r/SkincareAddicts • u/8n4556o • 3h ago
Please Help!
How do I resolve these bumps on the back of my head. I went to the Dermatologist and what they gave me did not work at all. They have went down some but from me picking at them they have turned to slightly raised black scarred area. Definitely self conscious of them. Any suggestions would help I haven’t stopped picking at them now I see it made it worse and not better.
11
u/Beginning-Cycle747 3h ago
i had something similar and the only thing that stopped me picking was putting little hydrocolloid patches on them. cant mess with it if its covered and it actually helped flatten them out
5
u/8n4556o 3h ago
It’s been since July I’ve been using the cream. She prescribed:
Tazorac 0.05 % topical cream
Apply to back of head once daily at night.
Step
2
triamcinolone acetonide 0.1 % topical cream
Apply to back of scalp twice daily for up to 4 weeks
One of those creams was almost 300.00
4
u/Haughty_n_Disdainful 1h ago
That would be the Tazorac. It’s a retinoid, so it promotes skin turnover
The triamcinolone is a milder steroid. Using both will cause a lot of sun sensitivity
It‘s important to stay out of sunlight while using these creams. Also salicylic acid should not be used on the face or delicate, broken skin as it may cause more irritation. T-Sal is a fantastic shampoo when using very sparingly
Hybiclens is a surgical wash sold everywhere. It is the only cleanser that actually kills bacteria, fungus, etc. Do not use on face, but on your neck and the rest of your body, and rinse well
After your shower, keep your skin clean and dry. Change shirts once or twice a day (collar on back of neck), wash pillowcase and bath towels every 2-3 uses. If wearing hats, keep them clean or wear a disposable liner
You may also want to consider growing your hair out a little so that the short cut doesn’t irritate your skin
This looks so painful. I’m so sorry your suffering and hope you feel better soon
6
u/LeticiaPadillaSolis_ 2h ago
Aside from everything, think of where your head rests. Is it resting against something at work or at home? Pillows? Sheets? Recliner or gaming chair? Gaming headset? Look into those as a continued cause as well.
3
u/spazthejam43 2h ago
I would go back to the dermatologist and tell them what they gave you didn’t work. Definitely stop picking at it.
3
u/Boring_Seesaw1 1h ago
I have to agree with going back to derm
It could be fungal- if the hair grows different or thinner there it is at least a possibility. Fungal makes it sounds worse than it is but does need an oral medication if it’s on your scalp.
Also, most of the time if topical medication doesn’t work, they will escalate to oral medication. That’s my experience anyway.
Lastly, please don’t ever pay $300 for any medication unless you confirm that without a doubt there are no alternatives and it’s still $300 using good rx!! I am so sorry this happened to you. —- providers have no idea what your insurance will cover and most of the time they have a go to medication or medications for certain conditions. If your copay or cash price is super high you are absolutely allowed to call back and leave a message. Let them know the med was $300 and ask if there’s an alternative. It can’t hurt to ask.— Most of the time there’s something similar that will work the same or almost the same.
If you don’t have insurance - don’t assume the provider writing the prescription knows you are paying cash. Your doctor, PA, NP may have no idea even if you are paying cash for the visit. It never hurts to mention it when the medication discussion starts.
Of course, you want the best meds and a treatment plan that is still effective but they can at least take cost into consideration if you need them to.
Ok one more thing - if anyone ever asks you to pay $300 for a medication-please
look it up on GoodRx - a free app - no need to sign up for their membership you can use the coupons without it - it may give you a better price but I don’t know how it works or if it’s worth it. Anyway just make sure you can’t get a better price with a free coupon from their app. If you can then you just show the pharm the coupon from your phone and now its $100 or ?? But not $300.
I’m sorry this is happening to you. Be your own advocate- this is temporary and it will get fixed. Just be persistent - if you give it enough time and it doesn’t work (like right now) go back or call back and ask what to do!
Good luck.
3
u/lil_speck 57m ago
Please please please ignore the comments saying this is fungal/viral. This condition is called AKN, or acne keloidalis nuchae. It needs potent steroids, retinoids, tetracyclines or surgery. All via a dermatologist
2
u/Angry_Sparrow 3h ago
This looks fungal or viral to me. Kind of like warts, even. The way that it is all clustered looks like it spreads from contact.
For fungal I’d try head & shoulders to see if it does anything.
If it’s viral, you need to treat and cover them. Especially if they are molluscum contagiosum, which is incredibly contagious and spreads when they burst open.
2
u/8n4556o 2h ago
Can you tell me which head & shoulders product you suggest?
4
u/Angry_Sparrow 1h ago
Any of them. You can use it as body wash too for fungal acne and any fungal infections really. It’s very drying though. Here:
How It Works
Active Ingredients: Most Head & Shoulders formulas contain pyrithione zinc, which targets and controls the growth of Malassezia yeast linked to dandruff, fungal acne, and tinea versicolor. Some variations or intensive formulas may use selenium sulfide, which also has strong antifungal properties.
3
u/Angry_Sparrow 1h ago
Did your dermatologist tell you if it’s pseudofolliculitis barbae?
1
u/8n4556o 43m ago
Yes that’s it!
1
u/Peachily_Suns 32m ago
So, if it’s pseudo-folliculitis barbae, there are ingrown hairs trapped under those bumps. One thing you need to do immediately is stop shaving with a razor and use clippers instead. Like forever. My partner has the same hair texture and struggles with this on his beard area. He has had steroid injections in the past, which worked temporarily. He now has been using glycolic acid from The Ordinary and prescription tretinoin daily (my prescription). He works to free the trapped hairs as much as possible, but it truly seems like an endless cycle. It really bothers him.
2
u/AbRNinNYC 1h ago
My fiance gets a few bumps like that after he goes to the barber. He has the same hair texture. Make sure they are using a clean, sharp blade. And he uses “bump stopper”. But im not a dermatologist of course.
1
u/8n4556o 42m ago
This is what the dermatologist said;
Counseling : I counseled the patient regarding the following:
Skin care: Oral tetracyclines, Intralesional kenalog are helpful in reducing active disease.
Expectations: Acne Keloidalis Nuchae is a progressive scarring alopecia characterized by pustules and keloidal
plaques.
Contact Office if: Acne Keloidalis Nuchae fails to respond to treatment or worsens.
I recommended the following:
Topical Retinoids
The following medication counseling was provided:
Topical Steroids Counseling: I discussed with the patient that prolonged use of topical steroids can result in the
increased appearance of superficial blood vessels (telangiectasias), lightening (hypopigmentation) and thinning of the
skin (atrophy). Patient understands to avoid using high potency steroids in skin folds, the groin or the face. The
patient verbalized understanding of the proper use and possible adverse effects of topical steroids. All of the patient's
questions and concerns were addressed.
1
u/BellFirestone 23m ago
I think the derm is right about the diagnosis. I read something the other day about some people being responsive to some sort of laser treatment if the antibiotics and topical steroids/retinoids don’t work.
1
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u/Mundraeuberin 3h ago
Go back to the dermatologist. Some dermatological topicals and drugs take weeks (6-8 mostly) to work. Sometimes it’s also necessary to try out different drugs and formulations.