What are itchy scalp symptoms? Discover the itchy scalp symptoms and types from oily, red, sore, smelly, thinning hair to itchy scalp with scabs. These are scalp problems you should easily recognize and treat fast at home or with hair products from stores.
The scalp is part of skin that is plagued by many problems. If you are dealing with dry scalp, it will probably itch like crazy and have your uncomfortable during the day and night. What causes itchy scalp at night is not only distressing, but can also make you lose your beauty sleep. If you cannot diagnose the cause of your itchy scalp, the best thing would be to see a dermatologist and get professional treatment. However, it is not a guarantee that a dermatologist can clear your scalp woes if the main cause is a deeper health condition. Therefore, seeing both a doctor and a dermatologist will help you treat the root cause of your problem.
How do you know that indeed you are dealing with an itchy scalp and not something else? Discover the symptoms that describe whether you have an oily, red, thinning hair, sore and smelly itchy scalp. Furthermore, find out what an itchy scalp with scabs mean. Your scalp problems are a few steps away with identifying the exact problem primarily. Read on.
Itchy Scalp Symptoms- Common Itchy Scalp Symptoms
You know you have an itchy scalp when you develop the following itchy scalp symptoms:
- Unrelenting urge to scratch the scalp
- Flaky scalp accompanied by dry hair
- White particles on hair and shoulders or collars of your clothes
- Bruises as a result of severe itching or infection from scratching with dirty fingers
Itchy Flaky Scalp- Itchy Scaly Scalp
An itchy flaky scalp is what you commonly know as dandruff. However, itchy scaly scalp is not caused by dandruff alone. Dandruff is a combination of dead skin cells and a fungus known as malassezia globosa. These may occur due to a very dry scalp or a heavily oiled scalp especially with mineral oils and petrolatum that do not get absorbed by the scalp.
An itchy scaly scalp is also caused by seborrheic dermatitis and Psoriasis. The seborrhea kind of flakes resembles dandruff only that they may appear larger than normal. On the other hand, scales from psoriasis are having light silver to gray color. They also tend to be crusty and appear in random patches on scalp. Sometimes these patches can be seen extending on the forehead, neck and on ears.
Oily Itchy Scalp the Onset of Fungus
If you have an itchy scalp that is oily, then most likely it could be caused by malessizia globosa. The fungus feeds on the natural scalp sebum secreted thereby promoting it to produce an oil of its own that causes fungus to thrive. You can only salvage your oily itchy scalp by exfoliating your scalp on weekly basis with baking soda or corn flour.
Take one tablespoon of either of these powders and mix it with water to make a paste. Massage the paste onto scalp for five minutes before rinsing off with warm water. In order to keep your scalp free from excess oils, follow this natural shampooing with an apple cider vinegar rinse. This should truly clarify your scalp and leave it healthier. Similarly, your hair will come out voluminized and shiny.
Use the baking soda or corn flour shampoo two to three times in a week as well as the ACV rinse. This way, fungus will not find a suitable environment on your scalp to thrive. Do not moisturize your hair after these home remedies of shampooing hair unless it is with natural oil such as jojoba, which is equivalent to the scalp’s sebum.
Burning Itchy Red Scalp
There are many reasons why you could have an itchy red scalp. These range from sunburn, severe scratching, the use of harsh hair products especially those that contain alcohol and dyeing hair two times in a row. An itchy red scalp appears to be burning because you can hardly take the pain.
You can avoid having an itchy red scalp by using shampoos that contain natural ingredients, fruit and seed extracts are best as well as herbs. The best shampoos for itchy scalp should be mild and not irritate the scalp further. Additionally, they should take care of the cause of the itching in the first place to prevent the burning sensation. Go for products with selenium, ketoconazole, tar, salicylic acid, zinc and resorcin. If you cannot find products with these elements use natural ingredients to make a homemade shampoo with castile soap if you must have ‘poo’ in you scalp wash.
Itchy Scalp Thinning Hair- Itchy Scalp Hair Loss
It is such a headache to treat female and male pattern baldness. Therefore, when you experience itchy scalp you had better treat it fast before you start losing your hair. Although itchy scalp thinning hair is temporary, it can be stressful. The best thing would be to identify the cause of the itchy scalp and treat it to prevent further damage.
The hair thins from excessive scratching, which causes infections. Some infections may not clear without proper treatment from dermatologists. Furthermore, some infections especially those caused by sebaceous cysts can keep coming back even after professional removal.
Itchy scalp thinning hair should also be addressed internally with a healthy diet full of natural oils. Foods with too much oil or sugars are sure reason to have hair thinning as infections set on the scalp.
How to Prevent Getting Sore Itchy Scalp
A sore itchy scalp can be painful and the best thing is to prevent it at all costs. This is easy by seeking treatment, not necessarily expensive for itchy scalp as some home remedies for itchy scalp also work marvelously. Some measures to prevent getting sore itchy scalp entails:
- Scratching the scalp with finger tips instead of nails
- Sleeping in mittens if your scalp itches at night
- Soothing the sores with a natural aloe vera gel after washing the scalp with baking soda and apple cider vinegar rinse
What causes Itchy Smelly Scalp
Can you recognize the smell of a stinky diaper, old shoes, smelly armpits or dirty socks? If you can, then you should not be having difficulties smelling it on your scalp. An itchy smelly scalp can leave you isolated because you do not want the offensive smell to get to those around you. A good shampoo to get rid of itchy smelly scalp is:
- Jason Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing Shampoo, which contains neem, apply on scalp and leave on there for three to four minutes before rinsing off.
Itchy Scalp with Scabs –How to Care for Itchy Scalp Scabs
Sometimes you get bruised on scalp from all the rough scratching. As these bruises heal, avoid picking the scabs as you could make new bruises develop. Leave them to fall out on their own without pressure.
