This will not be a quick answer but bare with me because I found something it worked for me after 15 years. Also my english is no so good because it's not my main language.

So....I took accutane 3 times in my life for getting rid of SA (scalp acne or scalp folliculitis). Quick ansewer is that accutane didn't worked to get rid of the problem and plus it change my skin forever. My normal "mild" acne (face, chest and back) was gone with the first time I took it, and the other two times I took it was specifically for SA. The last time I took it it desapeared for 8  or 10 months, but slowly but surely it returned and worst because my skin as I said is no longer like it use to. I took 60 mg/day and 40mg/day the last time for 6 months all the times.

I've been dealing with this condition for more than 15 years and over this period I've been to 6 dermatologists (my dad is an MD so no problem going to the doctor or get prescriptions). I've also done numerous tests (biopsies, culture samples etc). Some of the tests came out negative, and others came out positive for staph aureus or pityrosporum (the dandruff fungus). I've taken 4 months of doxicicline, and 4 months more of rifampicin and all that did was made me clear for a couple of months or so. In the fungal spectrum I've taken 2 months of ketoconazole and 6 months of fluconazole with more or less the same results as the antibiotics. Ive also tried all the natural remedies from tumeric to oregano oil, neem, baking soda, acv, tea tree oil, and lots more. Also I've tried I think all shampoos in the market, from organics to highly medical grade ones...and even two dog shampoos...yes really.

I'm an engineer so I'm all about science. So I've been researching this problem for more than 3 years (for real). About two years ago I came out with an hypothesis. I believe this problem to be a dysbiosis. That is, a condition where your normal skin and internal flora is disturbed. This could be because of the use of broad spectrum antibiotics at a young age and/or an over use of harsh chemicals in your body like harsh shampoos and unfiltered water even.

With this hypothesis in mind I finally found a method that keeps me clear 99.999% of the time. I say this because maybe once every 3 months or less I get the occasional pimple, but they're very small, not painful at all and it goes in one or two days top, and that is because I get sick or if I take certain medications.  So, this is what I did:

1.-I used selenium sulfide shampoo (aka Selsun Blue..the green label one with aloe) every other day at an initial stage.
2.- In between this shampoo I use only water to wash my hair, but I massage my scalp with a back brush for a couple of minutes and then rinse with cold water. I never use hot water. I also use a water filter in my shower.
3.- I take a zinc supplement (30mg a day) and a full spectrum probiotic daily.
4.-I changed my diet to a more or less vegan diet and or an SCD diet.
4.- I also use now a friendly skin bacteria in a form of a product called AO+Mist. This is amonia oxidizing bacteria, that should be naturally found in your skin, but gets washed away with shampoo and antibiotics or even simple tap water. This is a little expensive but I only use a little bit so it lasts me a lot. This days I almost never use it in fact.

At first when I started doing this I had an initial worsening of my SA, but slowly but surely, the condition started to subside and my scalp became normal again. I've been doing this for almost 2 years now and about a year or so I stopped using the shampoo and using only water to wash my hair along with the brush. Also every other week or so I use the AO+Mist and I try not to get my hair dirty with chemicals like paint or other, in order not to have to wash my hair with shampoo. In this regard sweat is fine to wash with water only but not in the first few months. In fact that was the main reason I use the selenium sulfide shampoo...I go to the gym a lot and those days I always use a small amount of selsun blue. Doing these I've been clear for the last 18 months or so.

I saw you post this in july so by now if you're still taking accutane you should be getting clear. The thing is it won't last...I'm sorry but it was true for me, and many other people I've talked to over the years. Accutane is a drug that is dose dependant, so when you stop taking it the problem comes back and you end up with dry sensitive skin. My skin was normal before I took accutane. I mean I had SA, but after accutane I had eczema like rashes and very flaky skin. Now after years, I'm fine, but I still experience dry skin in some parts of my body in winter and still have sensitive skin. If i could turn the clock around I wish I never had took accutane and antibiotics.

