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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can I Take Selenium Sulfide For Hair Loss Due To Dandruff?

I am suffering from hair loss due to dandruff. After I take a head bath for 2 days everything is normal but after that trouble starts - sever itching, hair fall. My age is 27 no past history of fungal infections of the scalp except dandruff. I have tried ZPT for many years , then Selenium Sulfide shampoos and even 1% Nizoral, flaking has decreased but itching and hair fall continues.
Wed, 11 Mar 2015
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Dermatologist 's  Response
Hello. Thanks for writing to us at healthcaremagic

You seem to have scalp seborrheic dermatitis.
Dandruff Or Seborrheic Dermatitis is a common cause of increased hair shedding.
Controlling dandruff effectively would control excessive hair fall too.
Various antifungal agents (e.g ketoconazole, sertaconazole, ciclopirox olamine, piroctone olamine) are available either as shampoo or as overnight leave-on lotions, for dandruff.
Nizoral shampoo contains ketoconazole. It is available OTC and is the most commonly used antidandruff shampoo.
You may continue with Nizoral shampoo. However, since this alone has'nt proved to be sufficient in your case therefore your treatment needs to be modified.
In such cases, along with the antidandruff shampoo, I usually ask my patients to use a topical steroid lotion (Mometasone furoate Or Clobetasole propionate lotion) once daily at night for a short period of 2 weeks Or I might switch them to an overnight leave-on antidandruff preparation.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a steroid responsive condition, therefore, topical steroids are usually effective in this condition.
A two weeks course of topical steroids brings about remarkable improvement, which can then be maintained with just an anti-dandruff shampoo, every alternate days.
You may visit a dermatologist in your region. Your dermatologist may want to switch to a different antifungal shampoo e.g Ciclopirox olamine, Piroctone Olamine based shampoo Or choose to prescribe an overnight leave-on antidandruff lotion.
Your dermatologist might also choose to prescribe a topical steroid lotion for a short duration of 2-4 weeks.

Regards
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Dermatologist Dr. Dr. Kakkar's  Response
Hello. Thank you for writing to us

Seborrheic dermatitis Or dandruff is an important cause of scalp itching an hair fall.
The treatments that you have been using are OTC antidandruff preparations and are quite effective for mild dandruff.
Since your dandruff has decreased but not yet gone completely therefore I suggest that you to try one of the prescription antidandruff shampoo e.g 2% ketoconazole shampoo.
Ketoconazole is available as 1 % shampoo OTC whereas prescription strength shampoo is 2%, which is definitely more effective.
Climbazole Or Piroctone olamine etc other prescription antidandruff preparations that can also be tried.
You may use either of these every alternate days Or even daily.
Lather it well onto your scalp and leave on to act for 5-7 minutes before rinsing it off.
I suggest that you visit a dermatologist for an assessment of the severity of dandruff and for the needful
Your dermatologist might also decide to start you on a topical steroids lotion for a few days.
Topical steroids are very effective in controlling dandruff and form part of treatment for severe or treatment resistant dandruff, at least during the initial 2-4 weeks.
Thereafter steroids are usually stopped and the improvement thus achieved is sustained with regular anti-dandruff shampoo.

Regards
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Can I Take Selenium Sulfide For Hair Loss Due To Dandruff?

Hello. Thanks for writing to us at healthcaremagic You seem to have scalp seborrheic dermatitis. Dandruff Or Seborrheic Dermatitis is a common cause of increased hair shedding. Controlling dandruff effectively would control excessive hair fall too. Various antifungal agents (e.g ketoconazole, sertaconazole, ciclopirox olamine, piroctone olamine) are available either as shampoo or as overnight leave-on lotions, for dandruff. Nizoral shampoo contains ketoconazole. It is available OTC and is the most commonly used antidandruff shampoo. You may continue with Nizoral shampoo. However, since this alone has nt proved to be sufficient in your case therefore your treatment needs to be modified. In such cases, along with the antidandruff shampoo, I usually ask my patients to use a topical steroid lotion (Mometasone furoate Or Clobetasole propionate lotion) once daily at night for a short period of 2 weeks Or I might switch them to an overnight leave-on antidandruff preparation. Seborrheic dermatitis is a steroid responsive condition, therefore, topical steroids are usually effective in this condition. A two weeks course of topical steroids brings about remarkable improvement, which can then be maintained with just an anti-dandruff shampoo, every alternate days. You may visit a dermatologist in your region. Your dermatologist may want to switch to a different antifungal shampoo e.g Ciclopirox olamine, Piroctone Olamine based shampoo Or choose to prescribe an overnight leave-on antidandruff lotion. Your dermatologist might also choose to prescribe a topical steroid lotion for a short duration of 2-4 weeks. Regards