Re: iodine and hair loss

I have to disagree that Iodine applied topically to the scalp/hair is corrosive or can burn or damage the hair. In the past year Iodine has been my salvation. I don't know exactly what the problem is to date I have been to 9 dermatologists and no one can seem to help me. I started losing my hair last summer, my scalp became itchy, highly inflamed, patches of hair loss. I started treating with colorless Iodine and within a couple months the problem resolved. Within a month of stopping the iodine all symptoms were back so I went to the derm. and was diagnosed with all kinds of stuff and given several different treatments. All diagnosis' were wrong and no treatments worked. I was put on anti-fungal medication orally and the problem seemed to stop. Again, a month or so later same problems came back but with avengence. I started losing large amounts of hair and my scalp was horribly painful, it didn't itch anymore. I had lesions that wouldn't heal. I was scared I was going to lose all my hair. I came across a condition that my scalp started looking like - Follicultis Decalvans. This was in February. I took this to 3 derm. and they all said no this is not what you have. All they gave me was a steriod cream and see ya in 4 weeks. At this time I started using the colorless iodine again. It hurt/stung to apply it because of the large lesions on my scalp. At this point I was missing an area of hair 5"L x 2"W through the center of my scalp. It was very clear their was something infecting my scalp but these inept doctors wouldn't help me. Low and behold in May I had a biopsy come back with this Follicultis Decalvans! The doctor that day only told me the biopsy came back showing there was an infection and he was going to refer me. It wasn't untl weeks later I got the biopsy from my regular doctor that I would learn the truth. I went to another derm and that was useless as well. They lost my cultures and blood results. Then they refused to acknowledge the biopsy from the other derm. I gave my regular doctor information about this condtion and how to treat it and we've been working together since July in trying to resolve this. I'm on topical Antibiotics now and just finished oral, I'm also taking an anti-fungal once a day. Most all the hair is growing back now, some areas are 3" long in just a couple months. The pain and eruptions have stopped. I still use the iodine once a week on my scalp. I may never know what happened to my head. I'm a hairstylist (for close to 20 yrs.), and I am familiar with many conditions and in the past year have become VERY educated about contagious disorders, fungus, mites, parasites, skin conditions, etc... I know that iodine kills bacteria, fungus, viruses, staph. Folliculitis Decalvans is believed to be caused mainly by Staph but also by fungus. I would apply the iodine every day and as long as it was on my head. As soon as I put it on it was almost instant relief. My head didn't itch or wasn't painful, no new eruptions, hair loss minimal, it actually gave my hair a lot of body. I know that it helped slow down the infection and helped keep it from spreading. I also have been taking the Lugol's iodine internally for about a month now and have noticed how much better I feel in general. A year ago I wouldn't have thought twice about iodine, but it's made a huge difference in my life. Tweet