13 replies to this topic

[DukeBlueDevils]

simple question: what is the best shampoo to treat and get rid of scalp acne permanently?

please help. thanks.

*edit: i'm going to go pick up some Head & Shoulders shampoo here soon. I just read that is the best shampoo for scalp acne because it contains zinc and gets rid of all dandruff. feel free to leave a response still if you've ever used or use H&S or some other shampoo...

Edited by ReadyForDec212012, 03 December 2012 - 08:28 PM.

[Torquemonster]

For me Nizoral shampoo works best. It contains an antifungal called ketoconazole. A 1% version is available OTC and 2% version by prescription. I use the 2% version. I tried H&S but it only kept my scalp clear for a couple of months.

[Manticore]

For me Nizoral shampoo works best. It contains an antifungal called ketoconazole. A 1% version is available OTC and 2% version by prescription. I use the 2% version. I tried H&S but it only kept my scalp clear for a couple of months.

Did it get rid of your scalp acne completely?

During the past few years I have managed to get rid of my "all over" acne, except for my scalp. I tried using my Olay gentle face wash as shampoo, Head & Shoulders, & lately, Neutrogena visibly clear facial wash. I know that face washes aren't shampoos, but I thought that if they work on your face, why not your scalp. I also tried adding a couple of drops of Tea Tree oil to my shampoo.

I gave them all at least 3 months, but nothing has yet worked.

I will give Nizoral a try.

[Torquemonster]

For me Nizoral shampoo works best. It contains an antifungal called ketoconazole. A 1% version is available OTC and 2% version by prescription. I use the 2% version. I tried H&S but it only kept my scalp clear for a couple of months.

Did it get rid of your scalp acne completely?

During the past few years I have managed to get rid of my "all over" acne, except for my scalp. I tried using my Olay gentle face wash as shampoo, Head & Shoulders, & lately, Neutrogena visibly clear facial wash. I know that face washes aren't shampoos, but I thought that if they work on your face, why not your scalp. I also tried adding a couple of drops of Tea Tree oil to my shampoo.

I gave them all at least 3 months, but nothing has yet worked.

I will give Nizoral a try.

Manticore,
For me, the Nizoral was a major improvement but did not totally eliminate all scalp acne. The next thing I did that gave further improvement was to start using a sulfate-free, paraben-free shampoo (Burt's Bees) on my non-Nizoral days (Nizoral is not for every day use, I use twice per week). Anyway, I had discovered that cleansers with sodium laurel/laureth sulfate (SLS) broke out my face so I eliminated them. In Oct 2012 I extended the same principle to my scalp. Occasionally I will still get a pimple on my scalp but it is pretty rare. Hope this helps. Good luck with it.

Edited by Torquemonster, 05 January 2013 - 02:37 AM.

[Manticore]

Thanks for the advice.

I ordered some 2% Nizoral from Ebay. It arrived yesterday. I will use it for the first time this afternnon.

Cheers.

[Torquemonster]

Thanks for the advice.

I ordered some 2% Nizoral from Ebay. It arrived yesterday. I will use it for the first time this afternnon.

Cheers.

Try to patient about seeing results. It could take 1 or 2 months for noticeable improvements. Best of luck with it.

Edited by Torquemonster, 06 January 2013 - 08:31 PM.

[Manticore]

Thought I would update my progress with Nizoral.

 

I've been using it as directed for over 3 months now & unfortunately it hasn't made any difference.

 

I'll have to look round for something else.

[AyeAye]

Manticore, thats a real bummer.  I find it strange with scalp acne.   I can get around 10 pimples pop up on my scalp one week and they hang around for 3 weeks and then disappear for another 6 months or so.  Its weird because I use the same shampoo all the time so I'm never sure why they appear in the first place.  They are pretty painful though so you must be so over it if you have them all the time.

[Manticore]

Manticore, thats a real bummer.  I find it strange with scalp acne.   I can get around 10 pimples pop up on my scalp one week and they hang around for 3 weeks and then disappear for another 6 months or so.  Its weird because I use the same shampoo all the time so I'm never sure why they appear in the first place.  They are pretty painful though so you must be so over it if you have them all the time.

It does seem to ease up every once in a while, but only for perhaps a week or so, then they're back again. It's a pain when you don't realise that new pimples have appeared overnight & you catch one with the comb in the morning...Ouch!

 

I am tempted to try BP on my scalp. I wonder if it would definately will bleach my hair (although I'm starting to go grey anyway!).

 

I've seen another shampoo on Ebay for scalp acne, with all natural ingredients. Looks like another 3 month trial!

[AyeAye]

Oooooh BP on the scalp makes me wince a little bit.....that would be a bit yowchies don't you think?  (yowchies being a high brow medical term of course).  Well all I know is that BP bleaches my eyebrows to a lovely shade of ginger so I have to dye them every fortnight.  And lets not even mention grey hair.....not that I have any of course.

 

Good luck with the new shampoo, and if it works let me know and maybe I'll try it too.  I shall name you guinea-pig and have you for my very own

[Manticore]

The new shampoo arrived today. It's actually a combined body/hair wash made in UK by Alamay. I will start using it tomorrow.

 

I haven't noticed my eyebrows changing colour since using BP on my face. I usually get some on my eyebrows as I use it all over my face. Perhaps as you have very dark hair, it is more noticable. I also use BP on my chest & it doesn't appear to have bleached my chest hair although, as I say, I do have light coloured hair (that's where it hasn't already gone grey lol).

 

If this new shampoo doesn't help, I may try a blob of BP mixed in with my face wash as a shampoo. I will keep some Grecian 2000 handy just in case!

 

I am honoured to be your guinea pig. LOL.

Edited by Manticore, 19 April 2013 - 06:21 AM.

[AyeAye]

And you shall be my favourite guinea pig and from this day forth youI shall be known to me as Basil Blake.

[wijhe]

There's something you could try on your scalp incase what you have is caused by bacteria in the hair follicles. I'm not sure if you know of these disinfectants that are meant for hands which are not sticky and leave pretty much nothing behind after you've applied it and waited for a while, which makes it optimal to be used on the scalp as well. This is just a suggestion which my skin doctor presented me since I had scalp acne as well, but I got a few pimples here and there elsewhere as well so i took oral antibiotics (tetracycline) for it, but I'm going to try using what she suggested on my scalp after I stop taking the tetracycline.

Another thing I do is that I use sebamed shampoo which has as little as possible extra ingredients in it to make sure that nothing that's in the shampoos are causing it.

Edited by wijhe, 23 April 2013 - 08:37 AM.

[Mr Guru]

I use H&S Anti drandruff, perhaps anything would be good against acne with zinc pyrithione in it.

Edited by DamnLife, 25 April 2013 - 04:59 PM.