Is ketoconazole shampoo 2% safe for dreadlocks?

My doctorconfirmedthat I haveSeborrheic dermatitis and she prescribed me a scalp shampoo; Perrigo Ketoconazole Shampoo 2%to apply 2 to 3 times a week to rub on my scalp and leave in for 5 minutes and then rinse. I have been using it for about 2 weeks and after I rinse that out I use Buck's Tea Tree and Rosemary bar soap (which works awesome btw) over my dreads just to be sure everything is cleaned out. Theketoconazole doesnt have a scent but I just want to make sure its safe to use and im not ruining my dreads by accident. Is the routine Ive described with the follow up cleaning with the bar soap a good idea? Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks.

updated by @forgottenpast22: 01/13/15 09:32:29PM

try just the tearree rosemary bar and see if you dont find the dermatitis clears uo as long as u avoid sls

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It does seem to work but I figured Id also try the medicated stuff since it was prescribed. What is sls by the way?

If the tea tree rosemary bar doesn't help on it's own and you truly need medication, only apply it to the scalp and not the dreads. Ketoconazole is an antifungal medication that prohibits fungus from growing. Usually it is prescribed to be used over a 2 week period of time (did your Dr. tell you to use this for any length of time?) The only thing that I can think of that may happen from using this is that it may make your scalp oily.

SLS is sodium lauryl sulfate. It's in a ton of soaps and it's only purpose is to produce a lather. A rich lather makes people feel cleaner; as if the soap is being distributed better. SLS can dry out the scalp and hair though. It can also interfere with the hair growth cycle.

My doctor didn't tell me to use it over any specific amount of time, I figured it was indefinite. The tea tree rosemary did seem to be doing the trick even before but I guess I just want to be completely rid of having the issue as long as I can help it. I havent had any scalp break outs or dandruff since i started using the tea tree rosemary but even more so since I started this prescribed stuff. I just looked at the ingredients right now and it does say it contains sodium lauryl ether sulfate. So does that mean I should stay away? I hope Im not ruining my dreads or developing mold from residue (I hope not?). I have been noticing recently that I keep catching a wiff of a scent of what smells like b.o. (dont mean to be gross) every now and then and am always questioning whether its coming from my hair or not. Perhaps since the SD is being tamed down I can sweat naturally and more now and thats where the scent is coming form? Just an idea, not sure if that makes sense. I think Ill stop using it now just to make sure.

Valrie said:

If the tea tree rosemary bar doesn't help on it's own and you truly need medication, only apply it to the scalp and not the dreads. Ketoconazole is an antifungal medication that prohibits fungus from growing. Usually it is prescribed to be used over a 2 week period of time (did your Dr. tell you to use this for any length of time?) The only thing that I can think of that may happen from using this is that it may make your scalp oily.

Honestly, I don't think you are ruining your dreads. How about going off of the medication for a while and solely using the tea tree rosemary bar. The rosemary is good for fighting dandruff and the tea tree is also an antiseptic. Wait a couple of weeks before evaluating the scalp because changes in soaps may take a little bit of time for the hair and scalp to adjust. If your scalp reverts then you may have a strong case of seborrheic dermatitis and you can certainly ask your Dr. if there are other ways to control it or other shampoos/rinses she can recommend that are more natural.

I've also heard that a person's diet can play a part in it because of yeast production but I'm not 100% sure on that. You may need to do some research on holistic ways to treat it.

That helped a lot, thank you!