I've been battling acne since I was about 11. I'm now 26. I was on Accutane twice. It did clear me up. I was put on BC (Yaz) when I was 18 to keep it clear. Yaz gave me bad cramps so I switched to Ortho Tri Cyclen. I was on that for a long time. I switched to Orsythia, thinking my skin needed a mono pill since I still had bouts of acne.My skin has seen good and bad days. However, since Accutane (I think) I have been battling scalp acne.
My scalp acne honestly bothers me more than my face anymore. I still break out on my nose since I have blackheads. My scalp is horrible. It's usually covered in acne, and yes it is acne not anything else. My derm just puts me on antibiotics and shampoo. I've also noticed recently I've been getting little pimples on my chest.... I never had chest acne!! Even on my worst days!
So now I almost want to go off BC because I feel like that is the issue and maybe I have an imbalance.My skin is the clearest during my period week. But my scalp never wants to clear. It only gets slight relief during that week.
I'm on antibiotics now and I feel so freakin relieved because it's the first time in a long time I don't have scalp acne. My hair isn't gross from it and i actually feel like it looks healthier too.
I'm afraid to have it come back. Derm thinks it's hormonal. What do I do and who has battled this before? Honestly just tired of it and want a long term fix, not pills and shampoo. It bothers me so much and it is so painful!
If the derm thinks it's hormonal, you couldask for a hormone test. If you know which specific hormones are causing it, it could be easier to treat. Eg. I use natural anti-androgens like Spearmint tea because I know androgens are part of the reason I get acne.
I get acne on my scalp too. It has improved since I started using a tea tree oil shampoo. However, this could be because mine is rosacea related, rather than just hormonal and tea tree oil is known to control demodex mite populations when used regularly.
Acne is a symptom of some other issue with your body. Unless you find out what that is, and treat the underlying cause, you're just temporarily relieving symptoms. Easier said than done though!!
No one will give me a hormone test! My primary says she doesn't do them. My OBGYN says she wouldn't even know what to give me since I'm on the pill and hormones fluctuate. It would be inaccurate. My dermatologist said the same thing. Now I know most of that is BS. I just feel like no one actually wants to help because then pharma loses one more customer. I'm about to buy DIM and just try it. I cut out gluten for the last three weeks and I'm breaking out like crazy on my nose. My scalp isn't as bad as usual, but still not that significant to say I have a gluten intolerance.
I know this sounds a bit patronising but have you tried swapping shampoo's? only because when I started using Aveda I noticed I would get lots of pimples on my scalp! ive always had a pimple here and there on my scalp because my hair is super oily but these were at the front and didn't seem to let up. when I stopped Aveda them pimples stopped and just back to the normal ones I get. Also when I became conscious of these pimples I tended to make sure I washed that area more and gave it a good scrub with offending shampoo which made it worse. I have a fringe (bangs) so it was hidden but in that area of head. interesting the other side I didn't scrub would get one now and then but not as bad as other side. I would try baby shampoo that doesn't strip hair so bad and just foam it up rather than rub your scalp just to see it helps. Head and shoulders might be useful as well but just don't scrub because its really drying. x
On 5/17/2017 at 6:20 PM, nikki_gargin said:I know this sounds a bit patronising but have you tried swapping shampoo's? only because when I started using Aveda I noticed I would get lots of pimples on my scalp! ive always had a pimple here and there on my scalp because my hair is super oily but these were at the front and didn't seem to let up. when I stopped Aveda them pimples stopped and just back to the normal ones I get. Also when I became conscious of these pimples I tended to make sure I washed that area more and gave it a good scrub with offending shampoo which made it worse. I have a fringe (bangs) so it was hidden but in that area of head. interesting the other side I didn't scrub would get one now and then but not as bad as other side. I would try baby shampoo that doesn't strip hair so bad and just foam it up rather than rub your scalp just to see it helps. Head and shoulders might be useful as well but just don't scrub because its really drying. x
I have had this problem since I was a kid/teen. I've tried tea tree oil shampoo. I only use sulfate free oil free expensive shampoo (living proof). I may try getting head and shoulders to see if it helps. But doesn't seem to be the issue. Thanks though.
On 5/19/2017 at 2:49 PM, nikki_gargin said:yeah aveda is expensive and gave me scalp acne! but you know your scalp so I don't know. try head and shoulders though work for peoples back acne x
Sulfate free and oil free so pretty sure it's not the shampoo. Will try that again. Wondering if anyone on the pill has had this issue. I actually tried doing the 3/4 hung to wean myself off. Ha. I got two large, painful cystic pimples. So looks like my body is wya too used to the pill.
I seen dr 4 days ago and probable cause on my head is folliculitis,i saw a dr in 2012 about it.
back in 2012 i was prescribed an antifungal shampoo bit my condition still stayed.anyways after reading someones post somewhere here on the forum who had pretty much same as me,i decided to try yo get it sorted.
i was prescribed dermol 500,it can be bought also.
been using it for few days now and i can tell my scalp is healing/clearing up.whether it rids it completely i will have to wait and see.
so maybe you have folliculitis and maybe dermol 500?
On 5/25/2017 at 8:26 PM, Quadboy said:I seen dr 4 days ago and probable cause on my head is folliculitis,i saw a dr in 2012 about it.
back in 2012 i was prescribed an antifungal shampoo bit my condition still stayed.anyways after reading someones post somewhere here on the forum who had pretty much same as me,i decided to try yo get it sorted.
i was prescribed dermol 500,it can be bought also.
been using it for few days now and i can tell my scalp is healing/clearing up.whether it rids it completely i will have to wait and see.
so maybe you have folliculitis and maybe dermol 500?
Follicultis looks more like a rash, right? Mine are actual pimples. I've been eating 99% GF, drinking peppermint/spearmint tea, and taking milk thistle. Last two weeks of the pill and my scalp has been clear. Now when I start it again the real test will be the first two weeks. If I'm still clear than the above items are working.
No,folliculitis also produces postule/head type pimples.in the earlier stages my head went ted and at the edges of the red patchs people could see drying flaky skin.i observed it myself in mirror but people who did my hair saw it.
i been ising dermol 500 for week now and it seem to calm the rash definately.whether it works and stops it i dont know,its a case of running out of the cream and see what its like.
On May 30, 2017 at 4:29 PM, Quadboy said:No,folliculitis also produces postule/head type pimples.in the earlier stages my head went ted and at the edges of the red patchs people could see drying flaky skin.i observed it myself in mirror but people who did my hair saw it.
i been ising dermol 500 for week now and it seem to calm the rash definately.whether it works and stops it i dont know,its a case of running out of the cream and see what its like.
Hmm. That could very well be this is. However, I accidentally ate wheat germ in a salad recently. My head broke out the next day and my chest. It's still horrible so I'm guessing I should be very conscious from now on with gluten.
This may sound bizarre but......I suffered from scalp spots for 4 years, tried every medical solution.......until I came to the conclusion that the dermatologist was clueless.......eventually I saw a correlation between sleeping on my back and the height of the pillow.....this caused spots in different locations on the scalp......I started to sleep on my side with a low pillow. A complete cure.....who would have guessed.....obviously not the dermatologist......