folliculitis?

[huckleberry]

Hi guys, I have recently started having a very itchy scalp, sometimes it is sore/tender and if I cave and itch it can burn. I went to my Doctor and he said I have folliculitis... I have some dandruff at the moment as well and the itching drives me insane sometimes. When I feel my scalp I have little bumps, like pimples, that also go down the back of my neck and I have them on my shoulders, back and arms... I was wondering if anyone has experienced this before and has any tips for me?? I thought at first maybe it was dermatitis/eczema as I have had this in the past on my face.

[cosmic crusader]

I had something similar going in earlier this summer! What helped me was:

No conditioner on scalp. Ever. Oils on the scalp will make it itchier too.
Don't leave scalp damp for too long. I don't use heat, but sitting near a fan to dry my hair faster has helped. This put an end to my lengthy deep treatments, but shea butter on the length only overnight has worked BEAUTIFULLY for me.
Don't stretch washes too long. At the first sign of itch, wash.
Watch your shampoo...I love shea moisture, but the oil content angered my scalp, even the African black soap one. Do you have a trader joe's near you? Their in-house tea tree tingle cleared my scalp up completely!
Change your pillowcase every day.
Wash your brushes/combs regularly.

Hmmm...that might do it for what I've learned so far. Hope this helps!

[Anje]

Any chance you were in a hot tub recently? It tends to hit things like legs primarily, but "hot tub folliculitis" is a thing. Quite unpleasant, but relatively easy to avoid.

In the hot tub case, it's an infection. Usually clears up on its own, but see the doctor for help if it doesn't.

[Majorane]

I'm gonna follow this thread. A collegue of mine has folliculitis and it's a shame, she has gorgeous silvering curls and the itch and pain drive her mad. I heard it's extremely unpleassnt, so :flower: for you all :flower:

[Firefox7275]

Use cold compresses to relieve itching, scratching increases irritation and inflammation.

[Ellethwyn]

I've had this for years. It flares up around my period. I hate it. I'm thinking about adding tea tree oil to my shampoo or something. Does anyone know how much tea tree oil I should use?

[kuroi]

A few drops of tea tree oil should be enough, it's pretty strong. It's better too start with too little then use too much which can also irritate scalp.

Anyway avoiding oil on your scalp for itch relieve can work but I was surprised to find out it actually helped my scalp. But I guess that depends per person and what causes it. 1 drop tea tree oil mixed with 1 drop argan oil massaged on my scalp helped to relieve my itch and dandruff.
I agree with shampooing when it gets itchy as well unless shampoo makes it worse of course. In general avoid anything that does irritate it further and it should hopefully clear up soon. If it doesn't improve in a few weeks or so going back to the doctor might be a good idea.

[lapushka]

I've had this for years. It flares up around my period. I hate it. I'm thinking about adding tea tree oil to my shampoo or something. Does anyone know how much tea tree oil I should use?

Dilute your TT oil, though, into a carrier oil and then put that on your scalp, perhaps for a scalp massage. The dilution ratios can be found online. Yes, not more than a few drops into a base of something or other (can be shampoo too).

[Wildcat Diva]

What about diluting TT oil in some Cetaphil lotion and massaging in before a shampoo? It's recommended to use on cradle cap, so I imagine that would be good to use.

A slant ant tip applicator bottle might help you squirt the mixture along parted hair sections to apply it.