So my final advice to you is to finish your treatment with accutane as directed by your MD, and then start to work on getting your normal skin flora back on balance. I don't advice you to use selsun while on accutane though, but as your scalp gets dry with accutane you could start using the scalp brush and water only to wash your hair, in this way the change from shampoo to no poo, would not be so dramatic. Also, if you can get your hands on AO+Mist, you could start spraying your head with good bacteria while the bad guys are starving because of accutane, and take probiotics along with a dietary change...this is crucial as some foods can actually kill you friendly gut bacteria. I you wish you can google Microbiome, gut bacteria and skin flora...you will encounter a whole world of information and you'll understand that the beings that live in your body have functions to achieve and that if you disturb their ecosystem you'll pay for the consecuences

If you have any questions please post and I will answer you. I know this could be a very frustrating condition.

On 9/29/2017 at 2:40 AM, AndrewSA said:

This will not be a quick answer but bare with me because I found something it worked for me after 15 years. Also my english is no so good because it's not my main language.

So....I took accutane 3 times in my life for getting rid of SA (scalp acne or scalp folliculitis). Quick ansewer is that accutane didn't worked to get rid of the problem and plus it change my skin forever. My normal "mild" acne (face, chest and back) was gone with the first time I took it, and the other two times I took it was specifically for SA. The last time I took it it desapeared for 8  or 10 months, but slowly but surely it returned and worst because my skin as I said is no longer like it use to. I took 60 mg/day and 40mg/day the last time for 6 months all the times.

I've been dealing with this condition for more than 15 years and over this period I've been to 6 dermatologists (my dad is an MD so no problem going to the doctor or get prescriptions). I've also done numerous tests (biopsies, culture samples etc). Some of the tests came out negative, and others came out positive for staph aureus or pityrosporum (the dandruff fungus). I've taken 4 months of doxicicline, and 4 months more of rifampicin and all that did was made me clear for a couple of months or so. In the fungal spectrum I've taken 2 months of ketoconazole and 6 months of fluconazole with more or less the same results as the antibiotics. Ive also tried all the natural remedies from tumeric to oregano oil, neem, baking soda, acv, tea tree oil, and lots more. Also I've tried I think all shampoos in the market, from organics to highly medical grade ones...and even two dog shampoos...yes really.

I'm an engineer so I'm all about science. So I've been researching this problem for more than 3 years (for real). About two years ago I came out with an hypothesis. I believe this problem to be a dysbiosis. That is, a condition where your normal skin and internal flora is disturbed. This could be because of the use of broad spectrum antibiotics at a young age and/or an over use of harsh chemicals in your body like harsh shampoos and unfiltered water even.

With this hypothesis in mind I finally found a method that keeps me clear 99.999% of the time. I say this because maybe once every 3 months or less I get the occasional pimple, but they're very small, not painful at all and it goes in one or two days top, and that is because I get sick or if I take certain medications.  So, this is what I did:

1.-I used selenium sulfide shampoo (aka Selsun Blue..the green label one with aloe) every other day at an initial stage.
2.- In between this shampoo I use only water to wash my hair, but I massage my scalp with a back brush for a couple of minutes and then rinse with cold water. I never use hot water. I also use a water filter in my shower.
3.- I take a zinc supplement (30mg a day) and a full spectrum probiotic daily.
4.-I changed my diet to a more or less vegan diet and or an SCD diet.
4.- I also use now a friendly skin bacteria in a form of a product called AO+Mist. This is amonia oxidizing bacteria, that should be naturally found in your skin, but gets washed away with shampoo and antibiotics or even simple tap water. This is a little expensive but I only use a little bit so it lasts me a lot. This days I almost never use it in fact.

At first when I started doing this I had an initial worsening of my SA, but slowly but surely, the condition started to subside and my scalp became normal again. I've been doing this for almost 2 years now and about a year or so I stopped using the shampoo and using only water to wash my hair along with the brush. Also every other week or so I use the AO+Mist and I try not to get my hair dirty with chemicals like paint or other, in order not to have to wash my hair with shampoo. In this regard sweat is fine to wash with water only but not in the first few months. In fact that was the main reason I use the selenium sulfide shampoo...I go to the gym a lot and those days I always use a small amount of selsun blue. Doing these I've been clear for the last 18 months or so.

