If you have a tip to share about how you cope with hair loss and the symptoms of cicatricial alopecia, please email your submission to itworksforme@carfintl.org. Type “It Works for Me tip” in the subject line of your email; and include your city, state and country in the body of the email. All tips will be published anonymously.
Please be advised that CARF does not endorse any of the products or suggestions givenon this page. The recommendations are solely those of the contributors and are not intended as medical advice. Patients with questions regarding specific symptoms or treatments should consult a professional health-care provider.
From a patient in Los Angeles
Itching is the maddening culprit that bothers me. There are two products that give relief.
To control itching, I shampoo with Head and Shoulders Intensive Solutions with 2% pyrithione zinc. I leave it on for five minutes, rinse it out, and then use a conditioner. That seems to work. Other pyrithione zinc shampoos I have tried do not relieve the itching. Head and Shoulders Intensive Solutions is found in local drug stores and at other places where shampoos are sold.
For itching on the body, and in my case behind the ears and on the chest area, I use Moroccan Oil. It is non greasy, immediately absorbs into the skin, and halts the itch. It is made in Israel and can be found in most beauty supply shops. Hope this helps.
From a patient in Granada Hills, CA
My doctor recommended using a salicylic acid shampoo, such as Nizoral or Neutrogena’s T/Sal, to reduce the scaling and flaking on my scalp. She recommended I alternate between using the salicyclic acid shampoo and a mild shampoo on a weekly basis, and that I vigorously massage it into my scalp.
I was afraid it might hurt my already sore and tender scalp. However, when I massaged my scalp vigorously the pain actually went away. Now I always scrub hard when I’m washing my hair. I find it helps control pain and scaling even now that I’m using a mild shampoo most of the time.
From a patient in Middleton, MA
I have found DermMatch to be the best help for areas of hair loss. I don't wear my wiglets anymore since this solution provides much better coverage and DOES NOT hurt. You need to use the color of your roots and dab it on the bald areas.
From a patient in Hollywood, CA
I have a few patches of hair loss that can be camouflaged by sprinkling Toppik hair fibers over them.
Getting the right color is important. I've learned that it's best to buy directly from Spencer Forrest at http://www.toppik.com.
Recently, I tried light brown instead of auburn, and the result was terrible. When I called Toppik, they told me that if I had bought the fibers directly from them they would have exchanged the light brown fibers for auburn. My local beauty supply would not do that. I had spent about $40 on the wrong color and ended up donating it to my hairdresser in the hope that she would give it to someone else who needed it.
So, my tip is to purchase the hair fibers online directly from Toppik and to try the small travel-sized packages until you are sure you have the correct color.
