Sore Scalp Driving You Crazy? Common Causes, Symptoms & Natural Home Treatments
Posted: Thursday, August 02, 2007
by Mia Wadsworth
If you have been experiencing the pain and discomfort of a sore scalp whether it be:
-Tender and aching
-Dry and feel “tight"
-Itchy and uncomfortable
-Irritated, burning with redness or rash like symptoms
-Or just plain sore and “not feeling right"
You could be like thousands of people who live with sore irritated scalp wondering where it came from, why it won’t go away, no matter how many creams and shampoo treatments you use. I know it can very frustrating not having the answers you need to deal with the problem. When your scalp is sore, red And inflamed or itching like crazy you want to know how to get relief fast and at the same time deal with treating the cause; why your scalp is raw and sore in the first place so you can eliminate it & prevent the problem coming back to bother you again.
There are also a number of natural scalp remedies you can use to treat many scalp problems that work to soothe and heal your scalp bringing it back into balance again.
The first thing to do is to identify your issue. If you have dry scalp that feels tight you may have stripped the natural sebum from your scalp and affected the PH balance. This can occur when using a shampoo that contains harsh cleansers which are the equivalent to engine degreasers in some cases so naturally strip the oils from your scalp. Your scalp needs these oils to maintain its balance which functions to protect against yeast organisms such as Melassesia Globbosa or Pitysporum Ovale which result in dandruff and flaking. Then the further and continued use of cleansers can lead to chronic scalp itching. Makes sense when you think about it doesn’t it?
The next thing you may notice is sore tender hair follicles…sometimes this can occur from having your hair tied up too tightly forcing your follicles into a direction which is uncomfortable after a period of time. It is also a little known fact though that many shampoos contain ingredients that corrode hair follicles and aggravate them around the roots. Obviously if these chemicals can wreak havoc on our follicles – then they can also infiltrate and aggravate the sensitive glands that surround them producing the oils to keep your hair, scalp and follicles protected and balanced. This can result in “scalp pimples" also where follicles become inflamed or infected.
There are of course other causes including ringworm. Ringworm of the scalp ( tinea capitis) 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 antifungal 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 anti- biotics, although it must be said that ringworm is an aggressive fungus which needs to be monitored closely and treated accordingly.
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. Again, I would suggest visiting a doctor if you have these symptoms.
So what about the other causes listed above –what can you do at home to help heal and clear up dandruff, dry itchy or sore scalp? Well first stop using harsh shampoos and go for natural Sulphate and paraben free shampoos that contain ingredients such as macadamia, wheatgerm 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 antifungal properties and stops itching.
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 remedies to soothe your scalp. Try seeping one cup of fresh lavender flowers and stalks, one cup of Fresh rosemary and ¼ cup oatmeal in two cups of hot water. Strain and rinse your hair to soothe a sore scalp.
Here’s another one:
Natural oils to assist healing, detox and stimulate hair growth: (Add to water (4 parts water 1 part 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 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.
There are many more 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’s really simple to treat yourself to your own pampering session and help heal your sore scalp. And then be kind to it by using only products that nourish your hair and scalp…. So have fun with oils and trying the remedies I mention. You can have beautiful hair & healthy scalp when you know what is good for it – and what’s not without spending a fortune and curing it yourself - naturally!
Mia Wadsworth, of www.dryitchyscalpremedies.com who helps itchy, dry, sore scalp sufferers discover what caused their sore scalp or dry itchy scalp & how get fast relief with powerful natural home remedies plus eliminate the cause permanently.
This Article has been viewed 114,000 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsI think this was incrediblely helpful. I am eager to try these ideas. I am at a lost. I am seeing a doctor next week. I had to cut my hair after losing so much to make it look better. However, now with my hair short the pain has returned as well as more hair loss. I am at my whits end. Thank you for the info.
great info. I will definitely try the natural shampoos.
Voila!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU, THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!
thank for the information. I once visited a doctor and I was told its HIV-AIDS and you are going to die.That's not a bit funny. Do you think scaring people is amusing? Please people; pay no attention to this poster, and his warped "sense of humor".someone I knew had a similar diagnosis, always good to get it checked by a GP if in doubt.
Thank you so much, I am willing to try almost anything and Natural stuff are a welocme suggestion, I'll give the results once I try.
Just what i needed!
very much so thank you very much
HiMale 43, and in the past year I have noticed receding/thinning at temples.Also began noticing substantial amounts of hair in plug and also hair coming off easily when hair was wet.I have quite long hair with centre parting and I've convinced myself that the parting area now reveals more scalp than before and that the top of my head feels thinner than a year ago.Have been using procerin for past 4 months and have been experiencing a very itchy scalp. I try to minimise the amount I wash it, but even when using T-gel for a month, it got too much after a couple of days and I would be clawing at my scalp all over.As a side problem, I had also been suffering from canker type sores on my tongue for about a year and this was eventually managed when I changed toothpaste to a brand without sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). I then found out that SLS is EVERYWHERE, particularly in soaps and shampoos, and can cause skin irritation and hair loss.I checked the ingrediants of T-gel and it was there too. Basically, SLS causes skin irritation, however I was able to cope with it for years, so why now am I sensitive to it? I think a long stressful period at work (about 6 months prior to me noticing hair loss and canker sores) may have triggered an effect within my immune system or akin.After some research, I decided to bin shampoo and go with cider vinegar and the occasional baking soda wash (check it out, it's more popular than you'd think). This seems to have reduced the small itchy sores I had on my scalp and reduced the scratching quite a lot.I now feel as though there are"numb" patches over my scalp which are thick and flaky.Even when I try to pick the flakes away with a pin, I can even feel the pin against my scalp. Its in areas at the front, but mainly at my crown. It feels as though there is a layer of dead skin on top of my scalp.My question is basically this, do I have an excess of calcium build up on my scalp, and if so, how do I safely go about removing it so that it does not prevent hair from sprouting out under it.I do not want to return to shampoo as I believe the ingredients to be counter productive to me at the moment.Any help and advice much appreciated.CheersI believe you have craddle cap, Usually found in babies. You need to cut your hair. (sorry) Use a soft nail brush to massage the scalp with baby oil. I would also suggest using baby shampoo. and do not shampoo but eveyother day. Try relaxing with a book. I have alopecia and have suffered with some similar situations. I am also a cosmotologist and sometimes the old remedies are the best. You long hair will cause you to loose your hair faster than normal. a short cut will give you a chance to get your scalp and hair in a healthy condition faster. best wishesMassage your scalp with cocunut oil. Leave it on overnight, Then wash with cider vinegar the next day. I also love worry free original sprout shampoo.
Scalp issues do come up. Thanks for your knowledge, especially the fact issues can be dealt with quite simply usually. I've also found meditation calms the bodies organs.
Thank you so much for posting this article I really just started my search for sore hair follicles and it led me to understand my hair loss problem. I think I'm going to order a product called "Wen" I've seen the infomercial and looks to be what I may need to keep my head mostorizes without being oily.The Wen products are quite nice for a tight sore scalp but will not correct the cause of the problem. It will completely help if your sore scalp is just because it is dry. Too much shampooing and hot water will definitely remove too much oil from your scalp and make it tight and can cause some hair loss.--a note about the Wen product--make sure to read what you are ordering. I ordered it and it was one of those autobill monthly deals. The product lasts a really long time so in my experience, most people won't need a new bottle every month. It smells amazing though!!! Good luck and thank you to everyone who posted useful info. I have a scalp issue right now but on back of head so I can't see it to determine what it is. Off to the doctor I go!
More comments
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.