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Scalp pruritus is a common and distressing symptom. It is most commonly associated with seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis but appears often without any noticeable skin lesion or obvious diagnosis.
So how can stress cause an itchy scalp? "Stress raises levels of androgens (male hormones) in our body,” Dr Chan explains. “This causes our scalp to become oilier, which dandruff-causing yeast love to feed on (hence the itching)."
Having an itchy scalp at night is called nocturnal pruritus. This condition can be acute (lasting a few day or weeks) or chronic (lasting longer than six weeks).
When a person scratches an itchy scalp repeatedly or intensely, they can damage their skin and hair follicles. This damage can result in temporary hair loss, bleeding, and scabbing from the scratching. Once the person stops scratching, the hair will usually grow back.
Whenever you experience any itching, flaking, product buildup, greasy strands, or unpleasant smells, then you should wash your hair without a saying.
Daily shampooing is an absolute must if you have a scalp condition, such as dandruff or seborrheic eczema. It is also important if you have fine hair, as this hair texture has more sebaceous glands and therefore becomes oily quickly at the roots.
When your head itches continuously, there may be many contributory factors. Head itching can be irritating and troublesome. Finding the cause and treating it should be a priority. Head itching can be caused by infections, autoimmune disease, allergic reactions.
Typically, we only focus on androgenic hormones like DHT when talking about hair loss. But, having high levels of estrogen can also lead to an often-overlooked cause of hair loss: intense scalp itch. Estrogen dominance is frequently an underlying factor responsible for increasing the intensity of itchy scalp at night.
In the evening, the body releases more heat, and blood flow to the skin increases, which may contribute to nighttime itching. In addition, skin loses water at night, resulting in dryness that can make you itchy.
Hormonal shifts during your menstrual cycle can impact your scalp heavily. For instance, leading up to and during your period, you may find your scalp becomes oilier, which in turn, can trigger flaking and itching if you are pre-disposed to dandruff.
Autoimmune diseases that have been linked with scalp itch are dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma and Sjögren syndrome. Itch may or may not be associated with skin lesions.
One difference, though, is that dandruff is more likely to itch when your scalp is dry. Also, if you notice or if your child tells you they feel a crawling sensation on their scalp, this is definitely a sign of lice. Color: Dandruff flakes are typically straight forward when it comes to color.
Have you ever scratched your scalp and noticed white, waxy buildup under your nails? That's sebum mixed with dead skin cells. It's hard for shampoo alone to wash away your oily scalp issues. And issues like stress and weather can increase the scalp's sebum production, making you even oilier.
Dry scalp can be a sign of not getting enough essential fatty acids in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods may include fatty fish, flaxseeds, canola oil, soybeans, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Ensuring a plenty of vitamin A diet may help alleviate dry scalp.
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.
Although scratching is a natural reaction to an itchy scalp, avoid doing so for optimal scalp and hair health. Obviously, once in a while is okay. But if you're experiencing long-term itchiness, it could be that something else is going on.
Examples include dry skin (xerosis), eczema (dermatitis), psoriasis, scabies, parasites, burns, scars, insect bites and hives. Internal diseases. Itching on the whole body might be a symptom of an underlying illness, such as liver disease, kidney disease, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems and certain cancers.
When you don't drink enough water, the scalp can become dry and damaged, causing flaking, itching, scratching…even broken skin. This weakened skin is less effective as a barrier between you and your environment. If you're prone to dandruff, the irritants on your scalp trigger dandruff more easily than normal.