Reddit mentions of Kao merit | Hair Care | Shampoo Brush

Megapost time:

I have had PCOS-related hair loss, and most of it has come back for me, but it's taken a while. Spironolactone is the big help there. I've been using tretinoin on my scalp because I get plugged follicles and acne, and the inflammation increases shedding. It's also possible that other prescription medications you're on, if any, could be making the shedding worse. Birth control is notorious for it, but it generally grows back over time.

I cannot do Curly Girl method because of the dandruff and acne, and you would not be the first person it's caused hair loss for. I stretch showers as much as I can, but I must use (very gentle) shampoo on my scalp regularly or the crap on my scalp will get uncontrollable and my hair will shed. Sticking to conditioner only with the occasional cleansing conditioner or very occasional shampooing works fine on my length, but absolutely not for my scalp.

This shampoo brush is one of my best friends. It's very soft, and the points taper very small so they penetrate down to the scalp without damaging hair. Very useful for reducing the amount of shampoo necessary and getting it where it needs to go.

Castor oil scalp massages before shampooing are great, too. It can be a bit thick and hard to distribute, so mixing it with other oils that penetrate the skin and hair shaft (like argan or olive, but anything will do) can be a good idea. With a higher content of other oils, it's nice to soak into hair before cleaning, too. It helps conditioner pull off a lot of styling products, and will help keep your hair nice if you're using an iron on it. Any hair breakage near your scalp will increase the appearance of thinning, so it needs a bit of extra TLC.

Menthol is hideously irritating to skin and it's everywhere in thinning hair products. Avoid it like the plague! If it's something you wouldn't want to smear all over your face, don't put it on your scalp.

Ketoconazole both kills yeast and is an anti-androgen, some people find it useful for hair loss. It's the effective ingredient in Nizoral, and I think there are other shampoos on the market that have it. Some people have better luck with miconazole (yeast infection cream, athough EltaMD sells a cream with it with a less embarrassing label), even if they don't have dandruff.

Last but not least, if you're seeing totally bald patches on parts of your head, get to a dermatologist ASAP, because it could be an autoimmune problem that nothing over-the-counter can help.