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Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/span> \nWhat if the cure to your annoying acne could be found in the shampoo aisle?\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThat\u2019s the newest skincare claim to hit TikTok, courtesy of Elyse Myers, a creator on the platform who\u2019s gathered 5.6 million followers on the app. On September 29, Myers uploaded a video sharing her experience using Head & Shoulders\u2014a popular dandruff shampoo\u2014for clear skin. \n<\/p>\n \n\u201cBefore you spend a lot of money on skincare products, just hold on,\u201d Myers told her viewers. \u201cJust go buy Head & Shoulders and wash your face with it and see what happens.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nMyers went on to explain that she had been using the \u201cWalmart version\u201d of the shampoo since her middle school days. \u201cI had a dermatologist tell me the zinc in dandruff shampoo is incredible for your face,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nEven after trying some higher-end face products, Myers said she still prefers her knockoff Head & Shoulders.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cI started trying to use fancy stuff because people were sending it to me for free\u2014never had worse skin in my entire life,\u201d she said. \u201cThree days ago, I threw everything away and started using my dandruff shampoo again. [My] skin is already\u2026clearer.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nAnd Myers isn\u2019t the only one singing dandruff shampoo\u2019s praises. So far, her video has been viewed 11.7 million times, has gotten 1.6 million likes, and a slew of other TikTokers\u2014including user Alexi McKinley\u2014have also made their own videos to test out the hack.\n<\/p>\n \nSo what\u2019s going on here? Can dandruff shampoo really help with acne\u2014and if so, should you try it?\n<\/p>\n Acne<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThough it seems strange, there are some cases in which dandruff shampoo might be able to help with acne\u2014but likely only for a small number of people with a certain kind of breakout.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nIt seems zinc pyrithione\u2014the active dandruff-fighting ingredient in Head & Shoulders\u2014can help clear up pityrosporum folliculitis, sometimes known as Malassezia<\/em> folliculitis, or fungal acne, according to Julia Mhlaba, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.\n<\/p>\n \nThe issue? This is not the kind of acne most people have.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201c[Pityrosporum folliculitis] is really the main condition in which using the Head & Shoulders, or something with zinc is helpful, because it\u2019s treating that yeast that\u2019s causing those bumps,\u201d Dr. Mhlaba told Health<\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s where some of the confusion I think lies, because some people think, \u2018Oh, why has my dermatologist never suggested this?\u2019 but most people don't have Pityrosporum folliculitis, most people have just regular acne vulgaris.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nAcne vulgaris, or just acne, is the most common inflammatory skin condition in the world, and the red, inflamed pimples associated with it are usually caused by hair follicles that are clogged with oil or dead skin. \n<\/p>\n \nFungal acne, on the other hand, is caused by the overgrowth of a type of yeast known as Malassezia furfur<\/em>, which lives on the skin. It\u2019s understandable, then, that the treatments for these two different conditions would be very different, even though they may appear similar.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIf it\u2019s true acne\u2026doing the Head & Shoulders on your face isn’t really going to do much of anything,\u201d Mathew Avram, MD, JD, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center and associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, told Health<\/em>. \u201cIt’s not going to be effective. It’s not the right treatment.\u201d \n<\/p>\n How to Know if Your Acne Is Actually Caused by a Fungal Infection<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nIf you feel compelled to test the Head & Shoulders TikTok hack on your own acne\u2014and if you don\u2019t know your exact acne diagnosis\u2014there isn\u2019t much harm in trying it out, aside from potential dryness or irritation.\u00a0(Health<\/em> reached out to Procter & Gamble, the makers of Head & Shoulders, but has not received a response as of press time.)\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt\u2019s not dangerous,\u201d said Dr. Mhlaba. \u201cIt's not a serious side effect, but some people who may be predisposed to things like eczema or skin sensitivity, they may want to avoid trying it without seeking help from the dermatologist first because it may be unnecessary and it could cause irritation.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nIf a person does want to try using dandruff shampoo as a face wash to see if the zinc pyrithione might help, the best way to use it would be to leave it on the skin for a few minutes, wash it off,\u00a0 and then use a good moisturizer after, Dr. Mhlaba added.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nBut using Head & Shoulders as a face wash isn\u2019t your only option if you deal with fungal acne\u2014and gentler options certainly exist.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cOne of these medications, something like Head & Shoulders, would actually be helpful, but it wouldn't be the ideal topical to use,\u201d said Dr. Avram. \u201cThere are other formulations that we could use\u2026that would work better and agree with the skin more.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nDr. Avram suggested that topical antifungals may do a better job while also being less harsh.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nOral medication may also be prescribed if antifungal creams or gels aren\u2019t clearing up the fungal acne, said Dr. Mhlaba.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nAnd, as with most types of acne, fungal acne won\u2019t go away overnight, regardless of treatment\u2014despite what some TikTok users may say.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThat\u2019s a bit of an unfair claim to expect things to get better immediately. It\u2019s not an immediate response, that\u2019s not the goal of it. It\u2019s not an overnight pimple cream,\u201d Dr. Mhlaba said. \u201cI would say it should take a few weeks.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThough there\u2019s no real danger in trying the skincare hack, it\u2019s always best to check in with your dermatologist to see if a zinc pyrithione product could help with your pimples, Dr. Mhlaba added. If not, you\u2019ll be washing your face with shampoo for nothing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo: Getty Images Fast Facts A viral TikTok video shows that using a dandruff shampoo, like Head & Shoulders, may help clear up acne on skin, but the hack may only work for certain people with a specific type of acne. The active ingredient in dandruff shampoo, zinc pyrithione, may help clear up pityrosporum folliculitis, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,603],"tags":[116,604],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17046"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nFast Facts<\/h3>\n
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A Helpful Treatment for a Specific Type of Acne <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Testing Out Head & Shoulders on Your Own Acne <\/span> <\/h2>\n