The scalp inflammation/itchy/burning/tingling thread

[Ziggyz123]

Yea, I used foam and my hairline was receding and itching. When I switched to liquid it seems like everything thickened up.. Keep in mind, I only used minox at night. If you use it morning and night, I'd use foam am and liquid pm.

[Dench57]

And yes I have tried Emu Oil a few times. Just made my hair more oily and didn't do anything for the itch/pain.

[jamesst11]

a couple quick questions to whoever wants to answer them, if you don't mind.

1) How often do you get the itch? is it widespread or localized? how bad is it and how often per day? does it wake you up in the night?
2) please describe the pain and burning sensations?
3) Ziggy, what do you mean by "tightness" like your scalp is being stretched?

[jamesst11]

Also, did you ever get a creeping sensation, like there was a bug crawling over your scalp?

[Dench57]

1. Mine is 24 hours a day, never stops. Used to be localized above my right temple, now it's across my whole hairline, on my temples and above them, and also in the last 2 days, my crown (yay!)

2. Really hard to describe because there is such a variety of sensations. There is always a constant "charged" feeling, like I can "feel" all the hair on my scalp, (not on my back or sides, just the top). There is also a constant dull, slightly painful warm patch above my right temple, where it all started. The skin feels warm to touch there. There is always a very subtle itch all along my hairline, but itching doesn't help. Sometimes it can become intensely itchy, that is probably the worst for me. Now the dull, warm spot can often become burning, like seriously hot burning sensation, and then it can become very painful. It also becomes tingly, like there are thousands of microscopic creatures crawling across my scalp. It's as if it's dirty and oily, even if I've just taken a shower. There is also a variety of "needle-like" prickling. Right now there is a very tangible, prickling pain in my crown, like the hairs are wounding me. Rest assured that wherever any of these sensations are, it means your hair is being raped by DHT, or inflammation, or something. All the areas where I've experienced these sensations have miniaturized much quicker than anywhere else. Which makes it not just a physical, but a psychological torture, when you know what is happening.


Anywhere here are some crappy pics. My baseline pics are crappy because they don't really show how thick my hair was behind the recession, my hand is kind of covering the thickness in the baseline pic:
October 2014, before taking Fin: http://postimg.org/image/8mknju775/
July 2015: http://postimg.org/image/6bbcl2jgn/

That red circle is where the itching/burning has been the worst, and that whole area has been raped. Those pictures don't really do justice to how messed up that area is now. I still have most of the hairs I originally had, like I said I don't really shed. But all the hairs have gone from being thick, black terminal hairs to thin, weak, brittle miniaturized hairs. That kind of change is supposed to take years, not months.

Here's a picture of my crown today, where you can see the beginning stages of thinning. I've only just realised (when the burning started) the hairs there are miniaturizing, so I've got that to look forward to now.
http://postimg.org/image/sehsgant1/

Here's a picture of my general hair today. As you can see I still have a lot of hair, and I would say I can just about hide most of the recession to the untrained eye. And this is about as long as my hair gets, so when I get it cut it will be more noticeable. But the texture is awful, it's all brittle and weak at the front. It's a shame I didn't take a baseline pic of my front, I never thought I'd have to worry about anything other than my temples.
http://postimg.org/image/5kshtvbuz/

[TooMuchHairWontKillYou]

I'm diffuse thinner and Ive got burning sensation on the top of my head. My doctor gave me Laticort liquid. I apply it once in every 3 days after shower (on dry hair) and leave it before next shower (its not greasy at all).

I totally advise you this product it really helps me and fights burning in seconds.

[jamesst11]

Dench, that's really weird. It seems to have only thinned slightly in ONE region at your right temple. Still, doesn't look bad AT ALL. My hair is more diffuse then that, especially at the temples. I can't really see any thinning on your crown. Here's the thing though... it looked to me like your right temple was already slightly thinning. Is that why you started finasteride? What does your left temple look like? If it hasn't thinned at all then you are probably in luck. Also, it doesn't appear to me like you are diffused at all? Or maybe it's just because your hair is long and dry? I don't know man. This is indeed one weird drug. I am still shedding a pretty solid amount. I have VERY SLIGHT scalp sensations and you are starting to make me nervous bro! I am on my last legs here.

[Ziggyz123]

Yeah Dench, I see what you are talking about and it's exactly what happened to me. Mine is actually way worse than yours.. You're lucky that you have curly thick hair man! Getting a transplant with that will be an amazing yield if you ever do it! Crown looks good to me. Honestly, maybe we both need stronger aa's.. However, on the lower dose of fin, my hair is less oily and my scalp pain isn't all the time. Maybe you could start back on a really low dose? In all honesty, minox would probably regrow that.. Keep you're head up man, you still look good my friend �� I know the burning is just impossible to deal with

[jamesst11]

Ziggy and Dench,
From that loss, you see any new little regrowth? You all lost a lot at once and since it takes no time to lose and a lot of time to regrow, perhaps you're gonna play catch up?

[Dench57]

Dench, that's really weird. It seems to have only thinned slightly in ONE region at your right temple. Still, doesn't look bad AT ALL. My hair is more diffuse then that, especially at the temples. I can't really see any thinning on your crown. Here's the thing though... it looked to me like your right temple was already slightly thinning. Is that why you started finasteride? What does your left temple look like? If it hasn't thinned at all then you are probably in luck. Also, it doesn't appear to me like you are diffused at all? Or maybe it's just because your hair is long and dry? I don't know man. This is indeed one weird drug. I am still shedding a pretty solid amount. I have VERY SLIGHT scalp sensations and you are starting to make me nervous bro! I am on my last legs here.

Yeah the the burning patch was localized to just that spot for several months, where it's thinned the most, in the last few months though it's kinda just everywhere, so I can look forward to thinning and receding all across my hairline. My natural pattern wouldn't have been diffuse thinning, just frontal recession and some thinning at the crown I think. Be thankful you only have slight scalp sensations, I basically have chronic pain, burning and itching. Today it was so bad I had to call in sick to work, just excruciating pain all day and taking both Indomethacin and Naproxen didn't do anything. My quality of life is basically non-existent. It's honestly terrifying. There are still a lot of options for you to get that under control so don't worry too much.

Yeah Dench, I see what you are talking about and it's exactly what happened to me. Mine is actually way worse than yours.. You're lucky that you have curly thick hair man! Getting a transplant with that will be an amazing yield if you ever do it! Crown looks good to me. Honestly, maybe we both need stronger aa's.. However, on the lower dose of fin, my hair is less oily and my scalp pain isn't all the time. Maybe you could start back on a really low dose? In all honesty, minox would probably regrow that.. Keep you're head up man, you still look good my friend �� I know the burning is just impossible to deal with

But the thing about transplants is, they can never replicate your natural density. So naturally I had/still kinda have good density, but I'll never be able to get that back with a transplant, I just want to hang on to my natural hair but it's impossible. I know my hair still looks okay now, and for me the scalp pain is absolutely my main concern. My hair is obviously precious to me, but I would honestly drop a norwood if it meant I could live a pain free life.

I honestly don't ever wanna **** with Fin/AA's ever again, but if Sulfasalazine doesn't work, I'll have no choice but to go back on a low dose of Fin and see if it helps. There's no logic to that, Fin got me into this mess and gave me scalp pain and itching in the first place, so I don't see why suddenly it would have the opposite effect and help me now. It's such a messed up situation.