Why is my scalp so.... scabby?

[millyaulait]

So, my scalp is not flaky or itchy. But it is scabby.

I have a slight habit of running a finger over my scalp to check for them now, and there are plenty.

I'm not really sure what they are because they don't seem to be zits or anything, they seem more like cuts.

Yet I never touch my scalp with brushes or the like. Could build-up cause scabs, cuts, etc?

I'm not sure what is causing it, but I'm slightly concerned because sometimes hair comes out with the scab and I'd hate to be scarring my scalp.

Any ideas? Thank you. :flower:

[sisi33]

You might want to go and visit the Seborrheic Dermatitis Support Thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=54045) and see if they have any ideas. Other than that, sorry, but I'm not much help. Hope your scalp feels better soon!

[redsiren]

I have the Same problem, usually it cleares a bit after a henna- or honey lightening treatment.
I don't know why sometimes it works and other times it doesn't but at least sometimes I'm scab free:)

[jacqueline101]

I'd see a doctor.

[Bagginslover]

Is it definitely a scab? Could it be dandruff or build up that is dirty or coloured by something you use? I'd be inclined to think that getting that many scabs, you'd feel something, pain, or itching at least

[Coolcombination]

I used to have a bumpy, kind of flaky scalp but since I switched to timotei pure shampoo, it cleared up and now my scalp isn't bumpy anymore. This shampoo has sls but doesn't have cones, parabens or fragrance.

[shutterpillar]

Do you have psoriasis? My husband does, and it sounds a bit like his psoriasis flare ups.

[lapushka]

I second checking out the SD (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=54045) thread!

[jojo]

I get these with certain sulphate shampoos, a shampoo designed for dandruf normally clears mine. I think of it as scalp build up.

[HintOfMint]

I have that. Pantene shampoos aggravate them for me, but Head and Shoulders or Garnier Pure Clean is pretty good at making them better.

[DarleneH]

If you're not feeling any pain or itching, and if you're not washing often, then it could be nothing more than some buildup of skin cells, sebum, styling products, etc. When I'm a long time between washes and I feel that on my scalp, I take that as a signal to do something. Whether it's just scritch with my fingertips and WO in the shower, CO, Indian oils massaged in to CO out the next day, you could try ACV rinse, or just about anything clears it up and makes me feel better about it.

[HairFaerie]

They could be pimples that have dried and scabbed over. I get this, especially with certain products...namely with sulfur in them.

[millyaulait]

Just popping in to say thank you, everyone! :flower:

I'm going to read up at the SD thread & try some things listed here. Thank you. :o

[Talma]

I get this too. It used to be constant when I CO and stopped when I switch back to S&C with a mild shampoo. My physician thinks it is eczema which I had when I was younger. It gets worse if my shampoo is too harsh (it then covers at least two palm sized areas on my head) or if I don't wash my hair often enough I'll get a 2-3 inch patch behind my right ear. Recently I've been getting it more but I think my scalp has gone oily and needs to be cleansed 2-3xs a week instead of 1-2. 1 part ACV to 3 parts water applied to the scalp with an applicator bottle works well. So far, I've done this once a week on dry hair before shampooing and my scalp seems more balanced and has less "breakouts". The afflicted area seems a lot smaller and much much less severe. Just apply, massage in then rinse it out well and cleanse and condition as usual. Hope this helps. Good luck. :)

[coffinhert]

That sounds like my scalp. I think i have sebhoreic dermatitis. Rubbing coconut oil onto my scalp before I wash (conditioner only followed by ACV rinse) is the routine that works for me. If I go too long without putting coconut oil on my scalp, it gets scabby again, it has even bled in the past while I was shampooing regularly. No shampoo for me. Coconut oil and conditioner are the only thing that soothe it -- good news is they work perfectly.

Edit: Wow just saw the post above mine. Crazy how two different scalps can need such opposite things to be happy.

[Annibelle]

My scalp did this when I was in my teens. I never knew why, and I never knew why it stopped. :/

[SlipJig]

I don't know if it's the same thing at all, but I have some little bumps here and there on my head, and they are chicken pox scars! They are very small and not irritating, though. I just leave them alone; they won't come off, anyway. If I shaved my head (which I won't, but, y'know, hypothetically), they would probably not be very noticeable. It is my experience that these things feel a lot bigger than they look...

Just another thought out there for anyone who has bumps of unknown identity on their head.

[misspurdy06]

Sounds like eczema or psoriasis. Could be something topical but most likely internal. You are probably eating or drinking something you are allergic to. For me when I stopped eating wheat and oats and the like, my acne and scalp problems went away. It took time but that time was spent healing. Food alergies dont always make you have hives or itchy swollen throat. It can manifest in eczema or psoriasis as both are immune system problems.