Conaz Shampoo: Uses, Price in Pakistan and How to Use It for Dandruff

Conaz is the shampoo most Pakistani pharmacists hand over when you ask for something "strong" for dandruff (sikri). It isn't a regular shampoo: it's a 2% ketoconazole antifungal lotion that happens to lather. Used properly, it clears most dandruff in a few weeks. Used like a normal shampoo, washed off in seconds, it barely does anything.

Here's what Conaz treats, how to use it, what it costs, and which alternatives contain the same thing.

What is Conaz shampoo?

Conaz is made by Atco Laboratories. The pack is labelled "shampoo based scalp lotion", 60ml, and contains ketoconazole 20mg per ml (2%). That's the same active ingredient, at the same strength, as prescription Nizoral 2% abroad.

Ketoconazole is an antifungal. It reduces Malassezia, a yeast that lives on everyone's skin and scalp. In people prone to dandruff, the scalp overreacts to this yeast and sheds skin too fast, which shows up as flakes and itching.

You'll also see it called Conaz lotion or searched as Konaz shampoo; it's the same product.

What is Conaz shampoo used for?

• Dandruff: white or yellowish flakes with itching, often worse in winter.
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis: a stronger form, with red, greasy, scaly patches on the scalp, eyebrows, sides of the nose, behind the ears or on the chest. Ketoconazole is one of the standard treatments.
• Tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor): light or dark, slightly scaly patches on the chest, back and shoulders, very common in hot, humid Pakistani summers. The same yeast is responsible. A ketoconazole wash on the body is a standard treatment.

It is not the right treatment for:

• Ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis), common in children, with round bald patches. It needs antifungal tablets from a doctor; shampoo alone won't clear it.
• Psoriasis, which causes thick, silvery plaques. It needs other treatment.
• Hair fall on its own. An itchy, inflamed scalp can add to shedding, but heavy hair fall usually has other causes (iron, thyroid, stress), so see a doctor.
• Head lice.

How to use Conaz shampoo for dandruff

The most important step is the waiting time.

1. Wet your hair with lukewarm water, not hot.
2. Apply a small amount (about a teaspoon) to your scalp, not the lengths of your hair.
3. Massage it into a lather with your fingertips.
4. Leave it on for 3 to 5 minutes. This is when it works.
5. Rinse thoroughly. Use conditioner on the lengths only if your hair feels dry.

How often: twice a week for two to four weeks, with at least three days between uses. Then once every one or two weeks to keep dandruff away. Wash with your normal shampoo on other days.

Stop oiling your scalp while you're treating dandruff. The yeast feeds on oil, so overnight scalp oiling can undo the treatment. Oil only the lengths if they're dry.

How to use Conaz for tinea versicolor

Doctors commonly advise:

1. Apply Conaz to the affected skin on the chest, back or shoulders (and a little beyond the patches).
2. Leave it for about 5 minutes, then rinse off.
3. Repeat once a day for up to 5 days, or as your doctor advises.

The scaling and itching usually settle quickly, but the colour takes weeks to months to even out, even after the yeast is gone. That doesn't mean the treatment failed. Tinea versicolor often comes back in summer; some doctors suggest a ketoconazole wash once or twice a month during hot weather to prevent it.

How long does Conaz take to work?

• Dandruff: most people see less flaking and itching within two weeks and a clear improvement by four.
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis: two to four weeks, and it tends to come back, so maintenance matters.
• Tinea versicolor: scaling settles in days; skin colour returns over weeks to months.

If nothing improves after four weeks of correct use, see a doctor. It may be a different condition.

Side effects of Conaz shampoo

Ketoconazole shampoo is generally well tolerated. Possible side effects:

• Scalp itching, burning or irritation
• Dry or coarse-feeling hair, especially with frequent use
• Changes in hair texture or colour, rarely, mostly in chemically treated or grey hair
• Allergic reaction (rash, swelling): stop using it and see a doctor

Keep it out of your eyes; if it gets in, rinse well with water.

Conaz shampoo price in Pakistan, and alternatives

All the 60ml local options contain ketoconazole, and the 2% ones work the same way. Genketo (Rs 250) was the cheapest we found; Conaz (Rs 348) is the most widely available. Buy whichever your pharmacy stocks.

Imported Nizoral A-D is 1% ketoconazole, half the strength of Conaz, at many times the price. There's no reason to pay more for it.

If ketoconazole stops working for you, a selenium sulfide shampoo (Selsun) is a good alternative. Our best anti-dandruff shampoo in Pakistan guide compares them, plus gentler everyday shampoos for between treatments.

Can children and pregnant women use Conaz?

Ketoconazole shampoo is applied to the skin and washed off, so very little is absorbed. Even so, ask a doctor before using it on babies and young children, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. For cradle cap in babies, gentle washing and a soft brush are usually tried first.

How we wrote this guide

We checked Conaz's ingredients and price, and the alternatives, on Derma.pk on 8 November 2026, and based the usage advice on standard dermatology guidance for ketoconazole 2% shampoo. We don't take payment from Atco or any other brand mentioned. For a bald patch, a painful or pus-filled scalp, or dandruff that doesn't improve in a month, see a doctor or dermatologist.