Dandruff is making my life a misery

[BeardofHagrid]

I feel a bit ridiculous and embarrassed saying this, but I have what now appears to be permanent, severe dandruff.

I know the general consensus is that it’s the white flakes that are the bothersome thing about this condition, and yes I do have those, but for me it’s the constant burning I experience, the extreme itching, feeling that my scalp is coated in filth. I am constantly messing around washing and drying it, that gives a couple of hours of relief, then I feel one little prickle starting to burn and before I know it my whole scalp is aflame again 😕

It’s making me so miserable to think that this is my life now. I wash every two days and I can’t face going to washing every day, it takes so long to get it dry. My hair is very thick and takes 12 hours+ to properly dry even when I blow dry it. Dank winter weather makes the condition even worse.

I have had people make comments over the years that I don’t take care of my hair when in fact I spend so much time on it, but it looks like I don’t. I know it looks dirty all the time because of this awful condition. I have tried every shampoo over the years, the only one I can use is Vosene. It used to give me some relief, now not much but better than others. T gel doesn’t work for me any more. The EU banned zinc in Head and Shoulders so that’s rubbish now. A plastic scalp scrub doesn’t work. I can’t afford to see a derm. I feel so down, I’d love to just shave my hair off at this point.

Have you seen your GP about it? A referral to dermatology? That burning sensation sounds like it should be medically assessed. And when they send you away to try X, be aware that they do want you to go back if X doesn't work.

My daughter had a similar issue and she was only around ten so I took her to our private GP. We were lucky enough to have an amazing private GP near us and including justify going to NHS about dandruff. The doctor told us to use Nizoral and it worked. Dandruff is often caused by an overgrowth of yeastlike fungus and this kills it. Her hair is also very thick and she was sleeping with it wet! You also need to dry it thoroughly at least dry the scalp completely as soon as possible after washing.

I'd also say Nizoral was a game changer for me (I now wash my hair every third day with this) not had an issue since. I get it on prescription but you can buy it over the counter. I also have thick hair and need to fully dry it before bed (I actually started having my hair thinned out at the hairdresser to help).

I came in to nizoral.

Try it for three weeks and if spent work you need to go to GP

In fact make a GP appointment now for three weeks time and then ty nizoral

The bottles are tiny but is super strong so you only need a little. You need to massage it in to the scalp so if you have thick hair consider having a shorter style

It could be something other than dandruff

I'd also a hair detox advise to stop using any products that go on the scalp and don't use dry shampoo for this period.

Have you seen a go? I had to use betnivate for a while, also used t gel and Nizoral. What have you actually tried?

Other than H&S what have you tried?

Can you get a haircut (such as layers or thinning) to help thin the weight of your hair?

I wonder if you might have Seborrheic dermatitis? If so you'll need to gen up...Most GP's knowledge will be limited. Nizoral can help with a flare up. But it's chronic and is about management not cure. Management is a little different for everyone but I would suggest heading over to Reddit for tips.
r/SebDerm
Try to avoid steroids (can be great but then worse when you stop) and do try MCT oil

Thank you for your replies! I do have Nizoral in rotation, I find it makes things better for a day, then the next day the itching starts again 😕 I’m also limited in that we don’t have a shower so I can only wash my hair over the sink and back pain prevents me from bending over there for more than 3-4 minutes. Now I’m thinking I should leave the Nizoral on for a good 10 minutes each wash.

I'm another one who says Nizoral. Go see your GP first but that is the best coal tar shampoo for getting rid. You must follow the instructions precisely though, no short cuts.

Now I’m thinking I should leave the Nizoral on for a good 10 minutes each wash.

Repeated from above.
You must follow the instructions precisely though, no short cuts.

I’ve tried just about every commercially available dandruff shampoo, Nizoral, T Gel, Vosene, supermarket ones that at the time contained zinc. Etc,

Yes I’ve recently had my hair cut, it did seem to help for a month or two but now it’s back worse than ever.