I saw you post this in july so by now if you're still taking accutane you should be getting clear. The thing is it won't last...I'm sorry but it was true for me, and many other people I've talked to over the years. Accutane is a drug that is dose dependant, so when you stop taking it the problem comes back and you end up with dry sensitive skin. My skin was normal before I took accutane. I mean I had SA, but after accutane I had eczema like rashes and very flaky skin. Now after years, I'm fine, but I still experience dry skin in some parts of my body in winter and still have sensitive skin. If i could turn the clock around I wish I never had took accutane and antibiotics.

So my final advice to you is to finish your treatment with accutane as directed by your MD, and then start to work on getting your normal skin flora back on balance. I don't advice you to use selsun while on accutane though, but as your scalp gets dry with accutane you could start using the scalp brush and water only to wash your hair, in this way the change from shampoo to no poo, would not be so dramatic. Also, if you can get your hands on AO+Mist, you could start spraying your head with good bacteria while the bad guys are starving because of accutane, and take probiotics along with a dietary change...this is crucial as some foods can actually kill you friendly gut bacteria. I you wish you can google Microbiome, gut bacteria and skin flora...you will encounter a whole world of information and you'll understand that the beings that live in your body have functions to achieve and that if you disturb their ecosystem you'll pay for the consecuences

If you have any questions please post and I will answer you. I know this could be a very frustrating condition.

 

Dear Andrew,

while reading your take on here on SA I feel you're reflecting my situation which I had for more then 10 years for now, at first I had the samll acnes over my face and chin areas but with the passage of time the situation become worse and worsen for me, the acne spread all over my Scalp, Back and armpit areas and become vulgar and sever which are not bearable for me, FYI i was on bed for almost 6 month bcz of SA and took on ventilator to show me to the Derm specialist. I feel at some point of time that your's and mine situation is almost the same as you said utilizing many random antibiotics and shampoo make my skin really thin and change the behavior of my skin as well, I tried everything as you did, but nothing works for me, I took accutane 3 times as u did and after 12 or so months of rest the acne returned in more worse condition. 
So plz advice me your best so that I can also get  rid of this monster forever as it really suffered me very badly i.e my social life, married life, my ecnomics and alot more.

plz advice me some best treatment and medicines the one you used for your treatment.

Thanks and Regards
Ali Khan
 

Hi. the best treatment that I've found as I said before is to stop washing with harsh "anti-acne " or anti anything shampoos and soap. You can wash with a mild antidandruff shampoo, like selsun blue moisture ( that has aloe in it) or the other one I used was Free & Clear. Those will not get rid of your problem, but they are way better than any harsh medicated shampoo. Those should be used every other day at first and way less later. In between washes you can use a soft back brush with water only in the shower (you should wash your brush with soap after you use it and keep it clean and dry). The trick is to slowly try to space out your shampoo washes until you use them only once a week or less. The same protocol can be applied to your body. For face I'd recommend you to just wash with water and nothing else. In the beggining your condition could worsen but after it would start to subside. For me this period was like 2-3 months. Also you should change your diet to a plant based diet or eliminate dairy and sugar rich processed foods at least. Dairy is a no no for anyone that has acne, folliculitis or eczema like conditions.

Also the one thing I forgot to mention before is that I now shower with cold water only and with a shower filter. I mean cold as without a heater, it will be terrible at first but then it becomes like a nice morning ritual, and you'll feel invencible :). This will radically change your skin. You see when tap water passes through the heater, there's a lot of heavy metals that flows into your shower and most filters don't catch them when the water is hot, so if you use cold water and a water filter, you'll be taken full advantage of your filter and be sure that the water you're using its pure. Pure water is antiinflamatory and a moisturizing agent for the skin, and on the other hand tap water contains chlorine and heavy metals that are all the contrary, meaning they are inflamatory and drying agents....chlorine kills the natural microbiome of your skin on touch.

