Notifications
Clear all

Best Shampoo For Scalp Acne?

 
MemberMember
2
(@dukebluedevils)

Posted : 12/03/2012 9:15 pm

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...

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@torquemonster)

Posted : 12/08/2012 11:04 pm

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.

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 01/02/2013 9:59 am

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.

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@torquemonster)

Posted : 01/05/2013 3:13 am

 

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.

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 01/05/2013 5:51 am

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.

Quote
MemberMember
5
(@torquemonster)

Posted : 01/06/2013 9:27 pm

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.

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 04/15/2013 8:10 am

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. sad.png

I'll have to look round for something else.

Quote
MemberMember
122
(@ayeaye)

Posted : 04/15/2013 9:21 pm

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. :(

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 04/16/2013 10:34 am

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. sad.png

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!

Quote
MemberMember
122
(@ayeaye)

Posted : 04/17/2013 1:31 am

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 :)

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 04/19/2013 7:08 am

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.

Quote
MemberMember
122
(@ayeaye)

Posted : 04/22/2013 4:06 am

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

Manticore liked
Quote
MemberMember
1
(@wijhe)

Posted : 04/23/2013 9:35 am

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.

Manticore liked
Quote
MemberMember
5
(@damnlife)

Posted : 04/25/2013 5:59 pm

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

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 07/23/2013 6:26 am

Basil here...err, I mean Manticore here again.

Another 3 month trial of my latest shampoo with no change to my scalp acne...grrr.

I'm now going to try Ceanel for 3 months, as recommended in this thread:-

 

I have already tried H&S, so if Ceanel doesn't work, I will give wijhe's suggestion a try.

Quote
MemberMember
122
(@ayeaye)

Posted : 07/23/2013 8:17 am

Basil Blake! What a bummer the shampoo didn't work. Good luck with trial number two, my favourite guinea pig. :)

Manticore liked
Quote
MemberMember
0
(@saki)

Posted : 11/01/2013 7:10 pm

found this old tread, don't know if topic starter is still looking for a solution, but here's my experience

Also have this problem for almost a year now! I tried switching my hair products and already use no other hair styling products. I thought maybe Head and Shoulders would work, and it did give me some relieve in the beginning. But then it just got back to were it was, and now it's even worse as to it hurts when going to sleep.

Also for others who may try H&S, it's a very agressive shampoo and not recomended for a long term use, it did cause my hair to fall out!

+Tea tree oil didn't work :(

I'm now trying a shampoo bar from Lush, with almost all natural products. Am going to try the hand sanitizer thing and see if that makes a change !

Did you found something that works for you yet?

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 11/05/2013 8:23 am

Yet another 3 months have passed & yet another "no change" using Ceanel.

So far I have tried:-

Head & Shoulders

Tea Tree oil

Nizoral

Ceanel

Olay gentle face wash

Neutrogena visibly clear face wash

Alamay hair/body wash

I have given them all a 3 month trial. I might also try the hand sanitiser. I also wonder what effect my Neutrogena body clear body wash (with 2% salicylic acid) might have on my hair. There are no warnings telling you not to use it as a shampoo on the bottle.

Still toying with the idea of mixing in a small amount of BP in with the shampoo.

Quote
MemberMember
0
(@fishstix)

Posted : 06/27/2014 5:06 pm

Fishstix here. Have had scalp acne for a few years now. Became very frustrated. I get at least 5 new pimples every morning with new ones forming all day. I have a bad habit of pop in them and it probably isn't helping. It also probably Doran help that I have to wear a hat to work everyday. I tried h&s but I didn't work. Went to o bb lyrics shampooing every few days. Then I started not using shampoo at all. This might seem silly but the only thing that has worked is not showering for a few days. They magically just go away yet the downside ia you stink. And you just cant go without showering. I recently started using h&s again and its making it worse. My face is even breaking out. If I make any breakthrough I will post it here.

