Testosterone Related Scalp Acne Solutions

[Checkdis]

How do you guys combat acne... since high school I have had this scalp acne as a result of wearing hats and helmets and now that I have started TRT it seems to have flared up. Luckily the acne I get is hidden by my hair but it truly hurts sometimes. I wash my hair with hibiclens (which I got the idea from a dermatologist) but I have to be extra careful with my eyes. And Clindamycin Phosphate Foam which I apply after a shower which is a prescription antibiotic I believe. I really do not want to become too reliant on an antibiotic in case I form some sort of resistant bacteria. But the dermatologist has tested for staph which came up negative. They also thought it was fungal but let me try out doxycycline and bactrum DS which both work, but again I shouldn’t be on it for long. I know acutane is just straight up poison and I prefer to stay away from that. I do disinfect with bleach my pillow cases once a week. The crazy thing is I rarely get acne on my face. My body would be in the middle, but my scalp is pretty painful.

 

[Systemlord]

Where are your most recent labs? Acne can be from elevated estrogen, whenever my estrogen is high I get acne in scalp as well. I usually find out when I comb my hair, ouch!

 

[Checkdis]

Where are your most recent labs? Acne can be from elevated estrogen, whenever my estrogen is high I get acne in scalp as well. I usually find out when I comb my hair, ouch!

They are all over the forum lol, but I will post my recent one here prior to TRT which was a bit more stable meaning my head was not too bad. Now I have been just about three weeks into TRT taking 50mg Cypionate twice a week with 350iu HCG. I will be getting blood work soon for my 6 week check up.

I have had this terrible curse since I was a kid prior to any steroid abuse. I feel like this all started from wearing damn hats, helmets, gel... etc. Just my hair, the doctor says it's in the hair follicle.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Go buy Nizoral shampoo at Walmart, Walgreens, etc and leave it on your scalp for 5 min while taking a shower every day. If it does not improve use some coal tar shampoo.

This has nothing to do with estradiol. It's DHT related and wearing hats only accelerates the accumulation of sebum in pores and hair follicles.

 

[Checkdis]

Okay thank you Nelson, I have tried the T-Gel shampoo, which I tried a few weeks and didn’t notice much. I will give this suggestion a try for a long period of time and see if there is any difference.

And I do not wear hats anymore, and try to keep my hair short when it doesn’t flare up. When I have bad acne on the scalp, haircuts are very difficult to get done because of the pain.

 

[Vince]

I also get some scalp acne, I washed my head with zinc soap everyday when I shower. It's not a hundred percent but it definitely does help a lot.

 

[Vince]

Okay thank you Nelson, I have tried the T-Gel shampoo, which I tried a few weeks and didn't notice much. I will give this suggestion a try for a long period of time and see if there is any difference.

And bull shit I do not wear hats anymore, and try to keep my hair short when it doesn't flare up. When I have bad acne on the scalp, haircuts are very difficult to get done because of the pain.

I also would get pain when I got my haircut because of the acne.

 

[Checkdis]

It's embarrassing I hate it, I do find Zinc shampoos actually do help a lot. Since I was a kid I have tried rose water, apple cider vinegar, a natural shampoo called Jason which smells like sulfur a little. And it is only my head, sometimes my back and face but very rare. I have also tried a hot shower to open the pores, then finish with really cold water to close the pores. I remember reading this somewhere when I was younger that the romans did something like this back in the days lol. Or maybe I made it up as a bro science.

my pillow case is destroyed, could connect the lines with all the blood spots.

 

[Vince]

I actually use a bar zinc soap, when I get home tonight I'll look at the brand name and post it maybe it could help you. I buy it from Amazon it is expensive but if I buy a lot of it the price comes down a lot. I don't use much, because I only wash my head with it so it does last a long time.

 

[Checkdis]

Alright thank you Vince, I will give this a shot as well.

If all fails is there a prescription shampoo I can recommend to my doctor next time? This may possibly be fungal from the few dermatologist I have seen over my life time.

 

[Vince Carter]

I use selsun blu with selenium not the salacylic acid version, add a blob of benzoil peroxide cream and scrub with a brush. I too have the problem scalp and this keeps my stuff clear.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I8UX5RO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Checkdis]

Will add this to my amazon cart, thank you sir.

 

[madman]

Go buy Nizoral shampoo at Walmart, Walgreens, etc and leave it on your scalp for 5 min while taking a shower every day. If it does not improve use some coal tar shampoo.

This has nothing to do with estradiol. It's DHT related and wearing hats only accelerates the accumulation of sebum in pores and hair follicles.

Great advice Nelson!