I won't recommend you any other medical treatment because after 15 years non of them worked for me, and I now think were main culprits in making a simple contidion became a chronic one. On the other hand doing the things I mentioned above I've stayed clear for the last 18 months or more now.  So try to do this things and the others I've mentioned above like zinc and probiotic supplementation and the AO+Mist and let me know how you're doing please.

the picture attached (not a great one) is from my scalp 5 months into not using shampoo, changing mi diet and using the brush, and from an area of the scalp where I used to have tons of pimples and redness ( i use my hair very short). unfortunately I don't have any pictures from before...I'm sorry.

Thanks bro for ur on time reply and give me some nice advice of urs, I'm on oratane now as my situation became worse after day by day so i decided to go for it once more time to get atleast some relief for time being and then follow urs directions, for diet I'm doing not too bad as I'm most of the time taking vegetables and may be once or twice some fast food if i desire so.
so thanks for ur kind reply and will let u know once being on ur dosage.

On 9/28/2017 at 2:40 PM, AndrewSA said:

This will not be a quick answer but bare with me because I found something it worked for me after 15 years. Also my english is no so good because it's not my main language.

So....I took accutane 3 times in my life for getting rid of SA (scalp acne or scalp folliculitis). Quick ansewer is that accutane didn't worked to get rid of the problem and plus it change my skin forever. My normal "mild" acne (face, chest and back) was gone with the first time I took it, and the other two times I took it was specifically for SA. The last time I took it it desapeared for 8  or 10 months, but slowly but surely it returned and worst because my skin as I said is no longer like it use to. I took 60 mg/day and 40mg/day the last time for 6 months all the times.

I've been dealing with this condition for more than 15 years and over this period I've been to 6 dermatologists (my dad is an MD so no problem going to the doctor or get prescriptions). I've also done numerous tests (biopsies, culture samples etc). Some of the tests came out negative, and others came out positive for staph aureus or pityrosporum (the dandruff fungus). I've taken 4 months of doxicicline, and 4 months more of rifampicin and all that did was made me clear for a couple of months or so. In the fungal spectrum I've taken 2 months of ketoconazole and 6 months of fluconazole with more or less the same results as the antibiotics. Ive also tried all the natural remedies from tumeric to oregano oil, neem, baking soda, acv, tea tree oil, and lots more. Also I've tried I think all shampoos in the market, from organics to highly medical grade ones...and even two dog shampoos...yes really.

I'm an engineer so I'm all about science. So I've been researching this problem for more than 3 years (for real). About two years ago I came out with an hypothesis. I believe this problem to be a dysbiosis. That is, a condition where your normal skin and internal flora is disturbed. This could be because of the use of broad spectrum antibiotics at a young age and/or an over use of harsh chemicals in your body like harsh shampoos and unfiltered water even.

With this hypothesis in mind I finally found a method that keeps me clear 99.999% of the time. I say this because maybe once every 3 months or less I get the occasional pimple, but they're very small, not painful at all and it goes in one or two days top, and that is because I get sick or if I take certain medications.  So, this is what I did:

1.-I used selenium sulfide shampoo (aka Selsun Blue..the green label one with aloe) every other day at an initial stage.
2.- In between this shampoo I use only water to wash my hair, but I massage my scalp with a back brush for a couple of minutes and then rinse with cold water. I never use hot water. I also use a water filter in my shower.
3.- I take a zinc supplement (30mg a day) and a full spectrum probiotic daily.
4.-I changed my diet to a more or less vegan diet and or an SCD diet.
4.- I also use now a friendly skin bacteria in a form of a product called AO+Mist. This is amonia oxidizing bacteria, that should be naturally found in your skin, but gets washed away with shampoo and antibiotics or even simple tap water. This is a little expensive but I only use a little bit so it lasts me a lot. This days I almost never use it in fact.

