There are many hair problems people have to face every day, and itchy scalp is known as the most common one. The itchy scalp always makes us uncomfortable and low confident in front of the others. Therefore, it is necessary to learn more about this problem including its causes as well as its treatment.

Itchy scalp can be caused by many conditions such as dandruff, ringworm or something serious like the bacterial infection and autoimmune condition. It is sometimes the effect of the healing sunburn or momentary lapse in proper hygiene. To get an effective treatment to itchy scalp, you need to understand all of the causes of itchy scalp so that you can choose the relevant one for your condition.

In this article, VKool.com will show you 7 common causes of itchy scalp and enclosed treatment to help you solve itching problem. The list of causes in this article is the most common ones that are proved by dermatologists. The article is intended to supply more information about this disease along with some tips for treatment. Keep reading it to learn these causes and take care of your hair and scalp by yourselves quickly and effectively.

Top 7 Common Causes Of Itchy Scalp

1. Dandruff

Dandruff is considered to be one of the main causes of itchy scalp. It is the term describing the simple skin scaling on the scalp, which often appears in individuals in the period from adolescence to the age 50. It has been estimated that more than 50% of the population experiencing dandruff. It presents as the fine white or gray scales in the scalp, and typically the itching sensation.

The reason of dandruff is that the top skin layer is actually shed and renewed, which often goes unnoticed as the skin cells are shed one a time. The inflammation of the scalp is able to cause cells to stick with the others. And when a large clump of cells is shed, we can see the flakes on the scalp, hair and even on the shoulders. Dandruff not only makes you unconfident but also makes you feel itchy any time. “post on facebook”

There are some treatment to dandruff and itchy scalp and using shampoo for the regular wash is recommended to be effective. For mild cases, you should use a shampoo that contains selenium or zinc pyrithione, ingredients essential in controlling yeast. And for more serious ones, you have to use a more prescription-strength antifungal shampoo, medicated foam, topical cortisone, cream, solution, or ointment.

How often you should use medicated shampoos depends on what kind of shampoo you are using and how severe your dandruff problem is. Some mild products can be used every day while the others can only be used once a week. Especially, people who have scaly scalp are advised to wash every day thereby they should be careful to choose their own shampoos.

Learn more: Top 26 natural home remedies for dandruff in the winter

2. Seborrhoeic Dermatitis  

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a term used to refer to a red, scaly, and itchy reaction in the scalp. It is considered to be a more serious form of dandruff with the more marked scale and the often inflamed scalp. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is very itchy and also one of the causes of itchy scalp. It also affects other body parts like the face, central chest area, eyebrows, and beard.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis influences areas with high densities of oil glands. The reason of this inflammation is the reaction of the body to the yeast on the scalp and the reaction to products that break down oil generated by the oil gland. The other reasons are illnesses (neurologic disease like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and paralysis), genetic factors, seasonal factor (worse in the winter) and emotional or physical stress

There are some symptoms of seborrhoeic dermatitis you need to pay attention to:

• Dry and greasy diffuse scaling in the scalp (known as the most common presentation)
• Yellow-red scaling on the body areas affected by the severe disease such as hairline and behind the hair, on the nose bridge, on the eyebrows, on the middle chest, underarms, and groin areas.

Anti-fungal shampoos are introduced to be the treatment of this disease. They contain some ingredients like pyrithione zinc, ciclopirox, selenium sulfide, and ketoconazole. Be careful when choosing your own shampoo!

Read more: How to treat seborrheic dermatitis naturally at home- 7 tips

3. Psoriasis

Psoriasis is also one of the causes of itchy scalp. It is a pretty common skin condition that appears in about 3% of the world population. The disease often occurs on the scalp, on the elbows or knees. It just occurs in small and local patches of redness with relatively thick scaling while seborrhoeic dermatitis involves in almost of the scalp.

Psoriasis is considered to be more severe than dandruff or seborrhoeic because it relates to the genetic factor and just effects on the scalp. It can cause reddish, raised, and scaly patches on the scalp or skin, which annoys you every day.

The treatment of psoriasis is recommended as over-the-counter medicated shampoos that have coal tar and salicylic acid possible to control scalp psoriasis. If your disease is more serious, you should consult your doctor to get a stronger shampoo or topical cortisone.

