What are these things?

[Ylva]

Yo yo, hairy gang!

I get these white "balls" on my scalp, near the front hairline and close to the ears. They don't really appear anywhere in the middle. They're exactly as the white balls at the root end of shed hairs except that they aren't attached to any hairs. They come off as I gently rub my scalp. They are more and more frequent the longer I go without washing my hair; there are very few to none within the first 24 hours.

What are they?

ETA: I forgot to mention that sometimes they come loose on their own as well or if I just scratch my scalp normally or move some hairs around. One time my mom asked me "What is that dirt on your head?", apparently referring to these, so they can be quite plentiful at times.

[Shorty89]

Hmmm, they could be balls of sebum. That would be my guess.

[SleepyTangles]

My guess is old skin cells an sebum, maybe a muslin cloth and warm water could help you gently exfoliate the area before shampooing :flower:

[BraidedBunch]

Little round tufts of sebum. Likely nothing to worry about; I get these little buggers too and they don't harm me or my hair. Some of us just have a scalp/hair texture and sebum production level which is more conductive to forming little balls than others have. :)

[Ylva]

Okay! Thank you all very much! :)

[Siv]

Huh I'd never heard of balls of sebum before! Good to know for future reference

[FennFire911]

I get those things too, same as you, closer to wash day. I scritch sometimes, it feels very nice.

[Ylva]

I get those things too, same as you, closer to wash day. I scritch sometimes, it feels very nice.

I find it very fun and addictive to gently scratch them off. :lol:

[lapushka]

Is it itchy, at all? I immediately thought of lice. :o

But if it's not that, I would just wash one day earlier and see (in the long run) what that does for your scalp.

[Bri-Chan]

Are you sure it is not dandruff?
Maybe you can try massaging your scalp with an heavy oil at least 30 minutes before shampoo. I used to do it with castor oil when I had my dry dandruff, it helped me at that time, maybe it can help you too

[FennFire911]

Is it itchy, at all? I immediately thought of lice. :o

But if it's not that, I would just wash one day earlier and see (in the long run) what that does for your scalp.

Lice do not at all resemble tiny white grains of fine sand. You can google lice and look at images, definitely not little while balls. After about a week of an infestation, there will be intense itching primarily behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, accompanied by numerous bites in those areas that actually end up looking quite like a rash. Lice eggs are "glued" to individual hairs and won't come off just by light scratching, hence the need for those awful combs to remove them.


Are you sure it is not dandruff?
Maybe you can try massaging your scalp with an heavy oil at least 30 minutes before shampoo. I used to do it with castor oil when I had my dry dandruff, it helped me at that time, maybe it can help you too

Dandruff tends to be flaky, these are round and smooth. I do use Nightblooming's Hinoki oil before most of my washes, it doesn't really seem to affect them one way or the other. I'll try the castor oil I have though next wash and see how that feels. :)

I think the 3 previous posters who suggested they are little sebum packets of sebum are correct.

[Dark40]

I agree with the other posts that it might be sebum producing on the scalp. If I were you I would go see a dermatologist. Or, what you could do is wash your hair more frequently.

[Ylva]

Is it itchy, at all? I immediately thought of lice. :o

But if it's not that, I would just wash one day earlier and see (in the long run) what that does for your scalp.

No itching; I'm positive I don't have lice.

Washing one day earlier would be... every day. :lol: I will start doing that when I get into scalp-only washes, which will hopefully be during the summer.


Are you sure it is not dandruff?
Maybe you can try massaging your scalp with an heavy oil at least 30 minutes before shampoo. I used to do it with castor oil when I had my dry dandruff, it helped me at that time, maybe it can help you too

It does not seem like dandruff to me. I occasionally get what I think are dehydrated flakes; they are thin and white.


Lice do not at all resemble tiny white grains of fine sand. You can google lice and look at images, definitely not little while balls. After about a week of an infestation, there will be intense itching primarily behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, accompanied by numerous bites in those areas that actually end up looking quite like a rash. Lice eggs are "glued" to individual hairs and won't come off just by light scratching, hence the need for those awful combs to remove them.

Dandruff tends to be flaky, these are round and smooth. I do use Nightblooming's Hinoki oil before most of my washes, it doesn't really seem to affect them one way or the other. I'll try the castor oil I have though next wash and see how that feels. :)

I think the 3 previous posters who suggested they are little sebum packets of sebum are correct.

Thank you for the information!


I agree with the other posts that it might be sebum producing on the scalp. If I were you I would go see a dermatologist. Or, what you could do is wash your hair more frequently.

I think I will skip going to the dermatologist just because of sebum. :o

[lapushka]

No itching; I'm positive I don't have lice.

Washing one day earlier would be... every day. :lol: I will start doing that when I get into scalp-only washes, which will hopefully be during the summer.

