Neutrogena T/Gel Extra Strength Therapeutic Shampoo with 1% Coal Tar 6 fl ounce

Ok so this smells so freaking awful. But like it works!!! I noticed a dramatic decrease in the flakes in my hair after the first use. The large flakes we mostly gone and there were a few small ones left. After my second use about 2 days later, there were the occasional small flakes left. But like so little that no one would notice it unless they were trying really hard. And I have black hair! I also noticed how soft my hair was after my first use. In addition, by my second use, I realized that I hadn’t lost as much hair as I usually do (in the shower and out). The first time I left it in my hair for about 5 min. The second time I left it in about 10 min. After rinsing it out, I followed the advice of another reviewer and used a different shampoo and then a conditioner (Renpure coconut fragrance) to try to drown out the smell. With the conditioner I left it in for at least 5 min and it helps. I think I can still smell it slightly, but it’s not as over powering without the extra steps. After a several more uses, I think I’ll be able to switch to the regular strength one for once a week. We’ll see how that goes. Anyway, I’m so thankful someone recommended this to me because I actually don’t feel so self conscious about my hair now when I’m out in public. I used to be so embarrassed about my hair. The awful smell is worth it! Lol Edit 3/15/2020: used the product for the third time (about 5 days since the second use). It still works great! Barely any flakes noticed, but afterward I also noticed I was losing more hair again (about the same amount as before I started using this product). But to be fair, I did only leave it in for only about 5 min (compared to the 10 min on my 2nd use) because I was pressed for time. So that may have played a role or maybe the length of time between use played a role or maybe it was just pure good timing that i lost less hair in the 2nd use.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this product changed my life. I have always had super dry scalp from my hairline to about an inch back. I have dark, thick hair which doesn’t mix well with flakes. I’ve tried all kinds of remedies. Most just leave me still with dry scalp but then adds greasy hair to my problem. So one day my husband is inside getting a haircut and I’m waiting in his truck. I look in the mirror and can see a flake on my hairline. So, I do what you probably do and I start picking. Then one flake turns to two and more picking and more form and my scalp is literally peeling and it’s so addicting and I can’t stop... by the time I’m done it looks like a snowfall happened on my lap & all inside my husbands truck. So right then and there I get on Amazon to look for something because I can’t keep being self conscious and paranoid about my scalp causing a flakey mess. I saw the awesome reviews and ordered immediately. The smell isn’t great, smells like medicine. BUT.. I have not had A SINGLE FLAKE in my hair since I started using this a few months ago. The itchiness I would randomly experience at times has also improved. It’s amazing and I am a forever customer. Life changer!!

Yes, it stinks. Like crazy. It's got coal tar in it, what did you expect? It's a medication, not a spa day! I use it, leave it on a while, then rinse and do a light shampoo with a regular, nicely scented product. removes the stink from hair. Karen, chill out! OMG causes cancer!! Well, OMG, not really. Yeah, coal tar is kind of a nasty thing, but there's a reason it's used for assorted odd maladies - it works. Nobody knows why. And frankly, it's hard to find any product that doesn't "cause cancer" if you soak in it 24 hours a day, make cocktails out of it, breath in the smell like sniffing roses all day, and in general just freak out about assorted lab animal tests that have no bearing on humans. Karen, chill out! I live in California - practically everything is labeled as 'may cause cancer'. Brocolli contains known cancer-causing chemicals. And I'll continue to eat it and other cruciferous vegetables as long as I live, as the actual stuff - Brocolli, not some distilled, high concentration single chemical found in it - is GOOD for you, and has ANTI cancer characteristics, and in general is just a most excellent thing to consume. Don't confuse concentrated lab application on rats with reality. Karen, chill out! So, yeah. Don't buy the bottle, take a few swigs from it and pour it all over your body and leave it there for days, declare that it tastes and smells bad and now you have cancer. Use it sparingly, put it on your scalp for a few minutes once or twice a week, and see the issues you had slowly go away. Sheesh. Nobody is willing to educate themselves before screaming CAUSES CANCER without doing thirty seconds of actual research. Visit google. search on 'cancer caused by coal tar'. Read articles from reliable sources, not advocacy groups (like the hysterical 'Science in the Public Interest' nutjobs). High, constant exposure to coal tar - occupationally - MAY increase the RISK of some cancers. There's no reliable evidence that it actually DOES cause cancer in humans, not in minimal exposure from something like T/Gel. Chill. The Freak. Out. (and learn!)