At first when I started doing this I had an initial worsening of my SA, but slowly but surely, the condition started to subside and my scalp became normal again. I've been doing this for almost 2 years now and about a year or so I stopped using the shampoo and using only water to wash my hair along with the brush. Also every other week or so I use the AO+Mist and I try not to get my hair dirty with chemicals like paint or other, in order not to have to wash my hair with shampoo. In this regard sweat is fine to wash with water only but not in the first few months. In fact that was the main reason I use the selenium sulfide shampoo...I go to the gym a lot and those days I always use a small amount of selsun blue. Doing these I've been clear for the last 18 months or so.

I saw you post this in july so by now if you're still taking accutane you should be getting clear. The thing is it won't last...I'm sorry but it was true for me, and many other people I've talked to over the years. Accutane is a drug that is dose dependant, so when you stop taking it the problem comes back and you end up with dry sensitive skin. My skin was normal before I took accutane. I mean I had SA, but after accutane I had eczema like rashes and very flaky skin. Now after years, I'm fine, but I still experience dry skin in some parts of my body in winter and still have sensitive skin. If i could turn the clock around I wish I never had took accutane and antibiotics.

So my final advice to you is to finish your treatment with accutane as directed by your MD, and then start to work on getting your normal skin flora back on balance. I don't advice you to use selsun while on accutane though, but as your scalp gets dry with accutane you could start using the scalp brush and water only to wash your hair, in this way the change from shampoo to no poo, would not be so dramatic. Also, if you can get your hands on AO+Mist, you could start spraying your head with good bacteria while the bad guys are starving because of accutane, and take probiotics along with a dietary change...this is crucial as some foods can actually kill you friendly gut bacteria. I you wish you can google Microbiome, gut bacteria and skin flora...you will encounter a whole world of information and you'll understand that the beings that live in your body have functions to achieve and that if you disturb their ecosystem you'll pay for the consecuences

If you have any questions please post and I will answer you. I know this could be a very frustrating condition.

 

Hey Mahroosh,

I've been following your treatment and im happy to say it seems to working, although very slowly. Ive only had the condition for a year, but my hair has fallen out like crazy. I have many hair follicles so its not apparent to onlookers yet but its very apparent to me. Did you experience hair fall when you had this condition, and did it go away when you treated it? Every time I go into the shower I shed so much hair and it makes me super depressed. Would love to hear back from you. 

On 9/28/2017 at 3:40 PM, AndrewSA said:

This will not be a quick answer but bare with me because I found something it worked for me after 15 years. Also my english is no so good because it's not my main language.

So....I took accutane 3 times in my life for getting rid of SA (scalp acne or scalp folliculitis). Quick ansewer is that accutane didn't worked to get rid of the problem and plus it change my skin forever. My normal "mild" acne (face, chest and back) was gone with the first time I took it, and the other two times I took it was specifically for SA. The last time I took it it desapeared for 8  or 10 months, but slowly but surely it returned and worst because my skin as I said is no longer like it use to. I took 60 mg/day and 40mg/day the last time for 6 months all the times.

I've been dealing with this condition for more than 15 years and over this period I've been to 6 dermatologists (my dad is an MD so no problem going to the doctor or get prescriptions). I've also done numerous tests (biopsies, culture samples etc). Some of the tests came out negative, and others came out positive for staph aureus or pityrosporum (the dandruff fungus). I've taken 4 months of doxicicline, and 4 months more of rifampicin and all that did was made me clear for a couple of months or so. In the fungal spectrum I've taken 2 months of ketoconazole and 6 months of fluconazole with more or less the same results as the antibiotics. Ive also tried all the natural remedies from tumeric to oregano oil, neem, baking soda, acv, tea tree oil, and lots more. Also I've tried I think all shampoos in the market, from organics to highly medical grade ones...and even two dog shampoos...yes really.

