Need advice. Minoxidil seemed to ruin my scalp, and my hair keeps getting worse.
I’m a male 20. I had a slight receding hairline before college, but my hair density was still really good.
About two years ago, after joining college, I started noticing a lot more hair fall. My overall density dropped significantly, especially at the front, so I decided to see a dermatologist.
About a year ago, the dermatologist diagnosed me with dandruff and prescribed Tugain 5% (liquid minoxidil) along with a ketoconazole shampoo.
For the first month, everything seemed normal. I had heavy shedding, which I know can happen with minoxidil, but I also noticed a lot of baby hairs coming in, so I thought it was working.
Then my scalp started itching badly. The itching became so intense that I would scratch constantly. I still continued using minoxidil for another two months, hoping it would improve, but it only got worse. Eventually I had to stop because the itching was unbearable.
After stopping minoxidil, the severe itching mostly settled, but my scalp has never felt normal since then.
A few months later I saw another dermatologist. He told me not to use minoxidil and instead treated me for dandruff and scalp itching with medication and medicated shampoo , selenium this time.
Fast forward another 4 to 5 months, my hair fall still hadn’t improved, so I went back again. This time I was advised to try minoxidil foam, but I couldn’t find it anywhere, so I bought another liquid formulation instead.
After just one application, the itching came back almost immediately, so I stopped again.
Right now:
-
My front hair density has become much worse, and it’s difficult to cover my scalp.
-
I lose a lot of hair during every shampoo.
-
I find hair on my pillow and around the house.
-
I still have visible dandruff. and have to use anti dandruff shampoo(selenium something every 1-2 days).
-
My scalp becomes oily if I don’t shampoo and starts itching.
-
After shampooing, my scalp often feels dry and slightly irritated.
-
The itching is mainly around the front and crown.
I’ve been using selenium shampoo for months, and I haven’t been scratching my scalp for months either, but my scalp still doesn’t feel healthy. and i can see hairs falling everywhere.
I also had blood tests done (ferritin, TSH, vitamin D, and B12). Everything came back normal except vitamin B12, which was low.
At this point, I’m confused about what’s actually happening.
I’d really appreciate any advice or similar experiences.