Causes of itchy scalp

Any discomfort from the skin, including itchy scalp, cannot be ignored. In some cases, discomfort may indicate only poor personal hygiene. However, for many people, this becomes a sign of various, sometimes quite serious, diseases. It is especially necessary to be wary if a person not only has an itchy head, but also hair loss, inflamed pimples appear, general condition worsens, etc. But more on that later. Now let's try to understand why the head itches?

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Cause

Many conditions and diseases can be provoking factors, and it is sometimes difficult to determine it - you may need the help of a qualified doctor. Such a problem, depending on the root cause of its appearance, is dealt with by such specialists as a dermatologist, trichologist, allergist, endocrinologist, neuropathologist, cosmetologist, etc.

The reasons why your head itches can be divided into two categories: itching that is not associated with disease and pathological itching.

Let's list the most likely reasons for the appearance of itching sensations that are not associated with diseases:

• Stressful conditions.

Psycho-emotional breakdowns and deep conflict situations are accompanied by an intense release of adrenaline into the bloodstream. In certain situations - for example, during physical exertion, adrenaline is utilized. But in a state of rest, the hormone begins to accumulate, which causes muscle strain and skin itching. Thus, if the head itches after experiencing stress, then they talk about nervous causes of this phenomenon.

• Muscle hypertension.

A person who stays in one position for a long time often faces the problem of prolonged muscle tension. For example, when sitting at a computer for a long time, the muscles of the neck, back of the head and shoulder girdle become tense, which causes a disruption in blood flow in this area. Such processes can also cause transient unpleasant sensations on the scalp.

• Dryness of the skin.

Dryness begins to bother with frequent temperature changes in the hair area: for example, if the hair is systematically dried with hot air from a hair dryer, or a curling iron or a straightening iron is used. Additional provoking factors can be: frequent use of shampoo, wearing an improperly selected headdress (or lack thereof in cold weather).

• The presence of irritating factors, allergic processes.

The huge variety of cosmetic and hygiene products sometimes leads to the fact that we try to try everything on ourselves and in large quantities. Shampoos, styling products, rinses, masks, hair dyes. However, it is known that frequent changes of such products, too frequent or incorrect use can cause overdrying of hair and skin, formation of dandruff, appearance of allergies. Allergic processes are most often provoked by dyes that contain ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.

• Improper nutrition, overly strict diets, fasting.

If the body does not receive enough vitamins and minerals, the entire body suffers, including the skin. Itchy scalp accompanies many conditions of vitamin and mineral deficiency.

Separately, it is necessary to highlight pathologies that are accompanied by itching of the head:

• Seborrheic dermatitis is a disease that affects the face and scalp. The disease develops with the mass presence of a specific fungus called Malassezia furfur. This fungus prefers to live in places where sebaceous secretions periodically accumulate - for example, on the head, on the nose, above the eyebrows, etc. Even if the head does not itch, the Malassezia fungus is always present on our skin - but it does not always cause the disease. For the development of pathology, a coincidence of certain circumstances is necessary, therefore this pathogen is classified as opportunistic.
• Seborrhea is a relatively common disease that affects the scalp. Hyperfunction of the sebaceous glands, inflammation, dandruff, crusts and severe itching of the scalp are the main signs of this pathology. If specific scales appear on the skin in the hair area and the head itches, seborrhea is the first thing that comes to mind for a specialist examining the patient.
• Pediculosis is a condition in which head lice infest the scalp when using someone else's combs or hats, or in other circumstances. Pediculosis causes the head to itch a lot: insect bites are especially noticeable at rest and during nighttime rest. The itching is debilitating, a person may become irritable, and sleep is disturbed.
• Among the reasons why the head itches, psoriasis occupies one of the leading places. This disease is often mistaken for oily seborrhea, so treatment does not give the expected results. Psoriasis is a chronic pathology, and to solve this problem you need to spend a lot of time and effort.
• Itchy scalp in diabetes is associated with metabolic disorders, excessive accumulation of toxins and weak immune function. The skin of diabetics is often dry, prone to irritation and peeling, and infections often develop on it.
• With scabies, the head itches due to bites of the pathogen - the scabies mite, or itch mite. Against the background of itchy discomfort, papulovesicular rashes are found on the head, sometimes with the addition of a secondary pustular infection. You can become infected with scabies through direct contact with a sick person. If the head itches, the mite is active - most often this happens at night, since the insect becomes quiet during the day.

There are other, rarer causes of itchy discomfort in the head area. For example, sometimes patients seek medical attention with the following complaints:

• My child has chickenpox and his head is itchy, is this normal?

