Due to my skin condition, if I go too long without using H&S my scalp health really starts to really suffer. I don’t find H&S to be as harsh as people say but I wonder if there’s a better shampoo out there with the same active ingredient (zinc pyrithione). Does anyone else here suffer with eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, or other skin conditions linked to inflammation on the scalp? What do you use to balance scalp health and maintain beautiful curls?
thanks ahead of time!
I’m a guy with extremely curly, long hair (about 20"). I use goat milk soap and it’s been fantastic for my hair health. Before that I used the brand “Pattern”, which I also liked but it was very expensive.
Yeah. One of the things I like about H&S (aside from that it seems to be very good at calming my skin when it’s inflamed) is that it’s very affordable. But I am trying to grow my hair out and reduce how much product I use and I know that a better shampoo could prep my hair and require less styling product.
Be wary of natural soap in hair. If your water has minerals (hard water) it can just lock dirt onto your hair (and skin, and tub) instead of actually cleaning. Soap scum in hair is no joke.
If your hair is long enough, conditioner on the length before shampooing the scalp works well for medicated shampoo. The conditioner protects the hair while the shampoo is doing its work on the scalp.
There’s vanicream free and clear medicated shampoo with zinc pyrithione 2%. I’ve used medicated shampoos from a dermatologist before, it felt more gentle than some of the ones I tried OTC (like Nizoral and Selsun Blue felt stripping). I just had dandruff though, I don’t have eczema. You can help protect the rest of your hair by applying some conditioner or oil to the lengths of your hair before rinsing off.
That’s a good idea. I have been using a root-comb bottle to apply the shampoo directly to the scalp and avoid as much contact with the hair. Then I can use a gentler shampoo on the mid-section and the ends. But as you can imagine this processes can be a pain :)
TLDR: Nizoral + your preferred curly shampoo
I recently learned that the ‘proper’ way to wash with dandruff shampoo is to massage it into your scalp (without actively trying to clean the rest of the hair), leave it for 5 min, rinse and then wash the rest of your hair with a different shampoo. I end up putting on that second shampoo, Shea Moisture daily hydration for me, kind of like you would with conditioner, avoiding the roots. I use nizoral now for dandruff control, but I’ve also done it with coal tar shampoo (also appreciate that it gets rid of some of the smell).
For reference, I have relatively fine, thick 3A curls with some heat damage.