So I waited a whole month to make the review Just to see how everything work out. I started using the product every other day. And the difference was noticeable. I didn't have a lot of itchiness. And the dandruff was gone. It worked for a few weeks. Until recently the itchiness came back and the dandruff too. Not as bad but it's like my scalp got use to the shampoo and it stopped working. Forget the smell. I don't mind the smell but it did damaged my hair. It left it all dried and tangled. Everytime I used it it would leave my hair tangled and dried. I couldn't get a brush in without losing alot of hair. And if i used any hair products my dandruff would come quicker. As well as the itchiness. I mean it may work for some other people but for me it stopped working. I have tight curles and a bit thicker hair. So maybe that's why my hair gets dried and tangled easily. No matter how much conditioner and coconut oil I used to avoid products like mousse.

Scalp Psoriasis is a immune system disorder. Cells grow too fast and causing scaling, itching and discomfort. Out of no where I got this later in life. I got Head and Shoulder Shampoo, no good didn't do a thing. Tried Selsun Blue Medicated Anti-dandruff Shampoo and also no change, it didn't improve the condition. I was ready to go to a dermatologist as a last resort. My barber said to use Neutrogena T/Gel and leave it in 10 minutes prior to washing it out. I choose the Extra Strength with Coal Tar. Disclaimer it looks like motor oil and doesn't not have a pleasant smell, it is smells strong and has a tar like smell. I rubbed it into the problem area and let it sit while having my morning coffee. Afterwards while taking my morning shower used it like any other shampoo rubbing it in. This was magical for me, my condition went into remission in less then a week. The benefits out way all the negatives...look and odor. It is a serious product for a serious condition. Highly recommended! I included a before/after picture to show the results. Don't hesitate get this product!

I recently purchased this product because I have been suffering with scalp acne with the sudden warm weather. It seemed to have gotten worse so I started looking for a product to help. I saw the reviews for this product and decided to try this product. After one use, I already saw a difference. While I still had some acne, it was so much better than what it had been the week prior. After the second use, I was shocked. My acne had cleared and my scalp was no longer itchy! I would purchase this product again in a heartbeat. The cons about this product is that the smell isn't great, but I expected that from a medicated shampoo. Additionally, when I was rinsing my hair, it didn't feel great. It didn't feel smooth like when I usually shampoo. However, when my hair is dry, it feels normal. For use: while I was in the shower, I would lather this against my scalp then rinse it. I reapplied another dose (for lack of better word) and I let this sit in my hair for a few minutes before rinsing out. I'm sure you could apply it once and would get the same result.

I started taking Accutane for the second time a month ago. Accutane is a drug that helps eliminate acne. The problem is that it causes your entire body to become really dry. My scalp become very dry and it felt like I had ants all over my scalp as the itchiness was crazy. It kept me up later than usual when I tried sleeping, and I would endlessly scratch. So I found this product and saw the incredible reviews. It helped one the first 2 or 3 tries, but didn't fully work. But after the 4th day or so the itchiness from my scalp went to about 10% from 80%! It was a huge difference and I am so grateful I came across this product! It does smell like tire, but I just use my other shampoo/conditioner after using this product to help with the smell problem! Give it time, it works!

So, I grew up on a farm and am intimately familiar with a scent that is the exact combo of vintage cement, hydraulic grease, and gravel. It's a nostalgic thing and lovely. However, I have an acute sense of smell and am of the female sort, working mostly in fairly conservative office environments. The scent is strong enough that it lingers for several days, even though I use my normal shampoo on those days. I'm familiar with and like the normal clear Neutrogena shampoo, so shame on me for ordering this one without reading reviews. I got a huge laugh out of identifying the exact smell of this shampoo and don't hate it so much I'm throwing it away, but will seek out other solutions for occasional flaky scalp in the future.