Oh that's great to hear! I feared it for a moment, because I don't think I've ever seen sebum form balls before.

Oh darn it. Every day seems like a hassle. Scalp-only washes would probably solve a lot!

Maybe try what Bri-Chan said, and oil before washing? Or if you suspect it is due to the oil, try a harsher sulfate, or a sulfate if you are sulfate-free. Pardon me, I forget what everyone's washing with. :o Sorry.

[Ylva]

Oh that's great to hear! I feared it for a moment, because I don't think I've ever seen sebum form balls before.

Oh darn it. Every day seems like a hassle. Scalp-only washes would probably solve a lot!

Maybe try what Bri-Chan said, and oil before washing? Or if you suspect it is due to the oil, try a harsher sulfate, or a sulfate if you are sulfate-free. Pardon me, I forget what everyone's washing with. :o Sorry.

I alternate between sulfates (sometimes very harsh, clear shampoos) and sulfate-free, and it doesn't seem to make much of a difference when it comes to these. I will start paying closer attention, though, because they aren't ALWAYS quite as frequent. It could be unrelated, but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out!

It could just be my skin, maybe the hormonal cycle affects it too.

[lapushka]

I alternate between sulfates (sometimes very harsh, clear shampoos) and sulfate-free, and it doesn't seem to make much of a difference when it comes to these. I will start paying closer attention, though, because they aren't ALWAYS quite as frequent. It could be unrelated, but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out!

It could just be my skin, maybe the hormonal cycle affects it too.

Back when you were still washing "only" with sulfates, did you have it then? :hmm: If not, then alternating with the sulfate-free perhaps is not that great.

[Ylva]

Back when you were still washing "only" with sulfates, did you have it then? :hmm: If not, then alternating with the sulfate-free perhaps is not that great.

I've only paid attention to them the past year or two, but I only recently re-introduced sulfate-free shampoos back into my wash routine after months and months of not using them at all and I definitely had them before that, too. Strangely enough, even though my scalp gets very oily and it "shouldn't" like sulfate-free, it doesn't seem to have any particular issues with that. I find that shampoos vary on so many other levels, too, and many sulfate-free shampoos still give me squeaky clean hair and scalp. A lot comes down to washing technique as well; I'm very thorough!

[Belgrade Beauty]

Hey,I have those too, but not as many tbh. It's like a little lump of oil from scalp that kinda hardens, reminds me of blackheads. It's the same density ,little hard ball of oil that comes from my follicles I think. Cause once,a dermatologist told me that my hair follicles are corked with oil and dirt.

[pisinoe]

Have you tried an exfoliating shampoo with salicylic acid? That helped my scalp a lot.

[Ylva]

Hey,I have those too, but not as many tbh. It's like a little lump of oil from scalp that kinda hardens, reminds me of blackheads. It's the same density ,little hard ball of oil that comes from my follicles I think. Cause once,a dermatologist told me that my hair follicles are corked with oil and dirt.

Yep, they sound to be the exact same things!


Have you tried an exfoliating shampoo with salicylic acid? That helped my scalp a lot.

Not a shampoo, but I use a scalp scrub that has both physical and chemical exfoliants in it (including salicylic acid) once or twice a month. I think it does make them stay away a bit longer but I'm not sure.

[Belgrade Beauty]

Yep, they sound to be the exact same things!



Not a shampoo, but I use a scalp scrub that has both physical and chemical exfoliants in it (including salicylic acid) once or twice a month. I think it does make them stay away a bit longer but I'm not sure.

That's it than. Oil...If you find some deep unoiling treatment please note me...:)

[MusicalSpoons]

Yep, they sound to be the exact same things!



Not a shampoo, but I use a scalp scrub that has both physical and chemical exfoliants in it (including salicylic acid) once or twice a month. I think it does make them stay away a bit longer but I'm not sure.

Is it the NS scrub or something else? I'm thinking I need something for an occasional more thorough cleaning of my scalp because I seem to get sebum under my nails whenever I scratch, even just after washing - though I haven't seen balls formed by themselves other than the odd one or two that I can feel with my fingertips without scratching. My face likes salicylic acid so I'm thinking my scalp would too, but I don't know that non-harsh exfoliating / scalp scrub products exist (certainly not in my price range, anyway) :-/

[Ylva]

That's it than. Oil...If you find some deep unoiling treatment please note me...:)

I can recommend the Natura Siberica scalp scrub! It's very effective and it feels so relaxing to use. And my shampoos always lather a lot more after using it, so it really seems to aid in cleansing. :)

[Ylva]

Is it the NS scrub or something else? I'm thinking I need something for an occasional more thorough cleaning of my scalp because I seem to get sebum under my nails whenever I scratch, even just after washing - though I haven't seen balls formed by themselves other than the odd one or two that I can feel with my fingertips without scratching. My face likes salicylic acid so I'm thinking my scalp would too, but I don't know that non-harsh exfoliating / scalp scrub products exist (certainly not in my price range, anyway) :-/

Didn't see your post before I started writing my previous one, but yes, the NS one exactly!

