Itchy scalp: causes and remedies

It seems like a spontaneous gesture, but when we find ourselves dealing with “Headaches” more and more frequent and repeated over time it is good not to underestimate them. The causes can be multiple, of different nature, and not necessarily associated with poor hygiene. “The cold season inaugurates the progressive lowering of temperatures and, with it, the exacerbation of all inflammatory dermatitis that affect the entire skin area, including the hair!” explains the Dr. Grazia Ettorre, dermatologist of MioDottore that adheres to the online video consulting project activated by the platform.

With its help we have tried to identify the most common causes of the onset of itching and some small remedies to try to alleviate it.

Itchy scalp: how does it occur and what are the main causes?
«Itching, peeling, tingling, burning, pain to the touch, redness are all signs of a tissue suffering that, in the long run, weakens the scalp causing a progressive thinning. Seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis are the dermatitis that worsen most with the cold, manifesting itself with intense itching. In the first case, localized scales are observed at the edges of the scalp, nape, ears and eyebrows, in the second case the scales become adherent, silvery-white, thick and dry. Sometimes itching can be a sign of a real infection, as often happens in children too. In some cases, small pustules, patches of alopecia (fungi and bacteria) and minute white corpuscles are observed, especially adhering to the hair on the nape (lice); infections are more common than you think and are not necessarily associated with poor hygiene. A common cause of itching is also dry skin due to dehydration and exposure to pollution, but also to contact allergies (such as to hair dye – paraphenylenediamine and toluendiamine).

How much stress and anxiety, also generated by this particular moment we are experiencing, can influence and generate it?
«Today the concept of neuromediated pruritus, just to witness the intertwining of inflammatory component with the neurosensory component. However, it is still difficult to demonstrate the direct correlation between anxiety and itching. What is certain is that, in predisposed subjects, stress acts as a real one trigger for all dermatitis, leading the entire organism to a pro-inflammatory side. Just think of the noticeable worsening of seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) in moments of emotional stress: this is due to the pathogenic transformation of a fungus that lives on our skin, which generates further inflammation by feeding on our sebum “.

How can we intervene at home to relieve itching?
“The first assumption to keep in mind is that itching invokes more itching: the more you scratch, the more it feeds on the itch. For this reason, the first precaution is to avoid scratching further. Unless a concrete ongoing allergy is ascertained, it is also almost useless to take antihistamines, which treat the symptom without acting on the causes. On the other hand, the much demonized daily cleansing is well accepted: using cleansers every day – even oily ones – helps reduce inflammation and remove dead cells.. So welcome detergents, sprays and mousses based on panthenol, polidocanol, bisabolol. The maintenance of tissue oxygenation is fundamental, at least in two ways: the first, favoring the flow of blood to the hair bulbs by practicing massages from the cervical area towards the head even during cleansing, the second, avoiding thermal shocks from the hair dryer! Keep the hairdryer at a moderate distance from the hair and set it at a temperature that is not too hot. Finally, in specific cases in which the dermatologist should indicate a topical cortisone or pharmacological therapy, remember to favor the action of the product in question by letting it act on the hair for at least 10 minutes ».