Chapped lips are a pain, and a runny nose is annoying. An itchy scalp is another common ailment, but one whose cause can be a little harder to determine.
It isn't considered good manners to scratch your head in public, and no one wants to look in the mirror and see skin flakes all over their shirt. Some scalp ailments aren't just itchy -- they're painful. Certain skin conditions can cause scalp tenderness or burning, and scratching too hard can lead to open wounds that are vulnerable to infection. It's also tough to get a good night's sleep when an itch is driving you nuts.
If you're an adult, there's a good chance your itchy scalp is resulting in dandruff -- oily, dead skin flakes that fall from your scalp. Some cases of dandruff are mild and can be fixed by simple changes to your hygiene regimen. Infrequent hair washing, for example, lets oil and dead skin cells accumulate, which can result in flakes, while overwashing can strip away oils and cause itchiness.
There are also several skin conditions that can cause dandruff, including seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. A new hair washing routine won't do the trick in these cases -- a trip to a dermatologist to discuss treatment is a better bet.
The answer to your itchy scalp may be at the nearest drugstore. Dandruff shampoos, which can also treat some cases of seborrheic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis, have different active ingredients. You may have to try a few to find the one that works -- or even alternate between them.
Comments
Post a Comment