I'm an engineer so I'm all about science. So I've been researching this problem for more than 3 years (for real). About two years ago I came out with an hypothesis. I believe this problem to be a dysbiosis. That is, a condition where your normal skin and internal flora is disturbed. This could be because of the use of broad spectrum antibiotics at a young age and/or an over use of harsh chemicals in your body like harsh shampoos and unfiltered water even.

With this hypothesis in mind I finally found a method that keeps me clear 99.999% of the time. I say this because maybe once every 3 months or less I get the occasional pimple, but they're very small, not painful at all and it goes in one or two days top, and that is because I get sick or if I take certain medications.  So, this is what I did:

1.-I used selenium sulfide shampoo (aka Selsun Blue..the green label one with aloe) every other day at an initial stage.
2.- In between this shampoo I use only water to wash my hair, but I massage my scalp with a back brush for a couple of minutes and then rinse with cold water. I never use hot water. I also use a water filter in my shower.
3.- I take a zinc supplement (30mg a day) and a full spectrum probiotic daily.
4.-I changed my diet to a more or less vegan diet and or an SCD diet.
4.- I also use now a friendly skin bacteria in a form of a product called AO+Mist. This is amonia oxidizing bacteria, that should be naturally found in your skin, but gets washed away with shampoo and antibiotics or even simple tap water. This is a little expensive but I only use a little bit so it lasts me a lot. This days I almost never use it in fact.

At first when I started doing this I had an initial worsening of my SA, but slowly but surely, the condition started to subside and my scalp became normal again. I've been doing this for almost 2 years now and about a year or so I stopped using the shampoo and using only water to wash my hair along with the brush. Also every other week or so I use the AO+Mist and I try not to get my hair dirty with chemicals like paint or other, in order not to have to wash my hair with shampoo. In this regard sweat is fine to wash with water only but not in the first few months. In fact that was the main reason I use the selenium sulfide shampoo...I go to the gym a lot and those days I always use a small amount of selsun blue. Doing these I've been clear for the last 18 months or so.

I saw you post this in july so by now if you're still taking accutane you should be getting clear. The thing is it won't last...I'm sorry but it was true for me, and many other people I've talked to over the years. Accutane is a drug that is dose dependant, so when you stop taking it the problem comes back and you end up with dry sensitive skin. My skin was normal before I took accutane. I mean I had SA, but after accutane I had eczema like rashes and very flaky skin. Now after years, I'm fine, but I still experience dry skin in some parts of my body in winter and still have sensitive skin. If i could turn the clock around I wish I never had took accutane and antibiotics.

So my final advice to you is to finish your treatment with accutane as directed by your MD, and then start to work on getting your normal skin flora back on balance. I don't advice you to use selsun while on accutane though, but as your scalp gets dry with accutane you could start using the scalp brush and water only to wash your hair, in this way the change from shampoo to no poo, would not be so dramatic. Also, if you can get your hands on AO+Mist, you could start spraying your head with good bacteria while the bad guys are starving because of accutane, and take probiotics along with a dietary change...this is crucial as some foods can actually kill you friendly gut bacteria. I you wish you can google Microbiome, gut bacteria and skin flora...you will encounter a whole world of information and you'll understand that the beings that live in your body have functions to achieve and that if you disturb their ecosystem you'll pay for the consecuences

If you have any questions please post and I will answer you. I know this could be a very frustrating condition.

 

Hi I like your post and have some questions 

I have been dealing with this for over 8 years now , tried diff antibiotics multiple times it only helps while I am on them and comes right back when i stop taking them ... it all started when I had bad acne on my face and back in 2010 for which I saw dermatologist and was prescribed minocycline and Accutane which I took for about 8-10 months with some topical drugs then and until then I never had scalp acne before that but by the end of my treatment I started getting scalp acne and it has so far refused to leave me 

I have been able to keep it under control with every other day shampooing my hair with head and shoulders menthol and tea tree oil etc 

recently I saw a gp and she did dermatologist consult who suggested to be back on Epuris (Accutane) 40mg/day But I am not very confident to try it this time as when I started getting SA I was on Accutane so chances of curing it are unlikely and even if it does I am afraid it will relapse so why put my body through all those side effects only to end up back in same situation as I am

now 

so I am very much interested in your treatment regimen ... you said you used scalp back brush so I have long hair how is this going to work? And do you mean you massaged your scalp in shower with back brush?? Sorry but I havnt heard of a back brush so not really sure what is it ....Wouldn™t this scratch/peel off the pustules ? 

