The scalp inflammation/itchy/burning/tingling thread

[mic28]

My apologies, that was meant for you Dench

[jrlish]

My Story

Hey all,

I'm glad I came across this thread. It's helped me validate I'm not crazy.

Here's my story:

I'm a healthy 37 year old male (limited carbs and sugar) that has had thick hair all my life to the point where my haircutters would want to thin it. I have no history of MPB on either side of the family as well. Around May I noticed a ton of hair in the hotel shower (I travel a lot) and actually thought it was someone else's'. That's when I started to notice hair coming out when I showered from there after. About 3 weeks later it started burning/itching. I went and saw my primary care (in June) and he said my scalp was somewhat inflamed and ordered blood work and prescribed ket shampoo. Blood work came back normal and ket did nothing for me. I then went and saw a dermatologist and she did a quick hair pull test and confirmed my hair was coming out in mass and said I had TE. She said all I could do is wait for my body to heal itself or take minox. I then went to see a Tricologist (evolution hair loss center) where he took images of my scalp and said it wasn't healthy and "looked angry". He then gave me his treatment plan of natural shampoos and minox. I used it regularly but continued to experience the extreme pain and burning. I have been shedding about regularly 30-50 hairs in the shower and constantly throughout the day (falling on my phone and laptop. They have white bulbs on the end obviously and I can see my scalp both wet and dry now. It's diffuse hair loss all over (even on the sides), but more noticeable on the top. I've gone through spouts of depression due to it coming on abruptly and the physical pain it is causing. Along with the burring and itching I have certain spots on my head that feel like they are being stabbed with a knife. When I press on them the scalp hurts along with the hair. It feels like when you sleep on your hair the wrong way. Sometimes I put ice on the spots to try and sooth them. The itching is so bad sometimes it wakes me up in the middle of the night. I have actually gotten up to rinse my hair out to try and stop the burning. The doctor, dermatologist, and the Tricologolist haven't really been helpful. I went back the dermatologist and he basically thought I was crazy, but prescribed me more ket shampoo and some acid for the burning. I'm completely miserable with the sharp pain, burning, and itching throughout the day. It's been 6 months with no sign of relieve. I've collected my shed hair where I could for about 4 months and it's enough to create another full head of hair. At this point I see no end in sight and at a loss of what to do. I've tried minox, nioxin, special shampoos, hair specific vitamins, etc. I'm thinking about laser as a next step, but as I read this forum it seem like perhaps I should give fin a try as well. I'm fine if I go bald, but the scalp pain is what I want to try and get rid of. Thanks for listening to my vent.

[jrlish]

Torture

Just a couple of updates/additions:

Stopped the Minox (pb) and burning/itching has lessoned. Don't wake up in with extreme itch or burn in the middle of the night like I did before. Still have itching but not as bad.
Still shed about 20+ in the shower XX+ throughout the day.
Still have spots on my head that feel like they were hit with a hammer or stabbed with a knife. When I press on them the spots hurt as well as the hair around it. They seem to move around from day-to-day. They are also hot/warm to the touch.
My hair (what's left) usually feels like I sleep on it wrong. Hurts.
I wish I knew if it was autoimmune or some underlying issue.
I've lost about 50% in the last 6 months and it's diffuse where it's thinning all over. Even on the sides.

Anyone read or come across anything similar. I have seen several specialist and there have been no answers.

[mic28]

Hey Jrlish, have you been taking propecia?

[jamesst11]

I have had every single symptom (and the accompanying hair loss) that every one here is describing. burning, itching, tingling and the feeling that ants are crawling around under my scalp. THE ONLY single thing that makes it go away is COLD. I live in a wintery climate and working on my rental houses, I have to work inside and out. When I work inside, with the heat on, the feeling is there.... when I go outside, in the cold, after 30 seconds, the feeling IMMEDIATELY dissipates... GONE, until I go into the heat again.... I think this is pretty SOLID proof, however anecdotal it is, that at least MY scalp sensations are due to INFLAMMATION. I am 100% positive.

[jamesst11]

This has gotten to point where I crank up my heat at night and fall asleep next to my OPEN window, WITH a f*cking WINDOW FAN blowing 25 degree weather on my scalp. It's the only thing that calms it. I am so f*cking FED UP with this shit, I want to cut my scalp off.

[Dench57]

James, what side effects have you had from Fin apart from the burning scalp? Any sexual sides, brain fog etc?

[jamesst11]

I am bumping this thread because it is an extremely important, relevant topic. Dench, I don't know if you're still on here, but yeah... same experience as you. Every scalp sensation you can imagine, accompanied by pretty drastic loss. After carefully analyzing before and after pics last night, I would estimate a loss of about 30% all over the scalp, but especially in the crown and mid scalp. I said f*ck it and want to find out if ANYTHING will work. I have the most extreme regiment now, one step under oral spiro -

1) DUT - 1.5mg / day
2) finasteride - 5mg a day (that's right. for some reason, they filled 90 pills at once and I can get it super cheap, so might as well
3) RU - 10% dissolved in 1.5 ml/ day
4) dermarolling 1-2 times a week
5) 15% minoxidil compounded with fin, azeliac
6) nizoral- 2% twice a week
7) supplements - fish oil, castor oil, multivitamin, MSM,

I am obliterating DHT at all levels... if this doesn't work, nothing will. Understand that I have had a transplant, which makes going bald 10x more stressful (for me at least). I am frustrated, exhausted, and anxious as f*cking hell. I have started a thread, where I will be posting pics. Hope you are well.

