Dandruff has affected my scalp, eyebrows. What to do?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have had dandruff ever since I can remember. Tried many remedies, but nothing seems to work to get rid of the dandruff. Now it has started to appear on my eyebrows and eyelashes. Could you suggest a remedy, test, and treatment?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Dandruff or Seborrheic dermatitis is an important cause of scalp itching and increased hair shedding. Controlling dandruff effectively would control scalp itching too. Since dandruff is bound to recur, therefore rather than using a regular shampoo, people with dandruff should use an antidandruff shampoo to keep dandruff under check.

If I was your treating doctor I would have suggested you use an anti-dandruff lotion or shampoo. My choice is two percent Ketoconazole shampoo, thrice weekly or even daily, for two to three weeks. However, sometimes shampoo alone seems insufficient. In such a case dermatologists choose to prescribe a topical steroid lotion like Mometasone lotion (Elocon lotion), to be applied once daily at night, at the scalp skin and eyebrows as well, for two weeks. For the lashes, you can apply a milder topical steroid Desonide (Desowen cream) once daily at night for seven to ten days. The topical steroid lotion can be stopped once the dandruff is well controlled and thereafter the improvement can be sustained by using an anti-dandruff lotion or shampoo, weekly twice.

I hope this helps you.

Thank you.