Have you tried a selenium based shampoo? Selsun is great, it's still available on amazon and some other online shops.

To pp who suggested hair detox, please be careful. I went no poo for about 6 months and I think this is what triggered my sebacious dermititis on my scalp. I now have to use medicated shampoo every wash to stop it.

I did wonder if this is what op has. Mine left untreated develops into horrible scabby areas that get irritated and bleed if scratched. I had some dandruff before but now a normal shampoo just doesn't clean the scalp properly and I feel irritated within hours of washing. Unfortunately from what I read this is now a permanent situation for me.

Hmm, do you have a shower at a workplace, or would a friend let you use theirs every now and then?

That is one I’ve seen but haven’t tried actually. If I can afford to buy it one day, I will.

Do you have a bath?
If so, buy a shower attachment for it - like a tube that attaches to the mixer tap with a shower head on the other end.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Canyon-Bathroom-Accessory-Attachment/dp/B00UG1Z00I/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=3PVAE4E1RQ09B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mOCLDUM1d4LQ1_xsv9P2LLzL1CG7yMb5hKmxL0EGaKQ4dYP49gU5RoD1104KLdhK0D5Jg7KlIpZpjSD7HFA5dl02t7Px80RX7PtSCilmQQXBV_hRZ6Ol07T6eqzEbzFEQBINSMG3gahIToxekNSEiVkxwwqCm75g8JpsDapbNiCsCBbadBbI07k16k1F4YqRDwTtVerGRNuGm4ux96hgZw.mJrXEAeaz0ZFtpskVCKkTMZO9nYXzk5BLAQtBeM2HBc&dib_tag=se&keywords=shower+connector+for+bath+taps&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1735469692&sprefix=shower+con%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-8

This kind of thing. - to be honest it would even work on a sink then you could more easier rinse off your hair - perhaps even sitting down with your head back like at a hairdresser’s sink.

Hi op, the only thing that helped my dandruff was eating less sugar. It truly makes a difference z

The only thing that worked for me was Selsun shampoo - I'd tried t-gel and, I think, nizoral, but they didn't do the trick.

This is the Selsun shampoo I recommend, it has a higher amount of selenium compared to the blue bottle, it’s a small bottle and is usually around £10. I really recommend it, it’s the only thing that clears and keeps DH’s scalp clear. He tried nizoral and many other things from the doctor but they only worked short term. The Selsun has kept his scalp clear for a good 5 years now.

Polytar shampoo (leave on for 5 mins, do two washes with it), with Betnovate scalp stuff from the GP when it flares, works for me.

You need to see a GP and explain how much it is affecting you. It could be Psoriasis or dermatitis. They can prescribe topical steroid lotions that can help with a bad flair and calm the burning feeling you describe. IME shampoos only do so much.

Do you have a bath with taps? If you can't add a shower (renting? Money?), buy something like this:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4975526

It's possible you're not rinsing your scalp well enough.

I have something similar but have been told by dermatologists that it's likely psoriasis. It's not itchy all the time but it never goes away - only 'bad' or 'worse'! When it's really itchy, it's all-consuming and unbearable; I've scratched til it's bled on countless occasions. And the constant fall-out (literally!) means I avoid dark tops.

I've had loads of different things on prescription and some have helped a little but nothing has ever done more than help manage it. I would definitely speak to a GP and ask for a derm referral while they prescribe you a few different things to try - there's a generic version of Nizoral and various coal tar suspensions, some different steroids etc...

I've also tried the As I Am range - Dry and Itchy. There's a co-wash (use instead of shampoo) and a leave in moisturising lotion. Again, no miracles but they help a little. There's also a scalp moisturiser (think I got it in B&M) in a blue bottle that seems to help slightly.

I would suggest making sure you really rinse properly too - can you get a shower attachment for your bath taps?

I meant avoiding dry shampoo and styling products on the scalp.

I advocated nizoral shampoo

And would also advocate daily washing