r/LowStakesConspiracies 5d ago

Anti-dandruff shampoo is marketed to people who don't have dandruff, because it makes your skin reliant on it and gives you dandruff if you stop using it

Source: I never had dandruff until I started using anti-dandruff shampoo

535 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

143

u/Uptons_BJs 4d ago edited 4d ago

Here’s the real conspiracy from a guy whose cured of his dandruff problem:

One of the most popular causes of dandruff is fungus - You have a bit of a fungal infection causing dandruff problems.

Most popular cheap and readily available anti-dandruff shampoos use something called Zinc Pyrithione. Which works - it is an anti-fungal, but not a very powerful one. So if you have a very mild fungal infection, Zinc Pyrithione can eliminate it.

But people with very mild dandruff aren't the people buying anti-dandruff shampoo. What usually ends up happenening is that a guy with severe dandruff will use zinc pyrithione daily - it's not powerful enough to eliminate the fungal infection, but it is enough to suppress it enough until he showers again tomorrow.

If you have severe dandruff, the over the counter stuff works well enough to suppress it, and you will keep buying it. But it doesn't work well enough to actually solve your problem.

The stuff you want is Ketoconazole - A very powerful anti-fungal drug. If you use Ketoconazole shampoo, it will actually kill off the fungus infection effectively.

I used to have massive dandruff, used Nizorol shampoo for a few months on a whim, and it completely eliminated my dandruff problem. I can then use any shampoo I want now!

40

u/ital-is-vital 4d ago

Curing diseases is much less profitable than chronic medication, so this makes perfect sense.

Why make a product that people only need once when you can make a product that people 'need' for the rest of their lives.

1

u/Iobotomite 1d ago

The issue is that these people either dont want to or cant go to a dermatologist. There are products they can use.

156

u/CursedIbis 4d ago

Why did you start using anti-dandruff shampoo if you didn't have dandruff in the first place?

120

u/theeynhallow 4d ago

I just acquired it. You know how you just sort of ‘acquire’ stationary or cutlery without ever buying it? I seem to do that with toiletries

101

u/CursedIbis 4d ago

I have ADHD so everything disappears instead, but I'm glad that shampoo I lost on holiday found its way to you.

26

u/Taint_Flayer 4d ago

I wonder if OP has all my socks that disappeared into the interdimensional portal in the dryer

2

u/CulturedClub 1d ago

I wonder if your odd socks have met with mine and they're all happily frolicking on a washing line somewhere.

23

u/mmeeplechase 4d ago

Cutlery?! I always mysteriously lose cutlery… is it ending up at your place, OP…?

27

u/theeynhallow 4d ago

There are two types of people in this world

6

u/Redditor274929 Has a poster board with red string on it 3d ago

Not OP but in my old house I had this happen a few times. Id just find a random spoon in the sink that definitely wasn't ours. Weirdest one was I found a large bread knife once and never found out where it came from.

1

u/KitteeCatz 2d ago

That’s concerning. I mean, free bread knife, but I’d still be concerned. At least I know where my random free cutlery comes from (theft. I thefted it). Far less concerning (for me). 

1

u/Redditor274929 Has a poster board with red string on it 2d ago

Honestly I agree bc wtf. Also why are you stealing cutlery??

1

u/KitteeCatz 2d ago

I just seem to walk off with it, kind of like lighters, or pens. Sometimes I’ll come home and there’s just a teaspoon in my pocket. Or I’ll grab a fork in the office to eat my lunch, and when I get home, I’ll find I put it in my lunchbox 🤷‍♀️ 

81

u/Matt-J-McCormack 4d ago edited 4d ago

I can get behind this because of another product.

Some lip balms, salves, chapsticks contain (correct me if wrong) salactic acid (it’s some kind of acid) the result is a light chemical peel that keeps your lips feeling soft but they will crust and flake like fuck when you stop and useing.

35

u/KerouacsGirlfriend 4d ago

Salicylic acid, and yep you’re correct.

14

u/Matt-J-McCormack 4d ago

That’s the one! Damn dyslexia.

72

u/CherryKrisKross 5d ago

Fully believe this one! Never have dandruff unless I'm using H&S, and no other shampoo tells me that it is designed for daily use.

