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Itchy scalp, boils on scalp and hair loss

Hi,

I've been having this problem for the last one year. It seems to have started after a day in hospital. Not sure if that's the cause but started soon after anyway. I had long hair for half a year or so before this problem started, so might be another factor to consider.

The problem is itching and occurence of boils on my scalp and also hair loss. I seem to have the same problem on my eyebrows. From my eyebrows I have noticed that small boils filled with pus seem to form at the base of my hairs. This pus eventually seem to dry, form what seems like a seed and fall out. This seems to weaken the affected hair(s) and any scrathing seems to cause the hair to fall off. With the beard I seem to get pus filled boils a few days after I shave. However I don't think or atleast am unsure if there's hair loss from the beard.

Doctor's Diagnosis
My doctor seems to have diagnosed it as Sebhorreic Dermatitis and recommended me the medicated shampoo Selsun. This lead to no improvement and so another doctor recommended another such shampoo called Polytar. this seems to relieve the itching a little bit after usage. However I'm nearly through my second bottle of the said shampoo and no end seems in sight.

I also tried  the antibiotic Amoxicillin twice. Each time for a week, with no noticable improvement.

So my questions are
1. Has my doctor diagnosed my problem correctly, if not what could it be.
2. What would be the treatment
3. Is the hair loss likely to be reversible?
4. Would that happen naturally as the problem clears, or would there be some other treatment I'd need to undero for it?

If you got to this, then thanks for your patience and thanks in advance for any advice.
8 Responses
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Avatar universal
Hello I am expecting the same problem just yesterday I was in so much pain it was like a bump on my head so I let's look it up for some reason I squeezed in the lump and all this pus came out it was like a boil now today I feel better n the swelling went down I been taking antibiotic 500 mg n fidnt help but I didn't get them for this but then I went to hospital n got more n still no improvement but im the begging of this problem I noticed hair loss then I said ingrown hair ? and lumps by ears n neck I looked it up and all my symptoms relate to this is been going on for about a month or more idont want to loose my beautiful blonde hair I am 42 yrs old n worried I never had a disease.. well also I have psoriasis Teri in p.c. fla
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there , i am suffering the same problem small pimples on scalp they are coming back again and again from past 6 months my dermo. Prescribed sebowash shampoo , juene hair oil and asked to oil my hair mixing fudic bnf cream daily . i have used 2 bottles of shampoo and one of oil still no cure right now again i am having from last one week they are painful and itchy...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i get boils on my scalp often, almost every 3 weeks and goes away ..... tried all types of treatment (richfeel and other skin specialists) but nothing worked ...facing tremendous hair loss since more than a year now .....my hair is become very thin ...my hair gets oily quickly and no shampoo works ....m worried if i don"t recover now i may loose all my hair ...can someone please suggest .....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I've had this skin disorder for 15 year and the only thing that seems to help me are antibiotic no doctor could correctly diagnose my problem, it is a very painful disease at times antibiotic only last a couple months and then it flares back up. If antibiotic is not taken and the problem is not treated the pus underneath my scalp is not physically forced out it moves into the lymphatic system and has given me painful inflammation of glands in my neck and behind my ears. I would pay a fortune if someone could find a cure for my disease, and not just categorize it as a minor skin problem that can be treated with Dandruff shampoo or oral hygiene it is far beyond that I wouldn't be surprised if one doctor discover a direct relation ship of what we eat maybe even allergies and a flare up of the intestines the cause for the brake out and not so much a dermatitis problem.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, in the past year i have had staph 5 times, cellutitis, impetago and strep. I am now loosing alot of hair n dry scalp, i am on dicloxacillin 1000mgs, and the cream(gel) for my inside of nose.  My thiroid is normal, My glands are very swollen, constant fever, tired, dizzieness, all bloodtests came bak clear, get urine infections, bruise easy, sugar levels all ok, i eat healthy and make sure have correct suppulents. I was twice daily in phisophex wash since first ever had staph. Will it always come back?? Iam only 22 and worried about scaring and why keeps coming back? I boil all my clothes n washers. Use gloves when treatn boil to make sure no cross contamination, will my hair grow back? Or stay patchy? Getting very tired of it n having to take time of work and always worring about scaribg and any scars. What can i do??? Thank u
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,

In most individuals there are outbreaks of folliculitis from time to time.

Folliculitis is infection and inflammation of the hair follicles. The condition may be superficial (i.e., on the surface of the skin) or deep within the follicles.The most common cause of folliculitis is infection by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

Folliculitis symptoms can appear independent of infection. Exposure of the skin to certain chemicals, especially oils and tars, can trigger an outbreak. People with depressed immune systems, diabetes, or obesity have a greater risk of contracting folliculitis than the general population.

Patients with chronic unresponsive folliculitis may require investigation into the source of the infection. S. aureus bacteria can live in the patient's nostrils, periodically triggering a folliculitis outbreak.

Individuals who are predisposed to folliculitis should be extremely careful about personal hygiene. Application of antiseptic washes may help prevent recurrences. A topical antibiotic cream, mupirocin (Bactroban®), has been effective at reducing bacterial colonization in the nostrils. It is applied twice daily for a week and is repeated every 6 months.

If there any of the mentioned medical causes then treating those will reduce the occurence of the condition.
http://www.dermatologychannel.net/follicle/folliculitis.shtml

Some stubborn cases of folliculitis have been responsive to laser-assisted hair removal. This process uses a laser to destroy the follicle. This reduces the scarring that results from folliculitis.

Let us know if you need any other information and consult a skin specialist if the lesion is persistent.

Regards.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I spoke to my GP today. And she said it could be that I have folliculitis and started me on a course of oxytetracycline. So I'll have to wait and see how that works out.

I'd like your opinion on that. Also, anyone else having any idea, please join in.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,

This could be seborrhoeic dermatitis. It is a skin disorder affecting the scalp, face, and trunk causing scaly, flaky, itchy, red skin. It particularly affects the sebum-gland rich areas of skin.

Side effects to inflammation may include temporary hair loss. If severe outbreaks are untreated for extended intervals, permanent hair loss may result, because of damage to hair follicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seborrhoeic_dermatitis

Soaps and detergents such as sodium laureate sulfate may precipitate a flare-up, as they strip moisture from the top layers of the skin, and the drying property of these can cause flare-ups and may worsen the condition. Accordingly a suitable alternative should be used instead.

Among dermatologist recommended treatments are shampoos containing coal tar, ciclopiroxolamine, ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, or zinc pyrithione. For severe disease, keratolytics such as salicylic acid or coal tar preparations may be used to remove dense scale. Topical terbinafine solution (1%) has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of scalp seborrhoea,as may lotions containing alpha hydroxy acids or corticosteroids (such as fluocinolone acetonide). Pimecrolimus topical lotion is also sometimes prescribed.

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for your symptoms and a proper clinical examination if your symptoms persist.

Let us know if you need any other information and post us on how you are doing.

Regards.
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