Does Head Shoulders shampoo treat fungal acne? If you have acne and are on social media, you probably see a lot of hacks, home remedies, and tools that influencers say they have “tried and tested” to help acne. Most of these tricks don’t seem to work and are really annoying to experts.
But one hack that keeps coming up on our social media feeds is using dandruff shampoo to treat fungus acne, which isn’t your normal acne.
As Colgate has become known for toothpaste, Head & Shoulders has become known for anti-dandruff shampoo in India.
People are saying that Head & Shoulders can help with fungal acne, which affects at least 20% to 30% of acne sufferers. This hack has caused a lot of buzz.
What to do if you think you have fungus acne?
Does Head Shoulders shampoo treat fungal acne? A lot of people with acne don’t have fungal acne. An Indian dermatologist and holistic health coach named Dr. Aparna Santhanam says that fungal acne “is not acne at all.”
“It is an infection of the hair follicle by a fungus,” says Dr. Santhanam. “It happens most often on the scalp, then on the forehead, and then on the sideburns.”
An expert dermatologist, cosmetic dermatologist, and dermato-surgeon at The Aesthetic Clinics in Mumbai, Dr. Rinky Kapoor, says that fungal acne usually happens when a fungus called malassezia grows too much on the skin. Does Head Shoulders shampoo treat fungal acne?
Dr. Kapoor says that fungal acne is not the same as bacterial acne, which is caused by too many germs, or hormonal acne, which is often caused by an imbalance in hormones.
“These fungal acne bumps usually show up as little red spots that can become itchy over time,” she says. Anywhere there is hair on your body, you can get fungal acne.
Should Head Shoulders treat fungal acne, according to experts?
Does Head Shoulders shampoo treat fungal acne? India Today talked to three experts, and all of them agreed that more research is needed to show that Head & Shoulders works, even though it does contain compounds that kill fungi.
For example, Dr. Kapoor says that real studies are needed to find out if using Head Shoulders shampoo treat fungal acne works when applied on the face. On the other hand, she says that Head & Shoulders has zinc pyrithione in it, which is known to kill fungi.
An expert cosmetologist at Kosmoderma Skin, Hair & Body Clinics in Bengaluru named Dr. Avantika agrees and says that these anti-dandruff shampoos also have selenium sulphide in them along with zinc pyrithione.
Dr. Avantika says that zinc pyrithione and selenium sulphide are both scientifically proven to work against infections caused by malassezia.
Dr. Avantika says, “Using this shampoo may help because it may stop the growth of this fungus.”
Could make skin peel off
Before you rush to the bathroom to put Head & Shoulders on your face in the hopes that it will get rid of your acne, you should know that it has some side effects and can’t be used in all situations.
Among other things, Dr. Avantika says these shampoos are not a “one-size-fits-all solution.” To begin, you should confirm that your acne is caused by a fungus, since anti-dandruff shampoo does not work on hormonal or bacterial acne.
“Only some people may see improvements; others will not be affected,” says Dr. Avantika.
The other experts agree with her. Dr. Santhanam says that shampoos like Head & Shoulders can make the face and even the hair very dry if they are used too often or in the wrong way.
“Using shampoos with a lot of harsh ingredients can make your acne worse and hurt the health of your skin.” “This hack should not be used at all by people with dry skin, oily skin, eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis, because it can easily make their symptoms worse,” says Dr. Kapoor.
Dr. Avantika says that other side effects include
Itching on the skin
Rosacea
Having a burning feeling or being sensitive to sunlight.
She also says that some people may be allergic to this shampoo, though it’s not common.
When used on the face, the strong surfactants in this shampoo, which were made for the hair, can remove the skin’s natural oils. In order to make up for it, the skin may make itself drier and make more grease. Breakouts can happen when there is too much oil, says Dr. Avantika.
Conclusion
If you have fungal acne, you might want to see a doctor instead of messing with your face to find a good treatment.
Start with a small amount of Head & Shoulders or another anti-dandruff shampoo to see if it helps your fungal acne. If it makes your skin itch, stop using it right away.
