Selsun Blue is designed primarily to treat itchiness (pruritus) and flaking caused by seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp.  Since scalp pruritus is the main symptom I experience on a regular basis and since psoriasis is similar to seborrheic dermatitis, I decided to give Selsun Blue with Menthol a try.

The most effective type of T/Gel I have found to treat my psoriasis has been T/Gel Stubborn Itch Control, which contains coal tar (2%) and menthol.   The soothing effect of menthol is effective at suppressing pruritus flares-ups on my scalp in addition to the the longer term medicinal effects of coal tar.  In the case of this particular kind of Selsun Blue, the active ingredients are selenium sulfide (1%) and menthol.  While coal tar suppresses skin cell proliferation, selenium sulfide is primarily an antifungal compound — it kills the fungus (malassezia) that feeds on the skin’s natural oils, leading to itchiness and dandruff.  Selenium sulfide has also been proven to suppress keratinocyte proliferation (excessive skin cell production), which leads to the itchiness and scaling characteristic of psoriasis vulgaris (plaque psoriasis).

Observations:

Selsun Blue with Menthol had less of an immediate effect on my scalp than T/Gel with menthol, but as of now, about 2 hours after applying this shampoo, my scalp feels quite at ease.  I have not felt the need to scratch for at least an hour now.  With the help of the residual menthol, my scalp feels as “normal” ore as free from pruritus as it ever does.  This is encouraging for me since, as I said, my main symptom is an itchy scalp.  In addition to being bothersome and distracting, scratching all day is causing a lot of damage to my scalp, which is leading to accelerated hair loss.

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There are some other advantages to using Selsun Blue that may lead me to switch over to this product over T/Gel:

• Coal tar is a suspected carcinogen over long periods of exposure.  Experts might claim that I would have to soak my entire body in pure coal tar all day for a year to be at risk of developing cancer… but this argument doesn’t really put my mind ease.  Soaking my scalp with a diluted coal tar solution on a regular basis is comparable, so why risk it?  Also, petroleum based products across the board do not have a great reputation for promoting physical health (from consumables to topical ointments to gasoline).  If crude oil splashed onto your skin would your impulse be to quickly wash it off or would you allow it soak in for a while?
• Selsun Blue with menthol is significantly less expensive than T/Gel with menthol.  While T/Gel is about $7.00 for 4 ounces (at my local grocery store), Selsun Blue is about $9.00 for 11 ounces.  That’s about half as much, ounce for ounce.
• Selsun Blue with menthol doesn’t smell as bad as T/Gel with menthol.  For a person who is not accustomed to the smell of coal tar shampoos, the aroma can be suffocating.  This particular kind of Selsun Blue smells like a combination of menthol, Irish Spring soap and sunscreen.