How should I treat my itchy, burning, painful scalp?

[donkifocker]

Hi, fellow male pattern baldness sufferers.

For the past 6 months I have been enduring a painful, itchy, burning scalp that has been shedding in a diffuse pattern at a rapid pace. In the beginning it was only oily and itchy. Now just the act of touching the itchy areas with my fingers, gives me this feeling of getting pricked with pin and needles. I can literally feel these tiny painful bumps all over my scalp.

I was on this anti-fugel foam that my doctor recommended. It didn't seem to do much except cause even more pain since my scalp was so raw and inflammed already. After each application, it felt like acid was poured on my scalp.

I know that there is some degree of inflammation in all men who are suffering male pattern baldness. Is my male pattern baldness progressing at such a break-neck speed that it is causing this heavily inflammed scalp? Any suggestions on how I should approach this problem?

 

[raj47]

it happens to everybody and i have to say (everyone say) try Nizoral and
it will take care your itch and pain but it will take long time .

 

[Brains Expel Hair]

Part of the male pattern baldness experience is the fun inflammation. In order to keep the symptoms in check try going on Nizoral for a while along with finding another "good for hair growth" shampoo to use in the off days. I use one with tea tree and peppermint oils that does wonders for calming the itching. Additionally, look into your diet for any possible allergens or other foods that are causing systemic inflammation. If you are regularly consuming a very poor diet or one that just doesn't work well with your digestive system's genetic blueprint then this could exacerbate the inflammation and worsen the progression of your male pattern baldness.

 

[donkifocker]

Part of the male pattern baldness experience is the fun inflammation. In order to keep the symptoms in check try going on Nizoral for a while along with finding another "good for hair growth" shampoo to use in the off days. I use one with tea tree and peppermint oils that does wonders for calming the itching. Additionally, look into your diet for any possible allergens or other foods that are causing systemic inflammation. If you are regularly consuming a very poor diet or one that just doesn't work well with your digestive system's genetic blueprint then this could exacerbate the inflammation and worsen the progression of your male pattern baldness.

Thanks for the tip. I do know that inflammation is part of male pattern baldness. But from what I read, there are some people that bald never get any itch or pain. Is it possible that those whose male pattern baldness is progressing at a faster rate, are inclined to experience more inflammation?

From what I can observe, the hair that I have been shedding has not been replaced by thinner hair. I think my hair follicles are dying off instantly due to the heavy inflammation that is going on.
Is it possible that if there is so much presence of DHT attached to the follices,
that the hair follicle will perish before progressing through the cycles of miniturization?

No surprise, but my inflammation has worsened as my scalp got oilier and oiler.

 

[Brains Expel Hair]

ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE INCOMING (take with grain of salt):

Actually while I still get some sporadic itching my shedding has pretty much halted as of late. Until you mentioned your concern with inflammation being linked with heavily progressive balding I hadn't thought about it but in checking my pillow cases which I will reluctantly admit have not been washed in a couple of weeks I wasn't able to find a single strand of hair. Alternatively, a couple of weeks ago I did a major change up in my approach to treatment of my hair which did result in a large scale reduction in the frequency and level of severity of my scalp's inflammation.

Besides the (most likely fruitless) fungal cream what are you doing as far as treatment goes?

 

[Axl_Rose]

I did a major change up in my approach to treatment of my hair which did result in a large scale reduction in the frequency and level of severity of my scalp's inflammation.

I'm curious, what is your current treatment?

 

[Brains Expel Hair]

I'm hesitant to bring it up often because I know it can cause some problems for people desperately looking for hope. There are many different causes of hair loss and many different genes associated with it. MY RESULTS ARE ATYPICAL AND MOST LIKELY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY REASON WHY ANYONE ELSE READING THIS THREAD IS EXPERIENCING HAIR LOSS.