Quote
MemberMember
7
(@manticore)

Posted : 06/28/2014 11:16 am

Since my last post I tried using Carex aloe vera hand sanitiser on my hair for 3 months. It didn't appear to make any difference, although it did seem to dry in small clumps & fall out like dandruff when it had fully dried.

I am currently using T/Gel therapeutic shampoo which has been giving the best results so far. It hasn't completely eliminated my scalp acne, but has noticably reduced it.

Quote
MemberMember
2
(@xc60)

Posted : 06/30/2014 12:23 am

Try Johnson's Head-To-Toe Baby Wash, and some Triple Antibiotic Ointment! This one-two punch has killed it for me, try it!

Quote
MemberMember
1
(@tom-busby)

Posted : 06/30/2014 2:51 am

Try Hegor 150 climbazole shampoo, sold on eBay. It's fairly effective but has harsh SLS and SLES surfactants, so it's not perfect.

Quote
MemberMember
1
(@tarkus)

Posted : 07/22/2014 7:20 am

Manticore:

I'd like to comment on your situation.

I suffered with Mature Adult Acne for a long time. Eventually, after a couple of years of late-onset scalp acne, I was referred to Prof WJ Cunliffe at the Leeds Nuffield. (I believe he has now retired) Prof Cunliffe is The leading expert on acne and he prescribed me 'low-dose, long-term isotretinoin'.

This is a treatment plan he pioneered, suited to mature adults with recalcitrant acne, not just scalp acne. He had many patients using his system.

For me, the dose was 40mg on Monday and Friday, and the results on my scalp acne was almost immediate and prolonged. It also completely cleared up those niggling, annoying and embarrassing breakouts I'd had for years.

With low-dose treatment, I didnt need blood-tests, I had no side-effects and the clearance was 100%. If I stopped taking the isotretinoin, the acne would reappear eventually, but two weeks of low-dose had it back under total control.

I would add that I'm no stranger to isotretinoin. I'd had three full courses, one in the USA and two prescribed in the UK, over a 10 year period. Very rare to need even a second course. I've read isotretinoin horor stories but none applied to me. Side effects are all dose-related and easy to control.

It's a blind hope that acne will eventually fade away, but it's impossible to say when. Trying and trialing all combinations of expensive products is demoralising. Isotretinoin is a proven, well-researched, cost-effective and totally effective way forward.

Your GP will not precribe it. The waiting list for an NHS dermatologist is months. A private consultant Derm would be far more likely to prescribe the low-dose if he's at all familiar with Prof Cunliffe's work. He should be. I eventually saw a derm on the NHS who continued my treatment, as he'd been a student under Prof Cunliffe.

I would add that in the late '90s I was writing a book on acne, using my collection of 1100 research papers on every possible acne treatment. However threats of expensive legal action from a big pharmaceutical company who didn't like my conclusions on their product meant I had to shelve it, so I know a great deal about the subject.

I found your post because I'm looking at a suitable shampoo. Betadine was my most effective choice previously. Although I keep a stock of 20mg isotretinoin, I don't like to use it if I have just one or two painful scalp spots now and again. If it returned to previous levels, I would not hesitiate to start the low-dose regime once more.

Hope this information is useful to you.

tadd001 liked
Quote
MemberMember
31
(@psychokitty)

Posted : 07/23/2014 12:11 pm

I used to use dessert essence tea tree replenishing shampoo and it worked really well. I think I'm starting to get scalp acne again because of the well water here is so harsh with iron it builds up on my scalp. I'm going to try a apple cider vinegar rinse which gets rid of any build up. Apparently it doesn't smell at all after it dries.

Quote
MemberMember
0
(@germandolls)

Posted : 07/30/2014 10:52 am

I dont know if this could apply to anyone here, but me personally, I have really sensitive skin so a lot of shampoos that have the chemicals and fragrance in it makes my scalp break out...
ive been using Dessert Essence unscented shampoo and conditioner, it is all natural oils, no SLS, no fragrance, and I haven't had any problems on my scalp with it

Quote