[jamesst11]

I am bumping this thread because it is an extremely important, relevant topic. Dench, I don't know if you're still on here, but yeah... same experience as you. Every scalp sensation you can imagine, accompanied by pretty drastic loss. After carefully analyzing before and after pics last night, I would estimate a loss of about 30% all over the scalp, but especially in the crown and mid scalp. I said f*ck it and want to find out if ANYTHING will work. I have the most extreme regiment now, one step under oral spiro -

1) DUT - 1.5mg / day
2) finasteride - 5mg a day (that's right. for some reason, they filled 90 pills at once and I can get it super cheap, so might as well
3) RU - 10% dissolved in 1.5 ml/ day
4) dermarolling 1-2 times a week
5) 15% minoxidil compounded with fin, azeliac
6) nizoral- 2% twice a week
7) supplements - fish oil, castor oil, multivitamin, MSM,

I am obliterating DHT at all levels... if this doesn't work, nothing will. Understand that I have had a transplant, which makes going bald 10x more stressful (for me at least). I am frustrated, exhausted, and anxious as f*cking hell. I have started a thread, where I will be posting pics. Hope you are well.

[Dench57]

Yo James,

It's been ages so I can't remember - did you get this scalp burning/inflammation crap as a reaction to Fin or did it just start happening naturally?

That is one hell of a regimen. Hope it works out for you. Like you I feel like I'm in last chance saloon in treating this burning scalp, my only real options are Dut and then, god help me, Spiro. I've tried everything, recently tried Prednisone and it barely did anything. I'm currently using Seti/CB/RU and it's barely helping either.

I know that this burning/itching is DHT, though I still have no idea how Fin caused it. It's been nearly 18 months now though, and I'm quite sure it's permanent. I've got a pack of recently ordered Avodart sat on my shelf thats been staring me down for the last few weeks. I'm waiting to get my DHT blood results back before I take the plunge.

[jamesst11]

I don't know man... first few weeks on DUT and 15% minox and my scalp felt a lot better. Obviously, I became foolishly optimistic. Past few days and my scalp feels worst than ever. It may be because I started RU, and I am allergic to the PG or the alcohol and it's irritating my scalp? Don't know. I doubt that's it because I have used lipogaine and 5% minoxidil for years, both of which I think contain those ingredients and never had this king of irritation. I think I am going to back off a little and reduce everything by a little bit... This is the f*cking worst experience I could ever imagine. I would literally chop both of my hands off right now to have decent density and a healthy scalp.

[mic28]

James and Dench, do you think we are possibly looking into the MPB side of things too much rather than the possible seborrheic dermatitis that has been caused my finasteride? I'm just wondering as RU hasn't been doing a lot for me and still getting the itchy scalp. Could be something solved with a good seborrheic dermatitis treatment?!

[jamesst11]

James and Dench, do you think we are possibly looking into the MPB side of things too much rather than the possible seborrheic dermatitis that has been caused my finasteride? I'm just wondering as RU hasn't been doing a lot for me and still getting the itchy scalp. Could be something solved with a good seborrheic dermatitis treatment?!

good point... but doesn't seborrheic dermatitis always result in dandruff and flaky skin? I never ever had this while on finasteride... How long have you been on RU? It hasn't helped at all?? I am starting to think I may slowly taper off finasteride and just go all topical. This is confusing and frustrating as all f*cking hell. My hair is horrible, SO diffused thin, you can see through the entire thing, like whispy f*cking cobwebs.

My venting aside. I think it's TE. I have had this twice in the past and had the EXACT same symptoms - general mild itch in MPB zones. But, more significantly, the EXACT same pinpoint burning in the EXACT same spot. and the feeling of ants under my skin, crawling from the left temple, to the mid-section and too the back. rinse and repeat...

Actually, with 100% certainty I think finasteride can cause TE, and if you don't get off it, it can become chronic. MANY serious medications can do this, why the hell not fin? I also believe that something like RU, especially if it doesn't go too systemic, would be unlikely to cause TE. If is WAS dermatitis, and hair loss resulted from it, I doubt it would get to the point it has now. TE is the only answer, not dermatitis, not up-regulation of receptors, not increase in T. ONLY TE can cause hair to fall out this quick, only TE. I am not sure if that is your case, but it must be mine.

[mic28]

Yeh James it could also be TE. I still believe I have the same symptoms as yourself.

RU has helped the odd days here and there but then I'm back to square one. I've certainly lost a lot more hair the more i think about hair loss. I remember when it wasn't that bad how I was generally ok. Now that I am so paranoid, I am constantly running my hands through my hair, in turn causing hair fall and making the situation worse. I am going to try not touch my hair throughout the day and try my best to forget about it as I believe this could be part of the possible TE cause. RU could well be working but just being overridden by the TE from stress. Either way and as bad as diffuse that I am getting now, I still believe if we get to the bottom of it, this diffuse loss can be recovered from

[jamesst11]

Yeh James it could also be TE. I still believe I have the same symptoms as yourself.

RU has helped the odd days here and there but then I'm back to square one. I've certainly lost a lot more hair the more i think about hair loss. I remember when it wasn't that bad how I was generally ok. Now that I am so paranoid, I am constantly running my hands through my hair, in turn causing hair fall and making the situation worse. I am going to try not touch my hair throughout the day and try my best to forget about it as I believe this could be part of the possible TE cause. RU could well be working but just being overridden by the TE from stress. Either way and as bad as diffuse that I am getting now, I still believe if we get to the bottom of it, this diffuse loss can be recovered from

how long have you been on RU? what concentration? (sorry, you've probably already answered this somewhere) do you microneedle your scalp ever? - this is one of the FEW things that seems to give me relief. I dermaroll (not too aggressively) and apply minox and then a little RU. There have been a couple studies that have shown a pretty drastic increase in hair counts in the dermarolling group.