When I started losing my hair I started paying a lot more attention to the health of my body. In doing so I finally started to realize that a lot of foods were causing problems for me. I tried cutting out many different things that I thought were causing problems only to have the symptoms persist long after quitting what I thought was the problem food. At the beginning of this year I finally realized that the one thing I was avoiding considering was most likely the culprit, wheat. I work in food, I have always worked in food. I have only worked a total of 11 months outside of the food industry ever. Dropping wheat from my diet was almost like signing a death warrant for my career in my mind. Wheat and gluten derived from wheat like grains is found in the vast majority of processed foods in America as well as many restaurant foods. The gluten molecules themselves are responsible for not only the mouth feel but also some of the flavoring of most processed foods. Quitting wheat at first was one of the most difficult things I've ever done both physically and emotionally as I have always been a hardcore food addict. Turns out addict was a very apt way of describing what I was doing considering the effect gluten has on someone with a sensitivity towards it. Since quitting wheat for good (think I'm done with the relapses that occurred early on) every new day I feel a little more clear headed, more energetic and more driven. I just now got back from a run and realized I was able to go an additional 4 blocks over my normal distance and instead of feeling exhausted I feel even more energized than before. Also my chronic hypoglycemia has disappeared for now as well as that nice effect of not being able to notice any shedding.

I still get an itch on my head once or twice a day but it's nothing like the severe nonstop scratching that was occurring before and I'm having 0 dandruff.

As I said before however my results are atypical, the current estimates for gluten sensitivities are are about 12% of the american population so odds are this is not what's happening with anyone who reads this post. I will definitely however say that if you believe that your diet is slightly off it would be a fantastic idea to consult with a dietician long before you consider the random success story of someone on the internet.

Also I am on Nizoral and have been for almost a year now. The weeks before I quit wheat however the nizoral was doing basically nothing to alleviate the inflammation, nor was all of the aloe vera I was putting all over my head. I will most likely not quit Nizoral until I actually get regrowth on my head so take my whole diet story with a grain of salt.

 

[Carlos..]

I find if I use normal shampoos I do sometimes get the same feeling, not quite as bad as your describing but I still feel that warm sensation.

I find if I use Johnson’s baby shampoo I have no problems what so ever Try it

 

[b0ngman]

i know a less conventional way that may not be so well supported here...

for most of my life, i have been a swimmer... when i am out of the water for more than a week... my scalp starts to get itchy.... i think that the chlorine takes my scalp itch away

inb4 chlorine is catalyzing your male pattern baldness!!

 

[Carlos..]

So what do you suggest

 

[donkifocker]

Besides the (most likely fruitless) fungal cream what are you doing as far as treatment goes?

I have been using regular 1% Nizoral for about 4 months now and have begun using 2% just recently. I also just started with spironolactone 5% cream a few days ago. The anti-fungal hurt like a b**ch the first several applications due to the rawness of my scalp. It almost felt like acid was poured on my scalp. That might give you an idea of the current state of my inflammation. Should I get back on this anti-fungal foam?

1) Should I be focusing on reducing the inflammation? And therefore give the hair follicles a better condition to grow in.

2) Or should I get to the root of the problem which is causing all this? By blocking out DHT in my body through oral medication, ie Propecia.

 

[Deano74]

Propecia took away all my sore scalp and itching. It was driving me crazy.

I have gone back to 1 1mg tab a day as i have lost ground cutting them back to 0.5mg

I was also missing days in a row forgetting to take it and astounded how quick i was going back to were i started.

Propecia does work im hooked now and know i have to take it forever

 

[Brains Expel Hair]

DHT is not necessarily the root of the problem. Hormones are produced in response to a problem most often times as an effort by your body to fix a current imbalance. TAKING PROPECIA DOES NOT CURE YOU.

 

[donkifocker]

DHT is not necessarily the root of the problem. Hormones are produced in response to a problem most often times as an effort by your body to fix a current imbalance. TAKING PROPECIA DOES NOT CURE YOU.

Care to explain this? So male pattern baldness is due to hormonal imbalance, moreso than genetics?

 

[Brains Expel Hair]

Genetics can be the root cause of the male pattern baldness but that doesn't mean the problem only goes as deep as the sexual hormones. Hormones are produced in response to certain stimuli, while your genetics determines what type of hormones are produced and how much are produced for each stimuli that does not mean that it is a set in stone outcome. There's always the removal or alteration of the stimuli as an option.