See more: How to prevent psoriasis outbreaks with diet- 7 diet tips

4. Tinea Capitis  

Tinea capitis is continuing one of the causes of itchy scalp. This is a common fungal infection known as ringworm that can affect the scalp. Tinea capitis then extends deeply into the hair follicle and causes round patches of hair loss increasing in size over time. In addition, the rash can appear more with black dots and a stubbly appearance.

The disease can be spread by the contact with people, animals, or found in soil. Some reasons spreading the condition can be mentioned as sharing hairbrushes, pillows, and clothing. Besides, there is also inflammatory infection (occurring to abscesses and pustules, lymph node swelling) and non-inflammatory infection (known as the round patches of hair loss with fine scaling).

The treatment of Tinea capitis is recommended as oral anti-fungal medication including Itraconazole, Griseofulvin and Terbinafine and anti-fungal shampoos. And depending on your level of disease, your doctor will define the powerful medications for you.

Read more: Total hair regrowth review – will John’s guide work?

5. Head Lice

Head lice are thought to appear just in schoolchildren, but they can invade the scalp of anyone. Lice prefer the clean hair thereby having lice doesn’t mean this person has poor hygiene. It is also one of the causes of itchy scalp.

It is difficult to see lice in your hair as well as distinguish lice and dandruff. When looking closely, you can see tiny eggs of lice attaching to individual hair strands. They not only look like dandruff but also are not easily shaken off as they are glued to the hair. The adult lice can be more easily seen when moving on your scalp, but it is harder to kill them.

Lice can get used to any living environment, from straight hair to curly hair, from the scalp area behind the ears to lower areas of the scalp.  It is also easy for them to move from one person to another through pillows, hair tools, and even clothing. Therefore, they often appear in school-age children who often share daily subjects.

The first thing you have to do to the problem from lice is keeping your hair always clean and clear. When bearing lice already, you should use shampoos, creams, or lotions that contain malathion or permethrin every week. Besides, nits of lice can also be removed by a neat-tooth comb. And don’t forget to avoid bedding or sharing hair tools with those who have lice.

Learn more: How to prevent head lice after exposure & from spreading: 9 tips

6. Allergic Reactions

When using improper products to your hair, allergic reactions can occur and it is also one of the causes of itchy scalp. Your scalp may be sensitive to chemicals in the shampoo or to the regular change hair style.

It is not difficult to avoid these allergic reactions. You have to identify the harmful chemical and avoid choosing shampoos containing to prevent the allergic reaction. It is safer when consulting your dermatologist to learn more about these chemicals.

See more: 25 ways to prevent allergies naturally without medication

7. Other Causes

Beside the severe causes of itchy scalp above, there are also the others starting from your habit or the characteristic of the skin. Don’t be scared with the diseases above because you just face one of these mild problems:

Dry Skin: The cold and dry weather of the winter can make your hair and scalp so dry that it exfoliates to dandruff and itchy scalp. In this case, you should use shampoos and conditioner that are rich in nourishing ingredients, especially natural ones.

Healing Sunburn: Under the effects of sunburn, your scalp can be also burned. And when it begins to heal, it can flake off and cause itchy scalp. To treat it, you should use a soothing shampoo and a deep conditioner for your hair.

Not Washing Enough: If you don’t wash your hair regularly as necessary, there may be the increasing buildup of dead skin cells and oil, which causes both discomfort and flaking.

Poor Diet: Your hair needs a variety of nutrients to be strong and shiny. Diets poor in vitamin B, D, required fats or zinc may actually cause dry and itchy scalp.

Recommended article: Discover the tale of a healthy hair

To get more information about beauty care, go to our main Beauty page. After studying the article top 7 common causes of itchy scalp, hope that you can know more about the reasons making the itching discomfort every day so that you can find out your treatment. Along with 7 causes of itchy scalp is 7 tips for treatment that is safe and easy to you. But don’t forget to consult your doctor if necessary before applying any treatments. If you have any question or comment, please leave them below, I will respond you as soon as possible. Also, you can share your experiences with us if you know causes of itchy scalp.

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