The scalp inflammation/itchy/burning/tingling thread

[Dave123]

Are any of you guys on FIN? Some people say its all due to DHT wreaking havoc on your scalp. Has it helped for you guys? I've been on it for 2 months and hasn't helped at all.

[Thinning@30]

I was on finasteride when I first noticed the intense scalp itching. Since that time, I've stopped due to side effects. Being on or off finasteride doesn't seem to have made a difference in my case. Corticosteroids didn't help for me either.

[sch89]

This has pretty much been my story: diffuse loss, very resistant itch. I have been taking a supplement called Tocomin SupraBio which I had heard a lot of anecdotal evidence of people experiencing less itching whiles taking it. It's pretty cheap so I bought a couple bottles. It seemed to help for a while very noticeably, but now its back with a vengeance even though I've been taking it faithfully.

My next attempt will be a full size laser helmet, as I've also heard people experiencing good success taming itchiness with one of those. I'll def update if I get any positive results with that.

[beatinghairloss]

The burning is from blood not free flowing there by preventing your scalp from regulating heat. It is then that your scalp which usually has blood close to the surface sweating, loseing heat becomes dry and hot explaining the burning and dandruff from a sweat free scalp. The itchy tingling is an involuntary physiological response from your body forcing you to scratch to move stagnent blood. Much like having a scab that itches because the body is trying to free the injuries stagnent blood clotting. Infections itch to try to make u spread them same as bug bites.

[mpb47]

Have had this problem 2 times :

The first time was when my vertex/crown first started thinning about 12 years ago.

I noticed this: increase sex drive, increase body hair, horrible itch/burn and rapid loss in the back.

I believe it is DHT+some other unknown factor as it only happens to some of us.
At the time a hair Dr guessed that it may be some kind of autoimmune response.

I had never had a problem with minox but when this started using minox in the back only made the burn even worse. But even without minox the problem was still there just not as severe. One thing I figured out over time was the itch/burn was most severe to whereever the mpb was spreading, mostly the area right next to my crown outline.

BTW FIN did eventually reduce the problem 95% but it too a long time to work. Give it at least a year.

Back in march my dr put me on a low dose of T and my mpb started up again . Itch/burn/red scale all came back but not as bad as the first time.
It has recently been reduced and I am not sure why. My body has adjusted to the higher levels of T or maybe Nizarol as I started on it about 1 month ago.

Anyway give the Fin a year and hopefully that itch will be gone.

[ovoxo]

so if I experience itch all over scalp, do I have thinning all over?

[Stanth]

Not necessarily... I've always had an itchy scalp (mild psoriasis), but have only been losing my hair for about 8 years. It has been more itchy where I am losing hair, so I would agree that there is a definite correlation, but then the sides sometimes have that feeling as well and they're going nowhere (yet). So, I would say that itching [I]probably[I] indicates where hair is going to be loss, but not always, so don't get too down about it!

[mpb47]

so if I experience itch all over scalp, do I have thinning all over?

I normally got the itch only where I was losing hair. The interesting thing is I never had any itch whatsoever at my hairline area. Only vertex/top where I was losing.

[Ziggyz123]

Dench, I've been thinking that the increase in test is responsible for that frontal loss. Idk what to do anymore man. I'm making a second app for the endocrinologist. I'll keep you updated so maybe we can figure this out

[Dench57]

It's possible, but it still doesn't explain the intense burning/itchy scalp. Maybe if my Test was through the roof, but it's still in the normal range although at the high end. My Test should've returned to baseline level after 2 months off anyway, I can't believe Fin could cause permanent increase to Test otherwise bodybuilders and all sorts of people would be using the stuff! I'd like to see my DHT levels. I'm going to see a dermatologist in a few weeks so hope they can shed some light. Personally I'm convinced that Fin has made my androgen receptors more sensitive to both Test and DHT, hence the hairloss, burning/itchy scalp, oiliness and increased sex drive. I don't know if even a dermatologist will be able to confirm that though.

If you're still on Fin I'd advise coming off it for a month or so and seeing if that improves things. For you the increased Test while on Fin could be the cause, obviously I'm 2 months off Fin now so the increased Test shouldn't be that much of an issue and I'm thinking there's something more going on. I think people like me and you are just poor responders and I know it definitely had an adverse effect on my hair and my hormones. Wish I'd never touched the stuff. Can I ask how old you are? I'm 25, and from what I've read online younger men are more susceptible to this reflex-hypo type stuff due to having more sensitive endocrine systems and more hormones in general.

Anyway while I wait to see my dermatologist I'm gonna continue looking for a remedy. I've bought various medicated shampoos like Alphosyl today and will try them out, and have also ordered Scalpicin but that's only in the US apparently so will take weeks to arrive from Amazon. I've been through Tea Tree Oil, Regenepure DR and Margo Alive so far, none worked and the Margo Alive stuff actually made it worse.

My scalp has no redness or inflammation so it's not gonna be fixed by the usual dandruff/dry/itchy scalp shampoos, it's an internal/hormonal thing that's irritating my hair follicles. I found a page about menopausal women who have scalp itch due to hormone changes so figured what works for them might work for us. Here's the link. I'm gonna try some of that Clobex and also the DHS Zinc shampoo. I'm reluctant to try the hydroxyzine after looking at the cognitive side effects.