Im only 14 and my dermatologist said i have scalp eczema but also mentioned something about dermatitis so im not exactly sure, but i have a supppperrrrr DRY scalp and a lot of flaking and if I dont use the prescribed topical steroid gel, sometimes ill get red spots. I want to get a second opinion because i really dont want to use steroids =/ but im going on vacation soon so ill have to wait. ive had this problem for almost half a year now. ive tried head and shoulders, and using a fine toothed comb i tried shampooing everyday and every other day. which is better? i havent tried selsun blue yet but i might but im pretty sure its similar to head and shoulders and i want to try the over night olive oil trick and the vinager thing. do u know anything that might help with the spots or even just get rid of some of the dandruff?! its not just a problem with dandruff so head n shoulders doesnt work! anything uve tried that works?!
I’ve had what you have and it’s now under control. I’ll tell you what I do, pick and choose what at your pleasure.
Shampoo
At the advice of my dermatologist, I rotate among 5 shampoos daily. Head & Shoulder intensive, T-Gel, T-Sal, Selsun Blue, and Nizerol. I always use T-Gel conditioner afterwards, which can be hard to find in stores but is available at CVS.com.
Medication
I sympathize with your wanting to avoid steroids. One thing worth a try is Tacrolimus, sold under the names ProTopic and Elidel. Those are anti-inflammatories. The thing about them is you apply them differently. Steroids are applied as needed. Anti-inflammatories have to applied regularly, even when you’re good.
The other medication I’m surprised you didn’t bring up is Olux or its generic equivalent. Olux is a mousse with clobetasol, a strong and very effective steroid against eczema / dermatitis. I find the mousse much easier to apply to the scalp through hair than creams or ointments. When I have to use it, it stings for a few seconds. I know things are improving when the intensity and duration of sting reduce.
The last thing is you may have to come to grips with having Eczema / dermatitis for the rest of your life. I know, it sucks. But you may be able to control it, instead of it controlling you like mine did for years. I discovered mine got worse with certain foods, so I had a scratch test done by an immunologist, and now I have far fewer and less intense flares. See what other treatments may work for you. Maybe herbal remedies will work. Maybe accupuncture. I tried both but the best for me was phototherapy, which I get weekly at a university hospital. Long term, I’m not trying to tell you what to do, just to never quit trying to control it.
Best of luck.
