Minoxidil and brown dandruff

[justin78]

Hi All-

I've been on a regimen of finasteride (10mg/day), Minoxidil 5% (1ml/day) and Nizoral shampoo for 5 years now (I originally started the minoxidil at 2%, then moved up to 5% after a few years). The results have generally been good, and I've had no adverse side-effects.

However, for the past two months I've started to get horrible dandruff. The flakes are large and brown, and my pillow is covered with them in the morning. I can literally dig my fingernail into my scalp and take off pieces of skin.

Not knowing what was going on, I decided to buy extra strength Head & Shoulders, and have been alternating it with the Nizoral for a week now, with no improvement. I'm concerned not only for the embarrassing aesthetics of the dandruff itself, but because I feel that it's a sign of an unhealthy scalp, and that it may contribute to my hair loss.

Has anyone else even experienced this horrible "brown dandruff" before? My first thought is that it's a reaction to the minoxidil, but I've been on that for several years with no problems at all. Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Justin

 

[hairforce9]

when i started rogaine the skin on my sclap peeled in quarter size sheets. after 2 weeks this stoped. my scalp only gets itchy if irritated and when i do scratch i also get this weird brown soft downy dead skin im assuming your calling dandruff. I added nizoral and extra strenght T-Gel into my routine but i still get this stuff however i think it did minimize. because i dont like the idea of rogaine being absorbed by this dead skin, i scrap my scalp twice a week with a fine tooth comb and a ton of that dead skin scraps off as well as hairs. I havent yet been able to get ride of it but i do only get it if i scratch my sclap i dont get it on my pillows.

 

[CCS]

the excess minoxidil does flake off after it dries. I just wash my hair with baby shampoo real fast, and bye bye dandruff.

 

[ShedMaster]

so in other words you noticed the brown dandruff symptoms immediately after you started the 5% minoxidil? or several months afterwards?

If so it sounds like you have some sort of scalp condition unrelated to hairloss treatments. If this just started happening when you switched to the 5% minoxidil then you might consider switching to the foam or a non-ppg formula of the minoxidil. I do vaugely remember experiencing some weird *** dandruff type of skin clumping when I began minoxidil over 4 years ago but it soon disappeared, I suppose after my skin had a chance to adjust.

 

[justin78]

I wish I could say that the brown dandruff started right after I switched to the 5% minoxidil, but I've been using that strength for about 3 years now. So I'm not sure what's up!

 

[kiver1]

almost sounds like craddle cap in infants. My Son and had this brown stuff for several months. Docs say its a hormonal change. Could be from onset of finasteride. I got rid of it by scrapping it off and occationally using a topical steroid (like hydo cortosone) Not sure if this is whats going on but I do understand the brown dandruff crud

 

[Hopeman]

i had this exact same problem. Try alternating between T-Sal and Nutrogena durring the weak. make sure you leave both on your head for a few mins, especialy the tsal

 

[flimflam]

I've been on a regimen of finasteride (10mg/day)

10mg ?! :shock: I hope that's a typo ! It should be ONE mg a day

 

[flimflam]

I've been on a regimen of finasteride (10mg/day)

10mg ?! :shock: I hope that's a typo ! It should be ONE mg a day

 

[justin78]

Thanks for all of the responses guys!

Yes, when I first started researching this online, it sounded exactly like cradle cap. Unfortunately I couldn't find any info about "adult cradle cap", so I came here. I do have some hydrocortisone cream, so I'll give it a try. God knows I've been scraping away.

Hopeman, I'll definitely take your suggestion. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who's experienced this!

And yes... that was a typo I'm only taking 1mg of finasteride daily.

 

[bathtbgin]

I used the foam before i tried liquid rogaine. I didnt really have any trouble when i was using the foam, but i could tell something was up after a day of using the liquid. The skin on my scalp is coming off like crazy. I've had to run a comb over my scalp for a good 10 minutes on more than one occasion just to prevent it from flaking off while i was out.