If you don't wash your hair regularly enough – dirt, oil, and product build-up can cause your scalp to become itchy and irritated. When your hair is too dirty, it can also lead to unwanted bacteria, sometimes turning into dandruff and other scalp problems.
Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis
These are the most common reasons for an itchy scalp. “Your body's inflammatory response to an overgrowth of yeast causes the itching and flaking associated with these conditions.
Dr. Fusco says that this can lead to scalp inflammation, dandruff, excess shedding, and even folliculitis, which are tiny pimples on the scalp. "When we don't wash often enough, the hair follicle beneath the surface can be suffocated to a degree leading to less than optimum new hair growth," says Abney.
For some people, too-frequent washing can cause damaged hair and a dry, itchy scalp. For others, infrequent washing can make the hair look greasy and lifeless.
How Much Should You Wash? For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
When one has extremely dry hair which is not washed often, it can lose its natural moisture with age. According to stylist Rosi Fernandez, director of Ananda Ferdi it is not advisable to go for more than a week without washing hair, as follicles become clogged and do not get oxygenated," she explains.
"The average individual can typically go 2 to 3 days without shampooing their hair. However, if your hair is visibly oily, you may not want to wait that long," she says. "Usually, you can go longer without washing your hair when your hair is styled up, but no one should ever go more than 14 days."
According to doctor's recommendations, medicated anti-dandruff shampoos, antifungal medicine for tinea capitis, moisturising creams and ointments, head lice treatment, corticosteroid creams for seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis medications are few of the treatment options for itchy scalp.
Any one or combination of these stress response changes can cause symptoms that affect the scalp, such as burning, itchy, tight, tingling, crawly, pressure, pain, and so on. Acute stress, such as from anxious behavior, is a common cause of scalp symptoms.
There are many different causes of an itchy scalp, “including skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis, scalp psoriasis, eczema, head lice and reactions to hair products to name a few,” dermatologist Ramya Garlapati, MD, says.
Hormone fluctuations: At night, your level of anti-inflammatory hormones (corticosteroids) naturally falls, which may exacerbate itchiness. Sweating: In the evening, you have more trans-epidermal water loss (water passing through the outermost layer of skin and evaporating).
A water-only hair wash routine will help preserve the natural oils. Further, it is a low maintenance hair care routine that requires you to invest in minimal hair care products. You can use lukewarm and cold water to wash off the dirt and dust and then follow it up with a good conditioner.
Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
"You can use dry shampoo to lengthen the time in between washes, to absorb sweat after workouts or to just refresh hair for a 'fresh-styled look' without the hassle of getting hair wet and blow drying it."
There's also your everyday body odor, sweat, and bacteria that fester in your hair. Left untreated, it can start to smell sour or mildewy, especially if you have thick hair which traps odors more easily. The longer you go without washing, the worse the stench gets.
Prolonged periods of not washing can cause cause buildup on the scalp, damaging hair and even impeding its ability to grow, Lamb said. Grime from dirt, oil and hair product can show up within four to six days for people with finer, straighter hair.
Poor scalp hygiene, such as not washing your hair regularly, can cause a number of problems including further hair loss as the build-up of skin and sebum on the scalp which can lead to bacteria and potential infection and inflammation.
Scalp itching and irritation can be painful to deal with, but there are solutions available that will keep your hair and scalp healthy. It's important not to cut or scratch the scalp. Be gentle and use high quality products that will soothe and refresh your scalp without causing additional damage.
Another leading cause of an itchy scalp is dirty hair. If you don't wash your hair regularly enough – dirt, oil, and product build-up can cause your scalp to become itchy and irritated. When your hair is too dirty, it can also lead to unwanted bacteria, sometimes turning into dandruff and other scalp problems.