 

[Vince]

This is the soap I use on my face and scalp, it does help if I use it daily,
SAL3 Salicylic Acid Sulfur Soap Bar - Special Wash: Acne, Dandruff, Smelly Scalp and Body,Tinea Versicolor, Oily Skin, Itch, Anti-fungal

10% Sulfur, 3% Salicylic Acid ​

​

 

[Dave B.]

How do you guys combat acne... since high school I have had this scalp acne as a result of wearing hats and helmets and now that I have started TRT it seems to have flared up. Luckily the acne I get is hidden by my hair but it truly hurts sometimes. I wash my hair with hibiclens (which I got the idea from a dermatologist) but I have to be extra careful with my eyes. And Clindamycin Phosphate Foam which I apply after a shower which is a prescription antibiotic I believe. I really do not want to become too reliant on an antibiotic in case I form some sort of resistant bacteria. But the dermatologist has tested for staph which came up negative. They also thought it was fungal but let me try out doxycycline and bactrum DS which both work, but again I shouldn't be on it for long. I know acutane is just straight up poison and I prefer to stay away from that. I do disinfect with bleach my pillow cases once a week. The crazy thing is I rarely get acne on my face. My body would be in the middle, but my scalp is pretty painful.

Checkdis, I have rosacea-related acne on my head that is persistent and never seems to go away. It would be under my hair, but I'm bald, so it is readily visible. Some things I've done recently that seem to help:

1 - I have been using Nizoral shampoo (rubbing it on my face and leaving it for 5 minutes before rinsing off) and it seems to have diminished the acne somewhat in the last month. It tightens the skin quite a bit.
2 - I sometimes use a charcoal detox-type mask that I just rinse off after a while.
3 - I recently cut out all wheat and sugar from my diet. I have in the past done intermittent fasting, and found that my skin got very smooth and much improved when I did. But that only lasted for a few days at the end of the fasting period. Now I seem to be re-creating this phenomenon again by banishing wheat but it is an ongoing experiment.
4 - Yes, wearing hats seems to make it worse (sometimes). I bought some thin wool caps from smartwool that keep my head warm in the winter but don't restrict much. You can hardly tell they're on. I also wear them under my bike helmet for a buffer. It might help a little, but helmets are just bad news.

 

[Checkdis]

To add, and this I saw on YouTube somewhere from someone who experiences bad scalp acne.

Purchase a pillow case made of polyester. It seems bacteria thrives in cotton pillow cases. I would religiously clean pillow cases and bleach them in hot water to kill al bacteria.

For me Clindamycin Phosphate Foam & h
Hibiclens soap work, but be very careful with Hihiclens. Getting it in your eyes is very bad! But I just purchased the shampoo Nelson recommended and I am trying it out with Clindamycin Phosphate Foam.

Also don’t pop the abscesses, because from what I have read and heard it pushes the bacteria deeper into your skin and damages the pores. Let them push out naturally.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Excellent suggestions, guys!

 

[Re-Ride]

Clindamycin warning! High risk of developing the serious G.I. infection C difficile. At a minimum topical use will negatively impact the healthy diversity of the human gut microbiome. Side effects may include intense even life threatening watery diarrhea and essential nutrient malabsorption.

Do not use clindamycin without close medical supervision. If you develop diarrhea discontinue use and report at once to your MD. Get a stool test for c difficile.

 

[Checkdis]

Clindamycin warning! High risk of developing the serious G.I. infection C difficile. At a minimum topical use will negatively impact the healthy diversity of the human gut microbiome. Side effects may include intense even life threatening watery diarrhea and essential nutrient malabsorption.

Do not use clindamycin without close medical supervision. If you develop diarrhea discontinue use and report at once to your MD. Get a stool test for c difficile.

Even the topical foam? I only apply it to my scalp, I do not ingest the pill form of this antibiotic. On the other hand I have used this medication for months on end.... I wonder if this has been the issue which has been contributing to my OAB, and slightly higher bowel movements. Guess if this is true I should get a test done.

Read under warnings:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2006/050801s006lbl.pdf

The brand I have is Perrigo... but ehhh I hope this isn’t the case

 

[Checkdis]

UPDATE:

Wow, Nizoral Shampoo works! I have stopped everything and used this shampoo consistently for a week so far and seen improvements. I also have been taking a probiotic to help my good bacteria.

Looks like my scalp acne derived from fungal, too much sweating and wearing hats/helmets. I wish I knew this sooner rather than suffering from abscesses since 18 y/o. I still clean my pillow cases and sheets religious. As well as towels for showering and wash my hair gently first, before drying off elsewhere. If a abscess pops I dab alcohol on it quickly to prevent further contamination. STOP itching, picking your head! That alone has helped, with the shampoo is probably only needed. Remember, itching = healing in my mind... let it heal.