Poll: Does Your Scalp Itch Or Not?

[Blackber]

So I've read two postings lately that have piqued my curiosity.

One post was on the General Forum on the site where a member was asking how he could get rid of the itching/inflammation he feels on his scalp due to his hairloss.

The other was on HairlossCure2020 and the admin there discussed the possibility of two subsets under the Androgenetic Alopecia umbrella - those of us that suffer from itchiness and inflammation and those who don't.

I've been thinking about it over the past few days and there are so many theories about the cause and signs of Androgenetic Alopecia from genetics, DHT, blood circulation, autoimmune issues, etc. etc.

I'm not theorizing anything myself but I'm curious what the percentages are of us who deal with inflammation and those who don't.

As mentioned earlier, maybe there are subsets of Androgenetic Alopecia. Maybe those subsets react differently to treatments, i.e. some people respond to minoxidil but don't respond well to finasteride and vice versa (I'm not talk about side effects. I'm strictly talking about efficacy here).

One question I'd like to pose in future interviews with Histogen, Replicel, etc. is whether they believe their treatments could combat that constant "crawling" and irritation that is felt in the scalp.

I'm constantly reminded of my hair loss, whether it's seeing hair in the shower or looking in the mirror. Some people will tell me to "ignore" it but it's hard to ignore when your scalp feels like it's on fire 24/7.

Anyways, I hope you guys find this interesting and I'm curious to see how the poll turns out.

 

[Massive]

All day long ... There are times where I get relief but it's basically always itching. The thing is that even when I took a 6 months break from all treatment my scalp still itched ! I thought that maybe it was because of the hair fibers (use everyday), but then i stopped using for a few days and my scalp was still itching.

Now that I'm on finasteride + minoxidil foam it itches even more. I'm pretty sure that minoxidil (even the foam) adds to the itching. Not to mention I have to shampoo my hair everyday bcuz of hair fibers + minoxidil.

Before I started balding I never noticed my scalp itching. I could not shampoo or wash my hair for 2 weeks straight (during my lazy bum phase) and I didn't even think about any itching/tingling/burning sensation EVER.

 

[MomoGee]

I don't get an itchy scalp unless I go more than 3 days without washing my head with a ketoconazole shampoo. My itch only began after introducing minoxidil to my regimen. Hope that helps.

 

[Swoop]

Yes. It does itch at specific areas of my scalp from time to time. It happens often late at night. When I scratch the hair shaft pretty much always sheds. Stops after it has been shed at that specific area.

Here are some itch mediators of the scalp and hair follicle;

 

[buckthorn]

Yes. It does itch at specific areas of my scalp from time to time. It happens often late at night. When I scratch the hair shaft pretty much always sheds. Stops after it has been shed at that specific area.

Here are some itch mediators of the scalp and hair follicle;

lol Swoop... I don't know if you know this, but I have my Masters in molecular biology and even I don't understand half the stuff you post. Do you think a hair that's on the verge of falling out may cause scalp itch, so it can be shed?

 

[Trouse]

Maybe I'm in the minority. No redness or itchiness.

 

[Ikkaku]

I think it depends of the patern. If you just have lost at temples, it's different thant diffuse Androgenetic Alopecia.

 

[Jim4462]

I have never had any itching, and whats even more confusing to me is I have almost ZERO shedding. Even if I scrub my hair as hard as possible, run a brush over it violently, scruff it with my hands HARD, all I will get is 1 or two hairs fall out. Never a single hair on my pillow in the morning.

Yet I'm balding. ANyone else like me?

 

[Morning Norwood]

I have never had any itching, and whats even more confusing to me is I have almost ZERO shedding. Even if I scrub my hair as hard as possible, run a brush over it violently, scruff it with my hands HARD, all I will get is 1 or two hairs fall out. Never a single hair on my pillow in the morning.

Yet I'm balding. ANyone else like me?

I'm with you on the no shedding, and by that I mean it doesn't appear that I lose anymore than the typical 50-100 hairs per day or w/e it is. Maybe the hairs just aren't as visible because they're blonde. Although I would still see them come out when I scrub/itch my head, yet I never see more than 1 or 2. I DO however itch like a MF'er. And I'm clearly diffuse thinning. It's crazy how everyone is a little different...

