Itchy scalp, dry skin

I have very dry skin on my scalp and have been to the dermatologist in the past and have something called betamethasone solution to put on it. It's been about two weeks and its getting worse. How do I know if I have an infection?

First and foremost, it's not lice! It's just very bad dandruff. I use a medicated shampoo-tried the T-Gel and have switched to another kind since I have heard that your head can get used to it and stop working.

So do I call the dermatologist again wait for another appointment or do I wait another week. It's almost painful to even tough my scalp because its so raw. Any help or suggestions are really appreciated.

Hi Doggiedo, yes I would call the dermatologist and let them know, see what they say you need to do.

I have used T-Gel shampoo before and found it to be very harsh. If you suffer from dry scallp, it is probably not a good choice. I would try a shampoo that moisturizes. And, I would use a conditioner. Does Head and Shoulders have a version with conditioners?

Is your hair long or short? Is it color treated? Do you shampoo everyday? Do you use a blow dryer (this can dry out your hair and scalp big time)?

Yea I called the doc and am waiting for a call back. I don't have color treated hair, it's a little below my shoulders and blow dry it curly (with a refuser) a few times a week. I try and wash it every other day and I have found Head and Shoulders isn't powerful enough for me. I just got Selsin blue last week and have been using that for a week. Today was he first day I noticed a difference. I also have a humidifier going on full blast when I'm home, thinking that might help.

sounds like saeboherric dermititus, i get it and too have the solution like you.
i find using only herbal/natural shampoo & herbal/natural conditioner really helps, be sure you rinse well with clean water as not rinsing properly makes it worse. don't wash your hair every day, twice a week allows your natural oils to do their job in moisturising your scalp, the more you wash it the drier your scalp will become.
you know when you have an infection if there is puss under the flakes/scabs.
don't scratch or pick the scalp.. ok it is impossible i know, but do try as picking this is one of the main ways how infection is introduced.
make sure you rub the solution well in.
if mine gets really bad i tend to do the total opposite of what i just said and i do pick off the big crusty bits/flakes then put the lotion directly on the open sores, it stings like xxxxx for a couple of minutes, but really gets to work and clears up the area in a couple of days.
don't use the solution when your scalp is not crusty as it is a topical steroid and long term regular use can cause thinning of the skin.
blow drying your hair is not a good idea as it dries your scalp even more and can burn open/raw skin much quicker than it burns healthy skin.
if you can't get herbal shampoo try coal tar shampoo or try mushing up an advocado and rubbing it in your scalp then rinse off well, don't need shampoo at all this way!
be careful of hair sprays, best to avoid them- they sting like xxxx on raw bits
don't tie your hair up, it prevents the air getting to your scalp and hinders healing of raw bits.
use a hairbrush with rounded end bristles or softish bristles and try not to scratch your scalp whilst brushing as you can introduce infection by scratching it
wash pillows, hoods and hats in sensitive washing powder and unscented softener.

think thats all
good luck, oh just a thought but digesting cows milk in any form, butter, cheese, desserts, chocolate, straight from the bottle etc all make my dermititus worse, it is not noticable for a few days, and stays for a few days after i stop intaking dairy, but it is definitely a cause as it happens every time!

ps the solution here comes in 2 sizes of bottle, i think the smaller 30ml bottle (DiproSone) is twice the strength of the larger one and works for me much better.

I have saeboherric dermititus too. I absolutely hate it. I thought I was the only one with it. (obviously not true since it is an identified disease, but still feels like it.) I have a ketacolamine (sp?) RX shampoo that i use. I agree about not washing your hair all the time and not using blow drier. I get it on my face too. I use protopic and have another steroid cream that i use when it gets bad on my face. I have thought that milk might make it worse. But I refuse to give up dairy products. Good luck.

You will usually need to use an antifungal treatment that you put directly onto the affected area of your skin. These are known as topical treatments. There are quite a lot of treatments available in the form of lotions, creams, shampoos, medicated powders and paints. Some of these are available over-the-counter from a pharmacist, without prescription. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine and if you have any queries, ask your pharmacist for advice.
Here are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting a fungal skin infection and stop an infection from spreading.
Dry your skin thoroughly after bathing and sweating
Wash your clothes and bed linen frequently to remove any fungi
Don’t share towels, hair brushes and combs which could be carrying any fungi.
Elimite || Vegetables

Try a shampoo with tea tree oil in it. Tea tree oil is known to be a pretty good at killing fungus, bacteria, virus's, etc. It might help kill off any fungal infection, etc. you may have. You can also find a little bottle of it at most health food/vitamin shops if you want to add it to your own shampoo. I've done that to my body lotion before. But, if you have open sores on your head, I'd probably wait for them to heal a bit before trying this method.