Also, How long did you take zinc supplement for? And where can I find Ao+ mist??and which probiotics have you been taking specifically ?

thanks 

On 9/29/2017 at 2:40 AM, AndrewSA said:

This will not be a quick answer but bare with me because I found something it worked for me after 15 years. Also my english is no so good because it's not my main language.

So....I took accutane 3 times in my life for getting rid of SA (scalp acne or scalp folliculitis). Quick ansewer is that accutane didn't worked to get rid of the problem and plus it change my skin forever. My normal "mild" acne (face, chest and back) was gone with the first time I took it, and the other two times I took it was specifically for SA. The last time I took it it desapeared for 8  or 10 months, but slowly but surely it returned and worst because my skin as I said is no longer like it use to. I took 60 mg/day and 40mg/day the last time for 6 months all the times.

I've been dealing with this condition for more than 15 years and over this period I've been to 6 dermatologists (my dad is an MD so no problem going to the doctor or get prescriptions). I've also done numerous tests (biopsies, culture samples etc). Some of the tests came out negative, and others came out positive for staph aureus or pityrosporum (the dandruff fungus). I've taken 4 months of doxicicline, and 4 months more of rifampicin and all that did was made me clear for a couple of months or so. In the fungal spectrum I've taken 2 months of ketoconazole and 6 months of fluconazole with more or less the same results as the antibiotics. Ive also tried all the natural remedies from tumeric to oregano oil, neem, baking soda, acv, tea tree oil, and lots more. Also I've tried I think all shampoos in the market, from organics to highly medical grade ones...and even two dog shampoos...yes really.

I'm an engineer so I'm all about science. So I've been researching this problem for more than 3 years (for real). About two years ago I came out with an hypothesis. I believe this problem to be a dysbiosis. That is, a condition where your normal skin and internal flora is disturbed. This could be because of the use of broad spectrum antibiotics at a young age and/or an over use of harsh chemicals in your body like harsh shampoos and unfiltered water even.

With this hypothesis in mind I finally found a method that keeps me clear 99.999% of the time. I say this because maybe once every 3 months or less I get the occasional pimple, but they're very small, not painful at all and it goes in one or two days top, and that is because I get sick or if I take certain medications.  So, this is what I did:

1.-I used selenium sulfide shampoo (aka Selsun Blue..the green label one with aloe) every other day at an initial stage.
2.- In between this shampoo I use only water to wash my hair, but I massage my scalp with a back brush for a couple of minutes and then rinse with cold water. I never use hot water. I also use a water filter in my shower.
3.- I take a zinc supplement (30mg a day) and a full spectrum probiotic daily.
4.-I changed my diet to a more or less vegan diet and or an SCD diet.
4.- I also use now a friendly skin bacteria in a form of a product called AO+Mist. This is amonia oxidizing bacteria, that should be naturally found in your skin, but gets washed away with shampoo and antibiotics or even simple tap water. This is a little expensive but I only use a little bit so it lasts me a lot. This days I almost never use it in fact.

At first when I started doing this I had an initial worsening of my SA, but slowly but surely, the condition started to subside and my scalp became normal again. I've been doing this for almost 2 years now and about a year or so I stopped using the shampoo and using only water to wash my hair along with the brush. Also every other week or so I use the AO+Mist and I try not to get my hair dirty with chemicals like paint or other, in order not to have to wash my hair with shampoo. In this regard sweat is fine to wash with water only but not in the first few months. In fact that was the main reason I use the selenium sulfide shampoo...I go to the gym a lot and those days I always use a small amount of selsun blue. Doing these I've been clear for the last 18 months or so.

