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There
are many definitions and symptoms commonly described as "scalp infections". There are in fact quite a
few quite different reasons why your scalp may be sore, itchy, inflamed burning
red or infected.
If
you are like many people with chronic scalp issues - it may be driving you
completely up the wall and not knowing what it is or how to treat the problem
effectively after many unsuccessful attempts to eliminate it can make it seem
far worse - like you are never going to get to the bottom of the problem. Well
that need no longer be so! It can be simple to diagnose and treat it now and
for good.
So,
if you are dealing with any of these symptoms lets first identify the problem
and then some of the underlying causes.
Firstly,
if you want to get to the root of your problems, so to speak, you need to be
able to identify what your problem actually is. Of course, many scalp
infections & conditions look alike, so here is a brief description of some
of the most common scalp conditions:
·
Red
Burning Itchy Scalp
·
Dandruff
·
Ringworm
·
Scalp
Dermatitis
·
Folliculitis
·
Stress
Related Itching
Red burning itchy
scalp can
be characterized as any tingling, burning, prickly, and sensitive to the touch
or a fiery hot sensation. Often associated with an allergy, sunburn, chemical
burn (sensitization of the scalp), or fungal infection.
Dandruff as most of
us know is the process of continual shedding of skin cells on our scalps. Often
the cause of dandruff is simply the result of toxins,
pollutants and products that have built up on the scalp particularly products
like silicone- a cheap commonly used artificial shine enhancer in conditioners
sold in supermarkets.
When
the natural balance of our scalps is disturbed, this creates the perfect
environment for the yeast fungus Melassezia Globbosa to move in and thrive.
This is when the natural process of shedding our cells gets a little out of
hand resulting in an unsightly condition known as "Seborrhoeic
Dermatitis" (fancy name for dandruff) and we see the highly visible
tell-tale signs of flaking and crusting.
The
accompanying itch and urge to scratch are often made worse by the
multiplication of the fungal yeast pityrosporum-ovale (having one big party on
your scalp). Another follow-on effect of this is that the relentless scratching
by the sufferer can cause small lesions which weep and ooze or become infected
resulting in scalp infections.
Lumps
bumps and sores are also common when the scalp is highly irritated or
sensitivity has been aggravated. Candida can be an underlying cause of yeast
infections of the scalp.
Ringworm of the scalp
(tinea capitols) is a superficial fungal infection of the scalp. Scalp
ringworm is caused by mold-like fungi called dermatophytes.
Ringworm infection occurs when a particular type of fungus grows and multiplies
anywhere on your skin, scalp, or nails.
It
is far more common in children and symptoms include red, itchy patches on the
scalp, leaving bald areas. The skin might itch and be red and peel or be scaly,
have swollen blisters or a rash (that can spread) and looks like black dots.
The rash is highly contagious.
It
is normally treated with over the counter products containing miconazole,
clotrimazole, or similar. Sometimes prescription anti-fungal skin medications,
such as ketoconazole are needed to clear it up. There are also products direct
from nature's factories that can aid the healing process and act as natural
antibiotics, although it must be said that ringworm is an aggressive fungus
which needs to be monitored closely and treated accordingly.
Dry scalp can feel
"tight", a sensation that is sometimes accompanied by flakiness. It
is often the result of natural oils being stripped from our scalps by the
frequent use of shampoos, hair dyes and or other hair products.
Dermatitis of the
scalp (Seborrheic
dermatitis) is an inflammatory disorder affecting areas of the head and body
where sebaceous glands are most prominent. It can vary from mild dandruff to
dense flakey and greasy scale. Once again it is often an accumulation of toxins
and products built up on our scalps that our body is trying to rid itself of.
Eczema of the
scalp similar
in appearance to Seborrheic dermatitis but instead has the name Atopic
dermatitis.
Scalp Psoriasis commonly
occurs on the back of the head however multiple areas of the scalp or the whole
scalp may be affected. Scalp psoriasis is characterized by thick silvery white
scales on patches of very red skin and can extend slightly beyond the hairline.
Scalp psoriasis, despite being partially hidden by the hair is often a source
of social embarrassment due to flaking of the scale and severe 'dandruff'.
Scalp
psoriasis may be extremely itchy or on occasion have no itch symptoms. It can
also cause temporary baldness on the affected areas. It is a common, chronic,
inflammatory skin disease and is associated with increased risk of melanoma,
squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma.
Folliculitis of the scalp
is a superficial bacterial infection of the hair follicles. It is characterized
by pustules around the hair follicles and symptoms include painful brushing of
hair and tenderness when rubbing your scalp around the hair follicle sites.
Treating with antibiotics for the particular bacteria is the usual course of
action but can eventually cause resistance to the antibiotic used.
Options
include applying Evoclin Foam which is topical. Folliculitis is commonly caused
by staph bacteria which also reside inside the nose and sinus cavity. Natural
oils such as tea tree and lavender have good antibacterial properties and can
also be used to treat this condition.
If
you have a bump or lump under the skin (commonly a lump behind the ears with no
broken skin or rash developing, then this could be a cyst. Cysts are liquid
filled pustules which can be painful when they become infected.
If
you have such symptoms, I recommend seeing a doctor to be safe. Doctors can
also treat cysts with antibiotics if they have become infected or incise them
as a further but uncommon procedure if the antibiotics are not sufficient.
Stress Related
Itching Stress
can contribute to or worsen scalp itching as it plays havoc with our immune
system and hormones which have an effect on production of sebum from your
sebaceous glands. Although it can contribute to the problem it is still
somewhat of a myth.
It
may appear that you have a "stress rash", but it is more likely that
the problem was already there in a less noticeable way, then aggravated by
increased stress levels making it harder for your body to deal with the problem
on its own and eliminate the problem. Many of the treatments below include
stress relieving properties - like Lavender oil for example which calms the
mind and soothes the body.
