To not take this medication?

[wingsnthat]

I was diagnosed with seb derm on my scalp recently. It’s essentially a chronic form of eczema, but more oily as opposed to dry. Eg I tend to get a breakout/rash on my scalp vs dandruff.

My dermatologist prescribed a highly potent steroid scalp lotion. It has side effects such as skin thinning and high risk of dependency. Therefore it can only be used occasionally, but as my condition is chronic I am finding it difficult to figure out when is a “worthy” time to use it or not. As soon as I stop using it, my rash reappears, so it’s only a temporary fix.

AIBU to just not use the steroid lotion? I just think it’s a slippery slope, as I don’t want to run the risk of steroid addiction? Any seb derm advice appreciated too!

Flowers, I have a family member who is a trained Homeopathic practitioner, not a 'quack' as you so kindly put it. My relative has many people who are grateful to her ,as she has at times been able to help with some issues. Many homeopathic ingredients are used in NHS prescriptions. The reason I suggested the poster ask her doctor about seeing a homeopathic practioner was , some remedies can react to prescription medication. It's a purely personal thing but I have been helped by Homeopathic remedies when quite frankly, I could not resolve the issue with my GP. I do appreciate you need to find a genuine practitioner though, it's unfortunate but there are some dubious ones.

Also SLS does cause loads of problems. I use shampoo and toothpaste that does not have it. Sadly, where I am, my local GP surgery will not do allergy testing. As a suggestion, I would get allergy testing done, just to see if you had something specific that triggers the condition.

Many homeopathic ingredients are used in NHS prescriptions

Homeopathic ingredients are sugar and water.

A link the the NHS’s view of homeopathy: www.nhs.uk/conditions/homeopathy/

Homeopathy is a "treatment" based on the use of highly diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the body to heal itself.

A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on homeopathy said that homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos (dummy treatments).

In 2017 NHS England said it would no longer fund homeopathy on the NHS as the lack of any evidence for its effectiveness did not justify the cost. This was backed by a High Court judgement in 2018.

Does homeopathy work?

There's been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of homeopathy. There's no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which advises the NHS on the use of treatments, doesn't recommend using homeopathy in the treatment of any health condition.

Do you dye your hair? My scalp cleared up a lot when I stopped colouring it!

Flowers, I can only say homeopathy helped me. I offered it to the poster as a suggestion, nothing more. The NHS doesn't always get everything right. I knew their attitude to homeopathy was this. I find it strange as many of our modern medicines come from plants.

@Gothichouse40

Flowers, I can only say homeopathy helped me. I offered it to the poster as a suggestion, nothing more. The NHS doesn't always get everything right. I knew their attitude to homeopathy was this. I find it strange as many of our modern medicines come from plants.

You are confusing herbal medicine (plant ingredients etc) and homeopathy ( which have no active ingredients at all, no plants).

Much herbal medicine does not work but some can. Homeopathy has no potential of any kind to help other than with a placebo effect.

@Gothichouse40 homeopathy works via a placebo effect, nothing work. Sugar pills that contain nothing more than sugar. It is nonsense.

Is it the Betnovate stuff? I didn't find it helpful at all. Thunderbird Skin does a balm which they have suggested melting and putting in a nozzled bottle as I've found it's worked around the edge of my scalp and would like to drench my whole scalp in it. I fantasise about shaving all my hair off so I can get something on my scalp and finally soothe and fix it!