I saw you post this in july so by now if you're still taking accutane you should be getting clear. The thing is it won't last...I'm sorry but it was true for me, and many other people I've talked to over the years. Accutane is a drug that is dose dependant, so when you stop taking it the problem comes back and you end up with dry sensitive skin. My skin was normal before I took accutane. I mean I had SA, but after accutane I had eczema like rashes and very flaky skin. Now after years, I'm fine, but I still experience dry skin in some parts of my body in winter and still have sensitive skin. If i could turn the clock around I wish I never had took accutane and antibiotics.

So my final advice to you is to finish your treatment with accutane as directed by your MD, and then start to work on getting your normal skin flora back on balance. I don't advice you to use selsun while on accutane though, but as your scalp gets dry with accutane you could start using the scalp brush and water only to wash your hair, in this way the change from shampoo to no poo, would not be so dramatic. Also, if you can get your hands on AO+Mist, you could start spraying your head with good bacteria while the bad guys are starving because of accutane, and take probiotics along with a dietary change...this is crucial as some foods can actually kill you friendly gut bacteria. I you wish you can google Microbiome, gut bacteria and skin flora...you will encounter a whole world of information and you'll understand that the beings that live in your body have functions to achieve and that if you disturb their ecosystem you'll pay for the consecuences

If you have any questions please post and I will answer you. I know this could be a very frustrating condition.

 

On 10/17/2017 at 2:03 AM, AndrewSA said:

Hi. the best treatment that I've found as I said before is to stop washing with harsh "anti-acne " or anti anything shampoos and soap. You can wash with a mild antidandruff shampoo, like selsun blue moisture ( that has aloe in it) or the other one I used was Free & Clear. Those will not get rid of your problem, but they are way better than any harsh medicated shampoo. Those should be used every other day at first and way less later. In between washes you can use a soft back brush with water only in the shower (you should wash your brush with soap after you use it and keep it clean and dry). The trick is to slowly try to space out your shampoo washes until you use them only once a week or less. The same protocol can be applied to your body. For face I'd recommend you to just wash with water and nothing else. In the beggining your condition could worsen but after it would start to subside. For me this period was like 2-3 months. Also you should change your diet to a plant based diet or eliminate dairy and sugar rich processed foods at least. Dairy is a no no for anyone that has acne, folliculitis or eczema like conditions.

Also the one thing I forgot to mention before is that I now shower with cold water only and with a shower filter. I mean cold as without a heater, it will be terrible at first but then it becomes like a nice morning ritual, and you'll feel invencible :). This will radically change your skin. You see when tap water passes through the heater, there's a lot of heavy metals that flows into your shower and most filters don't catch them when the water is hot, so if you use cold water and a water filter, you'll be taken full advantage of your filter and be sure that the water you're using its pure. Pure water is antiinflamatory and a moisturizing agent for the skin, and on the other hand tap water contains chlorine and heavy metals that are all the contrary, meaning they are inflamatory and drying agents....chlorine kills the natural microbiome of your skin on touch.

I won't recommend you any other medical treatment because after 15 years non of them worked for me, and I now think were main culprits in making a simple contidion became a chronic one. On the other hand doing the things I mentioned above I've stayed clear for the last 18 months or more now.  So try to do this things and the others I've mentioned above like zinc and probiotic supplementation and the AO+Mist and let me know how you're doing please.

the picture attached (not a great one) is from my scalp 5 months into not using shampoo, changing mi diet and using the brush, and from an area of the scalp where I used to have tons of pimples and redness ( i use my hair very short). unfortunately I don't have any pictures from before...I'm sorry.

 

Thanks Andrew for you gentle and honest write up. I'm sorry as I found your reply just a week before and couldn't manage to get back to you at time. I wish I would have the same texture and complexion one day in near future.

I'l keep u updated once I'l start your procedure. So please wish me good luck and I'm hopeful to have the same effects as u entertained with your treatment.

Im gong to purchased all the required medicines and shampoo tomorrow.

plz keep in touch.