Solutions - what
YOU can do about it
Going
to your doctor may be the best way to get an accurate answer to diagnosing your
problem, but I understand that many of you may have already done this, been
prescribed some form of medication of cream (even "heavy duty"
cortisone based ones where the cortisone potency may need to be increased after
time).
Often
the problem either doesn't go away from the start - or seems to subside but comes
back with full a vengeance later leaving you wondering with more unanswered
questions and a VERY unhappy scalp!
Well
the good news is if you don't like using these expensive and often impotent
products- or even want to help them along you can use natural remedies and
essential oils known to be super effective anti-bacterial busters such as tea
tree oil for instance to inhibit or stop the growth of the infection and assist
healing/re balancing of the scalp.
Something
that is also important to understand in curing scalp conditions and scalp
infections - a factor that is missed by so many doctors, and something not
disclosed by companies who sell hair products and treatments is the number of
people who are allergic or sensitive to commonly used ingredients in shampoos,
dandruff treatments and other hair products. In fact, MOST hair products (as
many as 90%) contain at least one ingredient that is used in engine degreasers,
another is a common ingredient in antifreeze.
These
ingredients are cheap to produce foaming agents that make shampoo foam up, and
do a fantastic job of stripping dirt and oily build up from hair. Problem is
that they sometimes do SUCH a good job that they remove all of the natural oils
and sebum from the scalp thus removing the scalps natural against bacteria etc.
Another
little-known fact is that the most common ingredient (Sodium laureth sulphate)
is used to induce skin irritation in test patients by drug companies to test
the effectiveness of their itch relief skin creams. When first produced and for
a year's afterwards manufacturers did not know that skin was not a barrier but
an absorber of ingredients & that they caused skin irritation in so many
people.
So
sometimes the beginning of a scalp condition can have originated from something
as simple as an imbalance to the skins (scalps) sebum or an allergy to an
ingredient that can easily be rectified.
Like
your immune system, if your skin has an opportunity to rebalance itself and not
be subjected to "incoming foreign matter" and the daily stripping of
its natural oils that further aggravates the problem you can allow your body to
re balance and heal itself. Obviously buying products that do not strip your
hair and scalp is an obvious step in the right direction.
Fortunately,
there are a lot of manufacturers such as Aveda and Akin (Purist Company) who
know what consumers are suffering from these issues so have addressed this
problem. They have applied this knowledge to produce some amazing products with
all of the benefits of natural ingredients, with none of the side effects at a
price we can afford (Akin especially). It need not be difficult, nor expensive
to make these choices and a move to healthy hair and scalp long term.
So
yes, you can eliminate harsh shampoos containing sodium sulphates and go for
natural Sulphate and paraben free shampoos that contain ingredients such as
macadamia, wheat germ or jojoba oils. These oils mimic our natural sebum to
some extent to help to re moisturize and nourish our scalp.
Then
there are lavender, rosemary and tea tree oils which contain antibacterial,
healing properties.
Neem
oil great for its antiquing and stops itching. You can apply these topically to
your skin for fast relief, to assist healing as well as looking out for
shampoos with these natural ingredients in them.
Lavender
calms the skin (as does chamomile tea cooled and used as hair rinse).
As
well as buying quality shampoos containing these ingredients, you can
create your own combinations of remedy or remedies to soothe your scalp.
You
can also help it along by using natural remedies to treat your scalp such as
this scalp treatment containing natural oils to assist healing, detoxify and
stimulate hair growth: (Add to water (4 parts water 1part oil) and spray onto
scalp and you can add to your shampoo and conditioners also).
Oils
to Relieve Itching: Lavender, German Chamomile and Eucalyptus Oils
(Mixed together and dabbed locally on effected areas has a soothing effect).
Neem oil is also a very good dandruff preventative
which can be added to any of the formulas detailed below and is excellent for psoriasis and eczema & scalp infections.
Scalp
massage with lavender oil (not scented - the real oil) is another
wonderful way to relieve the tension from a sore scalp as well as treat the
issue. It also helps to re grow hair and repair the damage done to your
follicles by chemicals in shampoos causing thinning hair. (Lavender is known to
stimulate hair growth too).
There
are many more powerful scalp remedies you can use to treat your scalp as well
as many shampoos that are excellent value, contain no nasties to aggravate your
scalp and hair follicles. It can be really simple to treat scalp problems by
treating yourself to your own pampering session using natural oils to help heal
your scalp infection.
And
then be kind to your hair and scalp by using only products that nourish your
hair and scalp such as Aveda or Akin brand shampoos. You can assist the healing
process and help restore balance back to your scalp and your hair will
appreciate and reward you for it too by becoming less brittle, stronger and
shinier.
As
with all-natural remedies please patch test first. It is not intended for this
information to replace a doctors’ medical advice, so please see your doctor for
diagnosis and treatment. The responsibility of obtaining doctors diagnosis and
using remedies is yours.
Watch
this video that is related to curing scalp conditions and scalp infections - Fungal
Infection for Hair - How To Treat Infections!
This
article is written by Mia Wadsworth. Mia Wadsworth who founded DryItchyScalpRemedies.com to help hundreds of sufferers of Itchy
Scalp, Dry Scalp, dandruff & other scalp conditions relieve & eliminate
their condition fast & permanently. After curing her own painful condition
using her own remedy for dry itchy scalp, Mia now helps sufferers learn what
causes itchy scalp, other scalp infections & how to use powerful home
remedies & dry itchy scalp treatments to regain confidence & beautiful
shiny hair.
To find out how you can go about curing scalp
conditions and scalp infections, visit her website -DryItchyScalpRemedies.com
