Acne on scalp?

[ninjarambohd]

Hello everyone! OK so I am going absolutely mad! I am 23 years old. I don't have acne but I have whiteheads and even pink colored pimples on my face mainly left and right cheek and on my forehead. But what drives me insane is the whiteheads or even pink pimples I get at the back of my scalp nape line and sometimes on top of my scalp. It hurts like crazy and is itchy as well. No dr has ever been able to tell me what it is they all gave me different antibiotics I take them and after the I'm finished with them after about 2 weeks the same thing happens.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I also get it all over my back as well. Sometimes so much that I can't even lay on my back because of the pain. Anyone have any idea what this could be and what I should do about it?

https://s18.postimg.org/vuoa1cejt/DSC_4391.jpg

https://s18.postimg.org/8t7ovlmm1/DSC_4390.jpg

https://s18.postimg.org/59lr5szbt/DSC_4388.jpg

[Robi-Bird]

In my experience, it's just acne, like it is anywhere else on the skin, the same painful beast. I get cystic acne on my scalp if I don't use sulfate shampoos and keep all conditioners, leave ins, and oils away from my scalp. My advice would be to up your cleansers, whatever you are using, this was the advice a dermatologist gave me eons ago back when my hair was super short. The principle still works with my hair at BCL.

[Nique1202]

In my experience, it's just acne, like it is anywhere else on the skin, the same painful beast. I get cystic acne on my scalp if I don't use sulfate shampoos and keep all conditioners, leave ins, and oils away from my scalp. My advice would be to up your cleansers, whatever you are using, this was the advice a dermatologist gave me eons ago back when my hair was super short. The principle still works with my hair at BCL.

All this, and also, consider exfoliating your scalp gently. Remember that the pores on your face are the same general function as the follicles on your scalp, the quality of the hair is different but they're still sebum-producing (even if they produce at different rates for some folks) and both can be prone to getting infected or clogged. I use a firm plastic brush and massage my scalp with it right before I wash my hair, to help lift any junk that might start clogging the follicles (pores) on my scalp. I used to get a lot of acne of all sorts on my scalp, but especially deep painful cystic ones, and this has cut those down to one or two a year for me.

[lapushka]

Hello everyone! OK so I am going absolutely mad! I am 23 years old. I don't have acne but I have whiteheads and even pink colored pimples on my face mainly left and right cheek and on my forehead. But what drives me insane is the whiteheads or even pink pimples I get at the back of my scalp nape line and sometimes on top of my scalp. It hurts like crazy and is itchy as well. No dr has ever been able to tell me what it is they all gave me different antibiotics I take them and after the I'm finished with them after about 2 weeks the same thing happens.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I also get it all over my back as well. Sometimes so much that I can't even lay on my back because of the pain. Anyone have any idea what this could be and what I should do about it?

https://s18.postimg.org/vuoa1cejt/DSC_4391.jpg

https://s18.postimg.org/8t7ovlmm1/DSC_4390.jpg

https://s18.postimg.org/59lr5szbt/DSC_4388.jpg

You might need to be on ABs for a longer time. That's how it went with a friend of mine (long time ago). Ask your doctor for something topical too, as that might give some relief. I would honestly (if it were up to me) go back to the doctor. We can't offer better solutions! :flower:

I was off the ABs as they didn't work for me. My acne was hormonal. I didn't have it in my hair, though.

But this needs medical treatment, before it gets worse! I don't know if it will do that, but there is always that possibility.

Wishing you well!

[Beeboo123]

Whiteheads and pimples ARE acne. Acne doesn’t refer to only large inflamed pustules. You should see a doctor, they can put you on antibiotics that will clear it up

[PixieP]

In addition to earlier advice, cut down on styling products in the affected area, and blow dry your hair (with cold air).

[akurah]

I get acne on my scalp sometimes. It's rarer for me now than when I was younger, and when I do get it, it's more localized, but when I was younger I would pick at my skin and spread it across to other parts. When I was 23, I had more acne than I do now, so it stands to reason as you age, it'll get less annoying. Obviously it doesn't solve the annoyingness of it for right now...

As others say, the whiteheads and pink spots are acne. Pimples and acne are the same thing, the only difference I think is that acne is a short form of the medical term for it. I'm surprised the doctors didn't tell you that you had acne, as that is exactly what it is.

Washing is a good defense against acne for many folk--if you are acne prone and stretching your washes, you might be better off with more frequent washes. I also second Nique1202's suggestion about exfoliating. A sugar scrub or a salt scrub can exfoliate the scalp pretty well in spite of the hair being "in the way" and is easy to wash out. Since acne is bacterial, tea tree oil shampoo might help clear it up and keep it at bay, since that stuff is good for almost any issue you can think of.

[lapushka]

Here's a video on it, if you're interested, how it's a long-term thing and there is no such thing as a quick fix, by a dermatologist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gIKnxcbEMk