Product recs for Chronic Dermatitis

[aradia_rising]

My bf is a total sweetheart with a terrible case of chronic dermatitis on his scalp. He says he's tried dandruff shampoos and won't go to a dermatologist or get a doctor to look at it because once they tried poking him with a needle. :rolleyes: I'm a fixer and I want to give him a solution because he's really self-conscious about it but whatever it is needs to be easy (he doesn't even bother to wash his face! :agape:) I was thinking about Chagrin Valley Neem & Tea Tree Body & Hair Shampoo, does anyone have experiences with this or have other suggestions?
Please and thank you!

[motormuffin]

Maybe list the stuff he's tried and if something worked at all...there are a ton of dandruff shampoos and they all have different active ingredients. Is it only on his scalp or anywhere else on his skin?

[Nocturnal]

For starters cut out SLS shampoos if he's using any.

[melikai]

My BF had a similar thing on his scalp. What has virtually eliminated the flakies is stopping using shampoos with sulfates (can take some adjusting in the production of oils on the scalp, so give it time), and no silicones. He also was using a dandruff shampoo before, which made the problem MUCH worse.

I haven't tried the Chagrin Valley shampoo bar you mentioned, however keep in mind that that could be a pretty drastic transition, from a very harsh dandruff shampoo to an all-natural shampoo bar. Shampoo bars can be tricky to change to from much more mild shampoos than that, and can require acid rinses afterwards, amongst other things. Perhaps first try a liquid sulfate-free shampoo?

[aradia_rising]

He uses uber-scented Axe 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner :rolleyes: (because, as I said he's quite lazy)
I don't have a ton of confidence that he'd be patient enough and really into "fixing" the issue to go gradually or do a lot of steps so I was hoping the shampoo bar could be the one-stop type fix. I think I may get him a sample size and if he doesn't go for it I can pawn it off on my little brother who has similar (but far less severe) problems

[saskia_madding]

Honestly, for my itchy scalp going sulfate free was a good start, but the micro organisms on my scalp eventually went crazy and munched my hair. I need something strong to kill them but didn't want to go back to sulfates.

Borax has been the answer for me. It is a highly contested issue and there are a lot of heated threads here. But since I started using it my scalp and hair problems have disappeared, and several people have PMed me to admit to using it with great success also.

[pelicano]

I have seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp and around my hairline. I have tried many many things, and the best thing I've found is using a mild SLS-free shampoo that doesn't contain aloe vera gel (many seem to, and my scalp hates it), and using vegetable glycerine on my scalp. I put it on at night and wash it out in the morning.

[Fractalsofhair]

Shampoo bars work well for me. Is his scalp dry, or oily/damp? If he has a dry scalp, a once weekly hot oil treatment might work well.

[aradia_rising]

It's- I'm quite ashamed to say- gross. It's damp, greasy, large chunks of dead skin that feel like they get coated with the inside of a pimple. He's also got a fair amount of large, painful looking pimples behind his ears and at the base of his neck. He's also got a major bacne problem he's pretty sensitive about and I just want to take a magic wand and make it all go away. Thanks for everybody that's replied!

[Fractalsofhair]

Yikes. I would strongly suggest he sees a derm about it... Neem and tea tree will at least prevent it from getting infected though. I think they do make anti acne shampoos and body washes, designed for women, but he could use them. I'm going to guess it might be something with the shampoo if he has bacne.

[pelicano]

It sounds like seborrheic dermatitis to me - ie severe greasy dandruff. If you Google it you will come up with some (bleurgh!) images.

Would he be willing to try taking supplements? A good probiotic would probably be very helpful for his back. Also, fish oil helps my seborrheic dermatitis.

[aradia_rising]

pelicano: I looked up the different types of dermatitis and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is. I'm not sure how open he'd be to supplements- I don't think he'd be opposed, he'd probably just forget to take them.
Fractalsofhair: He went to a derm once and they may have suggested a biopsy and something to do with poking him with a needle so I'd have to knock him unconscous for him to go back. :rolleyes:

[Fractalsofhair]

aradia_rising-Ah. Ask him to ask a doctor if there's any way to figure it out without a biopsy? Definitely try to brush as much of it out as possible, then really scour the brushes.

[somethingducky]

First of all, I'd suggest throwing out the 2 in 1 hair/body wash. If he's the lazy type and wants an all in one product, I'm surprised that no one has suggested plain liquid castile soap. Target sells the Dr. Bronner's brand, some people find this too harsh but dilute it some and it's worth a shot. The touch of citric acid in the recipe may help clear things up. The website From Nature With Love also sells castile soap (regular and organic). May even adding some essential oils could help.

[Madame J]

If he uses Dr. Bronner's he may need to use a diluted vinegar rinse to reacidify his scalp afterwards. I used to use it as a shampoo occasionally, and my hair got kind of waxy-feeling and stiff if I didn't rinse with dilute ACV afterwards. Dr. Bronner's also makes a tea tree soap that is really good for cleaning things that might get infected. I've been using it on my cartilege piercings. There is also Dr. Bronner's Baby-Mild, which is completely unscented and was the only washing product I used for a month after I had a bad case of hives.

But, yeah, the first thing he really needs to do is get rid of all his scented products (anything with "fragrance" as an ingredient), and probably all his products with sulfates in them.

[Sister13]

Sounds like he's suffering from inflammation. He may want to review the acidic/alkaline balance of his diet & stress level. Also, consult an allergist -- folks allergic to wheat, pollen, mites, mildew, etc. may find relief by eliminating the triggers.

He's lucky to have you to love & care for him. :)

[Katze]

I agree, it does sound systemic.

Having had some form of sebhorreic dermatitis/eczema on my scalp and hairline for the past 20 years, going more natural has DEFINITELY helped. Throw out that scented junk! You are in the US, I presume? There are a lot of less expensive natural products in big supermarkets there (lucky!) that you can try for a while. He could just be allergic to perfumes or something.

Drinking more water and looking at his diet, ruling out any major problems, is also probably a good idea. Does he eat a lot of junk?

For me, I do need sulfate shampoos to get my scalp clean - once every couple of weeks or so. It has taken me time and effort to figure out what my scalp needs but it is MUCH happier.

The other things that work are honey (mixed with conditioner or as part of an SMT), vinegar rinses, and WO washing, but I would say your sweetie should start with seeing a doctor first since things sound so severe.

[aradia_rising]

Drinking more water and looking at his diet, ruling out any major problems, is also probably a good idea. Does he eat a lot of junk?


He eats the three major food groups: salt, sugar and preservatives :silly: His new year's resolution was to cut out carbonated beverages and drink a bit more water that way but he fell off the wagon this afternoon and has since amended the resolution to one coke a week. I think short of a major medical catastrophe there won't be any change in his eating habits, partly because he's not a whole foods fan and partly because he's not really into actively fixing the skin issues he has.

Thank you guys again- you've been really great and I know if I get any of these issues I'll know just what to do! ;)