Scalp 101 Not only does your scalp have a plethora of sweat glands, but it also has an abundance of sebaceous (oil) glands, which produce oily sebum. Have you ever scratched your scalp and noticed white, waxy buildup under your nails? That's sebum mixed with dead skin cells.
Baking Soda. Baking soda acts as a natural clarifier and helps in eliminating scalp buildup efficiently. Add 2 tsp of baking soda into 1 cup of water and stir it thoroughly until it forms a clear solution. Pour this solution onto your scalp after hair wash and massage it for a few minutes before rinsing.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common, noncontagious, easy-to-manage skin condition. This type of dermatitis causes itchy red patches and greasy scales on your skin along with white or yellow crusty or powdery flakes on your scalp. “Seborrheic” refers to the “sebaceous” glands while “derm” means “skin.”
Many of us, especially in cold and dry weather, may see white flakes falling from our hair and assume they are dandruff. Flakes from dry scalp are far more common than true dandruff. Dandruff is caused by overgrowth of a yeast (malassezia) present on most normal skin. Less washed hair can result in a more oily scalp.
White piedra appears as white or light brown stones that loosely attach to the tip of a hair shaft and may group to form clusters. The stones, which people sometimes call concretions or nodules, feel gritty and are easy to remove.
WHITE: This is the ideal colour. If it's translucent with no flakes, not oily or dry and slightly soft to the touch, it's perfectly healthy!. But this may change with age and changes in diet and lifestyle, so always be mindful. YELLOW: You may have overactive sebum secretion clogging your follicles.
Head lice. Head lice symptoms are similar to dandruff; you may experience an itchy scalp that leads to scratching. Eggs, called “nits,” cling to the hair shafts. These resemble small grains of sand that can be mistaken for dandruff flakes.
There can be several causes for scabs on the scalp - from dandruff and lice to contact dermatitis and seborrheic eczema. Depending on the cause, treatment can be chosen. Most times, the scabs clear up with topical treatments or targeted medication.
Dandruff And White Piedra
Dandruff is a condition that affects only the scalp and is always white in colour, unlike the White Piedra which affects the hair shaft and can be seen in two colours. Dandruff is relatively thinner and either may get stuck to the scalp or can be dry and fall from the scalp.
Bumps on the scalp can result from a variety of health issues, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, pilar cysts, hives, or ringworm. Some causes of bumps, such as skin cancer, require urgent medical attention.
"An unhealthy scalp shows hair loss, hair breakage, dandruff, redness, pain, acne, cysts, and itching," says Ayesh. Penny James, a certified trichologist and founder of Penny James Salon, says there are a lot of factors that can contribute to an unhealthy scalp.
Use a conditioner after a dandruff shampoo. It will protect your hair against dryness. Try not to scratch if flakes itch. You won't end the flaking and you may cause bleeding or hair loss, making the problem worse.
So that's that – as tempting as it might be to scrape your scalp until it's raw, just don't do it. If your dandruff's not that bad, treat it at home with a specialist shampoo (of which there are many).
Therefore, the best dandruff remedy is to brush out the dead skin developed at a very early stage. If you are inconsistent in brushing your hair, you might experience dandruff over time. So, the best way to comb your hair with dandruff is to comb or brush it evenly throughout your hair.
If you do have dandruff, scraping your scalp can end up making the skin red and raw, which can open your skin to bacteria and therefore infection.
Scalp fungus, or tinea capitis, is a type of fungal infection that affects your skin and hair. It won't turn you into a zombie, but it can alter your appearance. Scalp fungus is often referred to as scalp ringworm.
In the scalp, fungal infections often form circular, scaly, inflamed patches. Frequently, there can be temporary hair loss (hair returns when infection clears but if treatment is delayed and scarring results, permanent hair loss can be seen).
Much like plaque psoriasis elsewhere on the body, psoriasis on the scalp typically appears in the form of reddened plaques covered with silvery scales, though the scales are often thickened and even itchier.
Symptoms of Scalp Psoriasis
Silvery-white or gray scales. Dandruff-like flaking.
Avoid picking
It is easy to pull too much of a scale off, leading to broken skin underneath. This could cause further irritation or bleeding that makes symptoms worse. Picking may also put the skin at an increased risk for infection.
A scalp yeast infection causes an itchy rash on your scalp. The rash may be red or purple and appear in patches of various shapes. The rash may crack and crusts may form. This crusting could cause hair loss.