With chickenpox, up to five hundred itchy elements can appear on the body. They can be found almost anywhere, including on the head. In some patients, the head itches first, and then the rash spreads throughout the body. This development of the disease is considered a normal variant, there is no need to worry.

• Why does my head itch after using burdock oil?

Usually, on the contrary, burdock oil is used for scalp itching. If discomfort appeared after using the product, then here you can consider several options for the problem: either you have an intolerance to burdock oil, or you got low-quality oil (or a product with unacceptable additives), or you used the product incorrectly (for example, applied it to dry hair, or mixed the product with other unsuitable ingredients). Try to analyze and find the cause of discomfort.

• My head itches after going to the hairdresser, what could be the reason?

Most often, adults "catch" a fungal infection in hairdressers. This happens if the hairdresser does not properly treat the tools - combs, scissors, razors. Fungal itching can be accompanied by dry skin, hair loss, rashes. Other causes of this phenomenon are often allergic processes. For example, after hair dyeing, scalp itching occurs quite often if the dye is of poor quality or contains an allergenic component. In most cases, such a component is ammonia, which is present in many dyes. With increased sensitivity to ammonia, you should be especially careful when choosing dyes. It is no less common for the head to itch after keratin straightening. It is worth noting right away that this procedure is quite dangerous, because most hair straightening products contain formaldehyde or substances that turn into it (formaldehyde, methylene glycol). But even if a high-quality formaldehyde-free product is used, the problem may still arise – for example, if after applying keratin the hair is dried with a hot hair dryer, or if keratin gets on the skin, or if the procedure is repeated frequently.

If a procedure such as hair extensions is performed, the head itches due to a mistake by the master. This sometimes happens to novice specialists who "plant" capsules in close proximity to the skin. In order to avoid discomfort in the future, you need to make sure that the capsules are located at a distance of at least 10-15 mm from the roots. This also happens when the capsules are formed incorrectly. To avoid the listed consequences, try to do any hair procedures in proven salons with experienced masters.

• Why does minoxidil make my head itch?

Minoxidil is a hair growth stimulant. The product contains several skin irritating components - primarily alcohol and propylene glycol, which can cause burning, itching, redness, and dryness in the area of application. Such side effects occur especially often after prolonged use of the product. To eliminate the problem, Minoxidil is temporarily replaced with another drug, or it is canceled altogether.

• To restore my hair, I started using a product called nicotinic acid: my head is itchy now, what should I do?

Nicotinic acid is not intended for rubbing into the skin, but such a procedure is often practiced to improve hair growth. Further itching of the head is a banal allergic reaction to the vitamin product, which means one thing: this procedure is not suitable for you.

• Why does your head itch when you have a cold?

Headaches during a cold are still more common. But in some patients, the skin may itch - this is associated with inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, with the possible development of sinusitis, with general intoxication of the body. Discomfort goes away with recovery. And in order to alleviate the condition during a cold, it is necessary to drink a lot of fluids and regularly cleanse the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract - for example, rinse with a saline solution.

• There was a problem - pediculosis. Now my head itches after removing lice, why?

A possible cause is an allergic reaction to the product used to get rid of insects. After the end of treatment, the situation should stabilize. Additionally, a course of antihistamines should be taken.

• My head itches after a sauna, although I use the same cleaning products as at home. Why?

The discomfort may be caused by overheating of the head, excessive drying of the skin under the influence of dry hot air, and even dehydration. Advice: for the bath, choose a shampoo with moisturizing properties, be sure to wear a special cap in the bath, drink enough water (beer and strong alcoholic drinks will only aggravate the problem). Itchy scalp after washing in the bath can be eliminated by drinking tea brewed from such plants as clover, calendula, coltsfoot.

• I have a rash on my skin, like hives, and my head is itchy – what is it?

Hives are one of the manifestations of an allergic reaction, so you need to look for what could have caused this process. Perhaps the allergen is in the detergent or in the food. After eliminating the cause, the painful itching sensations will disappear.

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Pathogenesis

Itching is a condition in which a person instinctively wants to scratch. Most people consider itching to be an unpleasant phenomenon.

The pathogenesis of this sensation has not been fully elucidated to date. In all likelihood, it is transmitted along nerve fibers ending in spinal structures. The same fibers transmit impulses to the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex. Presumably, cold thermoreceptors (A delta fibers) also participate in the transmission mechanism.

The pathogenetic characteristics of itching and painful sensations are largely similar. Some experts even classify itching as the mildest form of pain. At the same time, according to the results of some studies, these two sensations belong to different sensory modalities.

The most studied substance that takes part in the formation of skin discomfort is histamine, the so-called "itch mediator". But there are many such mediators, and their study is only at an early stage. We are talking about amines, proteases, neuropeptides, individual growth factors and cytokines.

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