I get it on my face too, milk DEFINITELY makes it worse, but it doesn't show for a couple of days by which time you forgot you had milk! i know it makes it worse because I do not drink milk now and unless i have been in a dusty or dirty environment mine is pretty clear, though my scalp is still crusty! I wore a dark top to a meeting the other day and it looked like i had snow all over my shoulders where i had been unconsciously scratching my scalp!!! very embarrassing!

saeboherric dermititus is not a fungal infection, it is you body overproducing something, the same as eczema, in fact saeboherric dermititus is a form of eczema of the scalp. milk, dust and perfumes all make mine worse.

giving up dairy products is not that bad, there are so many alternatives around....rice milk is great, works well for cereal, tea, coffee, white sauces etc, pure do a range of truly dairy free spreads (most spreads still have butter, whey or buttermilk in them) if you are ok with soy (i'm not) there are soy yoghurts, soy icecream soy milkshakes soy chocolate etc, you can get pea protein cheese, though i prefer mixing cashew nut paste and marmite to make cheese flavouring/spread! there is even dairy free squirty cream available now!

I got diagnosed with "seborrhea capitis" when I was young. The term means seborrhea of the scalp, which is a type of dermatitis (skin irritation.) It is caused by too much "sebum" (a fatty substance) flowing out of the skin glands of the scalp. Though it looks very flaky, the cause is actually not dryness . . . just the opposite. Seborrhea of the face looks oily and can be associated with acne.

No over-the-counter dandruff shampoo helped me. My doctor prescribed "Sebutone Shampoo." (Requires a prescription.) It was the greatest stuff. (It's not cheap.) It has about 3 active ingredients, one of them being coal tar.

As I got older, the problem got much easier to manage. (Just as my acne also subsided.) Now I just use any coal tar shampoo. The most economical is sold by Walgreen's, under their own brand . . . way cheaper than T-Gel and just as good.

Betamethasone and DiproSone will help ease any real soreness/itching, but - yeah - as said above, they're both steroids, and I would go lightly with them. You could still use then, in combo with a therapeutic shampoo. It is best if steroids are not the main treatment, but an adunct.

Remember, flakiness may have absolutely nothing to do with dryness of the scalp. Seborrhea is usually not related to dryness at all. The hallmark sigh of seborrhea is greasy little scales that you can pick off. Frequent shampooing is a good thing for it. One way to test that out is to ask yourself, "Does the problem get worse in cold weather, when I tend to shampoo less than in the summer?" Mine did.

Curly hair tends to seem dry, regardless of what's going on with the scalp. Products made specifically for curly or frizzy (mine) hair can help a lot, without overly drying the scalp. Using a defuser to blow dry hair is especially gentle.

Fungus (candida) is something that we all have growing all over our skin and on mucus membranes. It is normal to have it. Only when it overgrows excessively, it it a problem. Seldom have I heard of it being a big problem on the scalp. Generally, with fungus, you actually want to dry out the skin. Fungus thrives on moisture - just like mushrooms. I have known of doctors ordering the use of blow dryers on pubic and genital and rectal areas, specifically to promote drying that would inhibit fungus . . . and herpes, incidentally.

I've read that there is such a thing as seborrheic eczema, though I've never seen it. My sister has eczema of the scalp, though it is not related to seborrhea. It can be a much tougher thing to control and much more distressing to live with. It is more likely to be a condition characterized by dryness, as opposed to seborrhea that is, by definition, oily. When I've seen it, it sure looks a heck of a lot more painful than seborrhea of the scalp. The doctor should say the name of your condition . . . the diagnosis.

Eczema can be related to allergies. The crusting is usually caused by "serum" leaking from the blood stream, not from "sebum." It can be complicated by bacterial infection, sometimes staph. That's all serious stuff, and should not be confused with seborrhea capitis.

Eczema is helped by a cool, humid environment. Fugal overgrowth is made worse by humidity. Seborrhea probably isn't much affected one way, or the other.

I have had the same problem since I was a child. I have tried every shampoo and every medication, creams, liquids. Ive tried washing my scalp with vinegar, listerine and olive oil. The ONLY thing that has worked for me is Tea Tree shampoo. The brand is Thursday Plantations. I use it everyday as my scalp and face itch so bad if I dont. At one point I had an over abundance of oil production on the crown of my scalp. The only thing that helped that was Tea Tree shampoo. I order it online but healthfood stores carry it. I get the seborrhea around my hairline as well and use a tea tree lotion. The less ingredients the better. I too have thick curly long hair but I never blow dry, I do use a flat iron about once a week but keep it away from the roots. I use plain Dove conditioner but I dont use it on my scalp, only the middle and ends of my hair. I use plain Dove bar soap and make it into a body wash and use it for my face as well. Also I exfoliate with pure organic cane sugar once a week or more. Ive found the less ingredients and the more natural, the better. I hope this helps as I know how uncomfortable this can be. Mine would itch so bad, I would dig it in my sleep and wake up with bloddy gunk underneath my fingernails. It would build up so bad, I had to use a comb to scrape the clumps off but I know it's not goodd as you can get an infection, I ended up getting mrsa on my scalp. Only do this if it is built up so bad. Once you use the shampoo and get it under control you wont have hardly any clumps. I also get it in my eyebrows, dont be afraid to use the shampoo for them as well. And let it sit for a while. Good luck to you!!!