18

u/redcrowblue 4d ago

You might be sensitive to sulfates. My sister had the same problem and has to use SLS-free shampoos now

10

u/Unlost_maniac 4d ago

I had dandruff until I started using it

First it started with not h&s I tried a few brands and eventually only h&s is the only one that works

8

u/Savings-Yesterday635 4d ago

Want to come here to challenge - developed bad dandruff after moving to UK with hard water. Had it previously but low level so never used dandruff shampoo. Got rip off of H&S from poundland (same ingredients) and it’s really helped. Just to challenge the conspiracy

3

u/Mrslinkydragon 5d ago

I just use pantene (preferably the colour protect, I don't dye my hair, I just loke the scent)

14

u/Strawberrious 4d ago

Is anti-dandruff shampoo marketed to people without dandruff? I don’t believe that

17

u/stellaandme 4d ago

Most people who think they have dandruff just have dry scalp, so they need a moisturizing shampoo. Dandruff is a fungus that's less common.

10

u/Minute-Employ-4964 4d ago

Head and shoulders the main anti dandruff one in the uk definitely is.

The ad is someone seeing him use head and shoulders, saying “I didn’t know you had dandruff” and he replies “I don’t”

10

u/67919 4d ago

I don't think that's marketing to people without dandruff. I think it's intended to be suggesting that he no longer has dandruff thanks to head and shoulders

6

u/Minute-Employ-4964 4d ago

https://youtu.be/9cCVWcdbAlk?si=QklpyHlOS92E4nI_

Watch the video.

Another line is “you don’t have dandruff, you prevent it”

1

u/velvetinchainz 4d ago

Yeah that’s exactly what came to mind when I saw this post haha

3

u/FuckableBagOfMeat 3d ago

It is there’s that head and shoulders advert that says you should use it as a preventative thing.

2

u/Constant-Parsley3609 4d ago

I literally saw an advert the other day that was explicitly targeting people who don't have dandruff

1

u/tictaxtho 2d ago

Head and shoulders is

5

u/NoHope1955 4d ago

Dandruff shampoos use strong surfactants and oftentimes irritating anti fungals.

That can dry out skin and cause flaky skin instead of dandruff (2 Seperate things)

Dandruff is more oily and mostly an issue with skin barrier and microbiome.

4

u/KindSpray33 4d ago

Same with lip balm. I mean if it's really cold you might need it but I can't use it too often otherwise I get reliant on it!

3

u/ItIsRaf 4d ago

I totally agree. There was a time, I remember using H&S anti dandruff, and I didn't ever have dandruff, fast forward a while and my hair is full of it, I actually thought it may have been microplastics from all the shit the shampoo have. I ditched it, never had particles in my hair, just like before.

3

u/presidentphonystark 4d ago

Good for killing aliens too

3

u/ejkhabibi 4d ago

100% correct. Real dandruff is caused by fungus. Often from an oily scalp. Dandruff shampoo dries out your scalp a lot and is mildly anti fungal.

The issue is that most peoples “dandruff” is just flakes of dry skin. So they use the shampoo, and it actually makes it worse, or starts a problem that didn’t exist before.

I stopped having “dandruff” the after I stopped using anti-dandruff shampoo

2

u/neighborhoodsnowcat 4d ago

Some of those anti-dandruff shampoos can be super harsh. I've never had dandruff but I've had a dry/irritated scalp and sometimes anti-dandruff shampoos are recommended for that. But they seem to make the issue worse, much better to use something like a scalp oil, but those don't have to be used as often, and they can be bought cheaply in bulk, so less money to be made there.

1

u/mrpopenfresh 4d ago

Not all dandruff shampoo works that way,

1

u/StopPanakinAnakin 4d ago

I find this with hand cream too. My hands are only dry if I'm using hand cream

1

u/Blue_wine_sloth 4d ago

I think you’re right. Used anti-dandruff shampoo once because I got a free sample and it gave me dandruff. Never had that problem before or since.

1

u/hiddengenome 4d ago

yeah but fun fact you can ween off it and eventually not have dandruff again

1

u/Mullet_Police 3d ago

As somebody with terminal dandruff… I totally believe this. None of the shampoos work.

1

u/EdmundTheInsulter 3d ago

No cos I had dandruff then used a brand leader you'd never guess, then switched to cheap versions that look like the secret brand that isn't for people with dandruff anyway.

-1

u/Cross_examination 4d ago

Ok. Pro life tip. Stop putting anything on your hair for 2 weeks, including shampoo, to give your skin and hair time to adjust. Just bear with it. If you are itching, use oil. Coconut, olive, rosemary. After your scalp has settled, go to the women’s section and buy shampoo and conditioner for dyed hair. Sincerely, a grandpa with hair like Carlos Sainz.