My theory is that the more aggressive/rapid the male pattern baldness, the worse the itch. So hypothetically, let's say male pattern baldness only onsets in your 30's and is very gradual. I think the sensation or at least the mechanism behind it is still there, it's just faint enough to go unnoticed. Would you say your male pattern baldness is aggressive or gradual?

 

[I.D WALKER]

I'm glad you asked Blackber.
Yes since prepubescence I've had dandruff into late puberty my dandruff progressed
to Seb. derm. and ultimately @ 18 yrs.,simultaneous 'precursory male pattern baldness itch'? (scaling and acute inflammation),
followed by horrendous shedding where itch/scaling was most pronounced. I've always suspected seb. derm.
prematurely jumpstarted my Androgenetic Alopecia , Newer research is indicating more and more maybe that there is a stronger correlation
between seb.derm. and Androgenetic Alopecia than previously thought.

 

[Dench57]

Pretty common male pattern baldness trait to have perifollicular inflammation:

Mild perifollicular inflammation is seen in both androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia) cases and normal controls, whereas moderate or dense inflammation with concentric layers of collagen, is seen in Androgenetic Alopecia cases but only in very few normal controls. Almost 33.33% patients had moderate/dense perifollicular lymphocytic infiltrate whereas none of the controls had it.

Quite interesting that some people who diffuse/shed rapidly experience no itch whatsoever. Mine is definitely immune response at the hair follicle. Immunosuppressants are the only thing that calm my inflammation. I don't see any reason why Histogen would stop it. Replicel might - I hope we can ask that question if/when we interview them.

 

[Janks16]

Over 27 years on minoxidil and no itch. Long time Finasteride user, as well.

 

[GoldenMane]

Diffuse thinner.
Severe itching before finasteride.
Itching drastically reduced after finasteride.
Pre finasteride itch was probably the DHT itch.
Current itching is mostly confined to my donor zone where I have psoriasis. Likely unrelated to DHT.

 

[KO21]

My scalp itched after I started taking finasteride for the first month or two. Then it stopped and hasn't been back!

Don't know what to make of that.

 

[Blackber]

Pretty common male pattern baldness trait to have perifollicular inflammation:



Quite interesting that some people who diffuse/shed rapidly experience no itch whatsoever. Mine is definitely immune response at the hair follicle. Immunosuppressants are the only thing that calm my inflammation. I don't see any reason why Histogen would stop it. Replicel might - I hope we can ask that question if/when we interview them.

What do you mean by immunosuppressants?

 

[dralex]

Scalp started itching after I started taking finasteride and minoxidil. Have scalp itch daily, but not all the time. Never had scalp itch prior, and could go without washing my hair for over a week without scalp itch. The itch is only in male pattern baldness areas. Unsure if the finasteride and minoxidil is causing the itch or if it started because the male pattern baldness picked up. The itch has picked up lately. Unsure if that means I am going to start shedding hair (hope not).

 

[That Guy]

Replicel might - I hope we can ask that question if/when we interview them.

I too hope that we get a ShiseidoCel interview soon, as that would see guys like us saved.

Anyway, I don't get the itching so much these days. I suspect that most of the itch I experience from time to time now is to be due to a case of dandruff I'm enduring.

 

[ahmad029]

it never itched when i was loosing hairs at tempeles may be because it was too slow but from the last six months i am lossing alot of hair in diffuse pattern and it itche alot.

 

[Armando Jose]

Hi Blackber,
Good poll, but it could be interesting know if the possible itching is on all scalp or more intense in crown and top areas.

 

[michel sapin]

golden mane, how often do you wash your hair ? i noticed that ive got way more itch if i don't wash my hair for 3 days. i usually wash it eod . bur if i overwash my hair , i also get some itch . it is a balance to find
Since i started balding i have noticed that my sebum became "bad" for my scalp ecause of dht inflammatory reaction . before puberty, sometimes i dindnt wash my hair for one week , and i dindt get any itch .