Salicylic Acid — Salicylic acid in shampoo form significantly improved dandruff, scalp redness, and itching in seborrheic dermatitis patients over about 3 weeks.
HAIRCARE
Nizoral for Oily Scalp
RESEARCH
- Reduced scalp greasiness
- Improved dandruff and redness
- Small sample, self-reported results
COMMUNITY
- Mixed results — some find it very helpful for scalp comfort and hair health, while others see no benefit; appears to work better for some people than others.
SAFETYSalicylic acid can dry out skin; stop use and see a doctor if you develop severe irritation, burning, or rash.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
ALL 15 ON PUBMED ↗Cocamidopropyl Betaine — No PubMed studies found specifically on Cocamidopropyl Betaine.
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate — No PubMed studies found specifically on Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate.
A medicated shampoo with salicylic acid reduced scalp greasiness in about 80% of users.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
READ THREADS ON REDDIT ↗COMMUNITY SENTIMENT
60% positive
“I remember seeing some older ketoconazole study for male pattern balding, and in that study, about half of the men got really good results, and the other half got no results at all. And it seems to match the opinions of people on the internet, some people claim it's working really well for them, and others claim it doesn't really do anything. So it seems to be a lottery whether ketoconazole will work for you or not. But it's always good to try.”
U/A_MIMSY_BOROGOVE ↗“Ketoconazole shampoo (I used nizoral) has drastically improved my relationship/situation with hair loss. Part of obsessing over hair loss the was itching, other scalp sensations etc. They are constant reminders of what’s happening on your head. Nizoral took away all the annoying scalp sensations and made my scalp feel much cleaner. I can’t really say less hair falls out but the intrusive thoughts caused by itchiness gradually disappeared and that’s a huge for me. Would recommend using additional shampoo/conditioner with nizoral because it’s harsh and can dry your hair out.”
U/BJOEL420 ↗“Nizoral is the worst shampoo i ever used… never saw any benefits…”
U/[DELETED] ↗COMMENTS
Add context that might help others — skin type, conditions like PCOS, what you'd tried before. The more specific, the more useful.
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