Itchy red bald spots

I'm 19 and for about a year and a half now I have had what I thought started out as dandruff. I used Head and Shoulders for a long time and it did nothing. My scalp has only gotten worse. Now it is extremly itchy, red and scabby, still dry skin/flakey, and now I have numerous bald spots all over my scalp. I started using Selsun Blue, so far, no affect yet. Is that the right shampoo for what I have? What do I have? Should I not scratch the spots on my head? Do you think I got the bald spots from itching? Will my hair grow back? I am out of a job and currently have no insurance, do you have any sort of suggestions for my situation? I wash my hair every other day. Recently it has been everyday. How often should I shampoo, and what should I shampoo with? I am desperate for help. I have been trying to get rid of this for so long. Can you please help me? Thank you.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Dandruff and itchy scalp do not couse hair loss.  Patchy baldness (alopecia) doesn't itch.  If you scratch hard enough, you can lose some hair, but not permanently, because the follicles are still there.

My suggestions:
1. Stop scratching.
2. Use Nizoral Shampoo 1% (over-the-counter) daily.
3. Sarna lotion (also OTC) can be applied as needed for itch.

Meantime, I advise you to set up a doctor's visit.  Investing in one such visit (all it's likely to take) is, I think, worth finding out for sure what you have and making it go away.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[allphilly]

Sounds like ringworm to me, but im no doctor.