Dry spots/circles in scalp

[ahuitzil]

I'm a 24 yr old male and have various dry spots on my scalp; I first started getting dandruff a while back; now I have spots that are very visible, especially when I get out of the shower.  They don't really itch or hurt but they do have a redness to them, but its just really dry patches; I've tried treating them with over-the-counter dandruff shampoo but to no avail.  I also have a dry-skin problem on my face and my doctor gave me Ketoconazole cream which helped, but the same cream does not remedy my scalp problems.  Even with lotion on the dry spots in my scalp they still appear. Any help?

[dembabies]

My seven year old son has a dry round spot on his head where his hair wont grow.  What can I do?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I think you most likely have seborrheic dermatitis on both face and scalp.  Your doctor can prescribe a cortisone-based scalp lotion, that works better on localized patches than shampoos do.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff