal toenail crud....
However... these drugs are VERY HARD on your liver... so much so that every dermatologist I have ever seen considers them way too much of a risk to take to treat a minor cosmetic skin condition.

 

[earllogjam]

Dandruff is caused by a skin fungus.

Once its in the skin, its there for life, like atheletes foot... you can try and control it... but never entirely eradicate it...
No topical treatment kills the microscopic fungal fibers that penetrate deeply into the tissue.


There are new antifungal treatments that work systemically, poisoning the fungus by making your actual skin toxic... most commonly prescribed for that hideous fungal toenail crud....
However... these drugs are VERY HARD on your liver... so much so that every dermatologist I have ever seen considers them way too much of a risk to take to treat a minor cosmetic skin condition.

Dandruff is caused by fungus? wow.

How would taking anti fungal pills systemically kill the fungus that is growing in the dead skin cells? Maybe I should just apply an anti fungal like selenium selsun blue and keep it on my head for half and hour for a week until most of that fungus is killed off.

 

[jeff black]

I'm having a bout of dandruff lately and the Head and Shoulder's or the other shampoos just ain't cutting it. It just may be the colder winter weather drying out my scalp. It is driving me nuts.

Anyone have a dandruff regimen that works?

They have this new head and shoulders shampoo... I can't remember the title, but it's specifically for dandruff/dryscalp. I find that alternating between that, regular shampoo and just washing the hair (without shampoo to store the oils) works quite well. I haven't had any dandrugg since.

 

[MickeyLee]

tea tree oil is a natural anti-fungal and will clear it up. a teaspoon or so rubbed into your scalp a couple times a week. let is sit for about 20 mins before you shampoo ya hair. apple cider vinegar is a good rinse or spray a one to one ratio mixed in a spray bottle. let it sit about an hour, shampoo as usual.

if you hit the local grocery look for t-gel from neutrogena. or any coal tar shampoo.


ML

the fungus that causes dandruff is always present. the flakes appear when the balance gets out of whack. same as a yeast infection on your scalp.

 

[nudeyorker]

Dandruff is caused by harsh shampoo, diet, and tension. The cold weather and dry heat can make it worse. Try a change in diet, switch to a mild clear shampoo and conditioner and try using a table spoon of lime juice massaged into your hair before the final rinse.

 

[college777]

try buying nizoral shampoo, it is an anti-fungal shampoo and works well for dandruff. It is is really itchy T-gel shampoo works. Only use the nizoral or t-gel a couple of times a week

 

[earllogjam]

They have this new head and shoulders shampoo... I can't remember the title, but it's specifically for dandruff/dryscalp. I find that alternating between that, regular shampoo and just washing the hair (without shampoo to store the oils) works quite well. I haven't had any dandrugg since.

Do you use the dandruff shampoo about once a week then? Maybe using it every day is just drying out my scalp more.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

Hi earl, i used Nizoral, H&S made my hairline sore and didn't really do much for me, just copied this for you underneath, it may help, it worked for me.

Nizoral dandruff shampoo contains the active ingredient ketoconazole, which is a type of medicine called an antifungal. It is used to treat infections with fungi and yeasts.

Ketoconazole kills fungi and yeasts by interfering with their cell membranes. It works by stopping the fungi from producing a substance called ergosterol, which is an essential component of fungal cell membranes. The disruption in production of ergosterol disrupts the fungal cell membrane, causing holes to appear in it.

The cell membranes of fungi are vital for their survival. They keep unwanted substances from entering the cells and stop the contents of the cells from leaking out. As ketoconazole causes holes to appear in the cell membranes, essential constituents of the fungal cells can leak out. This kills the fungi and treats the infection.

Ketoconazole is used to treat a number of different types of fungal and yeast infections. Ketoconazole shampoo is used to treat scalp conditions that are caused by infection with the yeast Pityrosporum. These include seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff, which is considered to be a mild form of seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Ketoconazole shampoo should be used to wash the hair twice weekly for two to four weeks. It should be left for three to five minutes before rinsing. Once the scalp has cleared up these conditions can be prevented from coming back by using the shampoo once every one to two weeks.


Tardis .

 

[TurkeyWithaSunburn]

Have you tried Scalpicin? I haven't used it but they advertise it for "winter scalp itch".

I searched for it online and one of the ingredients is TeaTrea oil.
:up: MickeyLee

 

[B_Think_Kink]

Have you tried Selsun Blue? Nizoral works as well.

 

[pym]

Winter home heating drops the ambient humidity to less than 20% in most homes.Compared to 60% or more in summer. Try keeping a humidifier set at 45-50% in your Bedroom. You will sleep better, your sinuses will thank you, and you won't be dessicating as you sleep.

 

[Delaney333]

Perhaps with your choice of Avatar, one could take solace that at least it's not the mange...

 

[Phil Ayesho]

Dandruff is caused by fungus? wow.

How would taking anti fungal pills systemically kill the fungus that is growing in the dead skin cells? Maybe I should just apply an anti fungal like selenium selsun blue and keep it on my head for half and hour for a week until most of that fungus is killed off.

The fungus is not growing in the dead skin. Its Killing the skin its growing into.

The trouble with fungi is that the real core of the fungus is the Mycelium - tiny fibrils they send out into surrounding tissue.

Topical treatments can never kill ALL of the mycelia in the tissue, just knock it back some... the symptoms seems to stop, but the mycelium is growing back...and keeps penetrating new skin tissue.

Newer anitfungal PILLS work by saturating your TISSUES with a compound toxic to fungi.
Thus topical agents are like a herbicide that kills weeds by soaking into them from without...

Whereas the systemic anitfungals are like Poisoning the ground in which the weed grow.


As to topical dandruff treatments... actually, what a lot of people don't get is that you are SUPPOSED to leave them on the scalp for 10 minutes or so...

But still... no topical treatment known will actually eradicate the underlying fungal infection.
Dandruff shampoos, like athelete's foot sprays, are something you have to keep using continuously to manage a chronic infection.

 

[earllogjam]

In 2 months I've tried H&S, Nizoral, DHS, Selsun Blue, Neutrogena Coal Tar and none of these seem to work any better than a normal shampoo. They may be a bit better but it certainly hasn't fixed the flaking problem. They also seem harsh leaving my hair all dryed out and frizzy - not that I have much left. My diet hasn't changed so I ruled that out. I just think it's the lack of humidity during the winter that is doing it.

I'll try the lime juice and the tea tree oil. Where the heck do you buy tea tree oil? At a health food store?

 

[earllogjam]

Perhaps with your choice of Avatar, one could take solace that at least it's not the mange...

Hehehe *scratch scratch scratch*

 

[earllogjam]

But still... no topical treatment known will actually eradicate the underlying fungal infection.
Dandruff shampoos, like athelete's foot sprays, are something you have to keep using continuously to manage a chronic infection.

I thought fungus only feed on dead cells.

I don't know if it is chronic because it only flares up every 5 years or so for me. I'll try keeping the anti dandruff shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Thanks for the tip.

 

[jeff black]

Do you use the dandruff shampoo about once a week then? Maybe using it every day is just drying out my scalp more.

4 times a week. Honest, it worked for me.. and I had it bad in the winters.

 

[nudeyorker]

Try Trader Joe!

I'll try the lime juice and the tea tree oil. Where the heck do you buy tea tree oil? At a health food store?[/QUOTE]