[MusicalSpoons]

Didn't see your post before I started writing my previous one, but yes, the NS one exactly!

Ah, thanks. That was too harsh for me, alas (SCS) :(

[Ylva]

Ah, thanks. That was too harsh for me, alas (SCS) :(

Could you use something you use on your facial skin?

[FennFire911]

I've always had them even when I used to wash daily with sulfate shampoos. Those didn't make a bit of difference.

I do now use Dermarest shampoo once a week which is 3% salicylic acid. It doesn't have any abrasive exfoliants in it, just a liquid shampoo. It cuts back my sebum significantly. I *could* stretch my washes after it to 4 or even 5 days, but I don't like getting out of my every 3rd day schedule. So my other wash in each week is a gentler sulfate free shampoo.

[MusicalSpoons]

Could you use something you use on your facial skin?

After writing my comment above I wondered why I hadn't thought of that before, but then remembered it's because I'm also at a loss for my face for various reasons :doh: at the moment because it's so sensitive due to an eczema flare I just exfoliate with a cloth and water, followed by steroid cream plus extra moisturiser. I can't think about finding cleansing products for my face as I don't know if the eczema will ever calm down - the steroid is the only thing keeping it at bay, five months into the flare - and what I used to use contained SLES (which was okay for my face because I could slather on moisturiser after using it) and has been discontinued anyway! [My quest for a rich enough moisturiser that my face will now tolerate is still ongoing too :rollin:]


EDIT: it has only just dawned on me what an EXCELLENT suggestion it is! Never mind what my face is doing, that market is probably still the most likely to have something suitable :D Thanks!!

[*Wednesday*]

Hey,I have those too, but not as many tbh. It's like a little lump of oil from scalp that kinda hardens, reminds me of blackheads. It's the same density ,little hard ball of oil that comes from my follicles I think. Cause once,a dermatologist told me that my hair follicles are corked with oil and dirt.

Yes. I’ve had these from time to time. It feels like what I thought was a blackhead. I’ll have my fingers in my scalp and it comes loose. I know it sounds gross. I thought it was because my hair gets oily quickly.

[Dark40]

No itching; I'm positive I don't have lice.

Washing one day earlier would be... every day. :lol: I will start doing that when I get into scalp-only washes, which will hopefully be during the summer.



It does not seem like dandruff to me. I occasionally get what I think are dehydrated flakes; they are thin and white.



Thank you for the information!



I think I will skip going to the dermatologist just because of sebum. :o

Ok, yeah that might the best thing to do. :o

[lapushka]

I've only paid attention to them the past year or two, but I only recently re-introduced sulfate-free shampoos back into my wash routine after months and months of not using them at all and I definitely had them before that, too. Strangely enough, even though my scalp gets very oily and it "shouldn't" like sulfate-free, it doesn't seem to have any particular issues with that. I find that shampoos vary on so many other levels, too, and many sulfate-free shampoos still give me squeaky clean hair and scalp. A lot comes down to washing technique as well; I'm very thorough!

I get you on the thorough part!

So strange though. I would have thought a longer go with a sulfate would make it less of an issue, but you're right, formulations are hard to really understand sometimes! :)

[Cg]

If your skin is dry, they are likely tiny blobs of sebum. I get them primarily in winter. You don't need to wash oftener or buy any different products, just daub with some diluted conditioner or skin cream using your fingertips every day. In deep winter sometimes a few times a day.

[Ylva]

If your skin is dry, they are likely tiny blobs of sebum. I get them primarily in winter. You don't need to wash oftener or buy any different products, just daub with some diluted conditioner or skin cream using your fingertips every day. In deep winter sometimes a few times a day.

My skin is not dry - it's combination skin which gets very oily very fast, but it also gets dehydrated. A tricky kind. :D

[FennFire911]

My skin is not dry - it's combination skin which gets very oily very fast, but it also gets dehydrated. A tricky kind. :D

Jeez mine too. Oily at my forehead and nose, dry at my cheeks and chin. Oily at the top of my scalp, dry behind my ears and at my nape. Make up your mind, skin!

[Ylva]

Jeez mine too. Oily at my forehead and nose, dry at my cheeks and chin. Oily at the top of my scalp, dry behind my ears and at my nape. Make up your mind, skin!

That sounds even trickier than mine!! My face gets super oily really quickly, but around my mouth it can simultaneously be so dry that the sides of my mouth break - and that is PAINFUL! Every time I yawn I'm thinking I must look like the Joker. Luckily, that hardly happens anymore since my dietary change!