OILY GREASY AND SMELLY SCALP

Hi,
    I am 30 yrs old and i am suffering from oily and greasy hair and not only that my scalp starts smelling really bad.
I even have dandruff and hairfall.Plz advice how to get rid of this problem.
Your help appreciated.
Thankx.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Two possibilities are there for your symptoms. First of all, stress or hormonal changes may lead to excess oil produced by the oil glands in your scalp. This causes the harmless bacteria that live in the scalp to proliferate and feed off the oil, which produces the odor.

Second possibility is of a fungal infection causing tinea capitis. Tinea capitis is a fungal infection which can be responsible for dandruff and hair fall also. Diagnosis is by clinical examination of the scalp as well as a skin lesion biopsy with microscopic examination. Till then , try medicated shampoos for dandruff. There are a number of over-the-counter shampoos available that can help. The most effective ingredients -- antimicrobials -- to look for are zinc pyridinethione, selenium sulfide, sulfur and ketoconazole (also available by prescription).

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.