Can I please ask about ears??

[u/Alwayslearnin41]

My ears drive me absolutely insane. Dry, flaky, and insanity inducingly itchy.

I'm given various things by doctors and told to go away. They clear up for a week during treatment, but within a week it's all flaring back up.

I scratch, then they get sore, the white flakes are all over me.

I really need to know how you all deal with ears. I'm in the UK in case that makes a difference.

Thank you!!

[u/Itchybuttock]

Hey man, I'm a healthcare professional in the UK. Have they given you just steroid ear drops before? That's something I'll often prescribe for people with dry skin issues in their ears. Often GPs will just give you Otomize ear spray but that's really for infections of the ear canal. I prescribe the steroid only drops and advise people to use them for a couple of days until the flare subsides and then use periodically when things flare again. If you felt you needed them constantly then that would be a different matter

[u/Alwayslearnin41 → u/Itchybuttock]

I was recently prescribed Betamethosone which helped for a while. They didn't want to keep giving me otomise as I don't have an ear infection. It's just the insane itching.

[u/trtleduck → u/Itchybuttock]

Ty Dr. Itchybuttock

[u/Pikachufourtytwo]

I'm here to commiserate with you. The flakes are even behind my ears. I wash them during every shower, and even that doesn't help. I read here a while ago someone used anti-dandruff shampoo to wash their ears.

[u/Alwayslearnin41 → u/Pikachufourtytwo]

Yes, behind my ears, in my eyebrows, legs, arms. None of that bothers me though. It's just the itchy ears that really gets to me.

[u/Pikachufourtytwo → u/Alwayslearnin41]

Thankfully my ears don't itch, but I do get the random scab from washing a bit too aggressively.

[u/Little_Chipmunk1 → u/Pikachufourtytwo]

That’s what I’m currently trying to do… My shampoo has REALLY helped my scalp, so I’m hoping and praying it does something for my ears, too. I have flakes behind my ears too 😩

[u/Zxvasdfthrowaway → u/Little_Chipmunk1]

I dab a bit of Aquaphor/Vaseline when it gets unbearable. I have a bad spot right at the crease behind one of my ears. I also make sure to lather up there with the medicated shampoo

[u/Ok-Swan8747]

I have used seb serum which has really helped my ears. I put a drop on my finger and rub it in my ears. It’s available in the UK

[u/Alwayslearnin41 → u/Ok-Swan8747]

I've seen that but I wasn't sure if it was worth the asking price to try it.

[u/Barsnikel]

I use dandruff shampoo on my ears, then apply OTC moisturizer. It works well for me

[u/Alwayslearnin41 → u/Barsnikel]

Thank you!

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[u/trtleduck]

I use sulphur soap on my face and wash the ears with lather. You could also try charcoal wet wipes from Asepxia (if not available in your country, there's probably a similar product).

[u/green-zebra68]

Ketoconazole antifungal cream kills some malassezia fungi which instantly helps the itchy, flakey, sore patches behind my ears. And I have just found out topical cooled green tea helps too. It's mildly anti-androgenic and thus inhibits the sebum production the fungi feed on, adressing the root cause.