I got this via email:
Hi,
I think I have the same problem. My forehead and the sides of my face above ears get red and itchy, and flake when i itch it. So do my eyebrows. Does this sound similar to you? I have not seen anyone about this. I know I have dandruff, but dont use dandruff shampoo.Any more info would be greatly appreciated. I hate the way it looks. make up wont cover it. Thank you you may have helped lots of people.
Well, not me, but my doctor friend!
Yes, eyebrows and areas around the hairline. And my nose. And cheeks. For years I thought there was some sort of difference between "dandruff" and "eczema".
But, actually it’s usually the same thing.
As for shampoo, I recommend "Head & Shoulders Intensive Treatment"... look for the dark blue bottle. Alternatively, use tea oil or even coal oil shampoo. It's pretty much the same stuff, treatment-wise. The medical theory (and it's only a theory; nobody knows for sure what causes this) is that some people have an allergic reaction to the waste products of skin mites. Skin mites are part of the natural "fauna" of little critters that live on human bodies. They eat dead skin. This is fine; we don't need our dead skin anyway - but like all critters, they piss and shit (or, more accurately, combine the two, like birds or fish do). Your skin may have a reaction to this. "Dandruff Shampoo", of the ordinary variety, simply alters skin PH. "Advanced" or "Intensive" shampoo kills skin mites.
There are some people who seem to be allergic to a particular fungus that lives on human skin, and for these the symptoms are pretty much the same, but the anti-fungal shampoo (Nizoral) is prescription only (it didn't do a thing for me, proving that my dandruff was not fungus-related). If "normal" dandruff shampoo doesn't work for you, then see a dermatologist and get a prescription for the anti-fungal shampoo. Between the two, one of them should work for you and clear up the patchy, irritated skin.
Whatever you do, DON'T exclusively rely on Cortisone unless you REALLY need it. As Barry Bonds might say, "Steroids=Bad." :)
|
