Terrible itchies and sore scalp

[Sammich]

From the 30th of May(When I tried shampoo only with an ANTI DANDRUFF shampoo) I've been experiencing TERRIBLE itchies, I've only ever had this twice in my life and I have no idea how to stop it. The last time it happened it lasted for 2 weeks! I was searching through my scalp (I can't look through a mirror properly, it's places which are unseeable.), and I found little red bumps, (Especially at the nape of my neck) and they're itching really badly. It's not lice or anything, and I keep scratching and scratching and now I keep getting blood under my fingertips. @_@ Plus, the places where it itchies, when I press down or even rub slightly it feels like I have huge bruises on my head, really sore. :(

Any idea how to relieve this or stop it? I tried water only washing and that seemed to relieve it for a while, also, my sister in law told me to not use oil on my head, she said that can worsen it.
I recall putting alot of oil on my head before I did the shampoo only wash, and after because it itchied badly after the wash and I figured debur vatika oil would help. It just doesn't make sense to itch so terribly after an anti dandruff shampoo and a oiling! :(
HALP! :p

[Rannan]

Yes. Somebody please find an answer and (more importantly) a solution for her. :( She can't keep her hands out of her head! I tried looking at her head for her but it's rather difficult on a webcam.

Maybe something worth noting: There are rashes and tiny bumps on her head that look similar to mosquito bites. o_o; Dunno if that's any help but...I'll let the hairperts see if they can figure it out.

[doro357]

Sounds like a bad reaction. Maybe from mixing products.
Years back I had a reaction to a shampoo.My scalp felt like it was on fire .I used fragrance-free products until my scalp felt better. I think the more you try to mess with it, the worse it gets.

[SHELIAANN1969]

This happens to me when I use 1) sulfate shampoos and 2) shampoos and conditioners with strong fragrances.

It takes *time* for the scalp skin to calm down and heal, I used pine tar shampoo and tea tea oil in shampoo to calm it down, but it's really just a matter of time.

Be sure to notate what shampoo it was so that you don't use it again, maybe take an allergy pill such as Benadryl (an antihistamine) to calm down the reaction.

I am sorry you are itchy, but try not to dig at it, it will just get worse, possibly infected from the nails scratching it, and it is going to make small cuts and scabs which will bother you more.

Try an antihistamine, or the tea tree oil in some conditioner or maybe a leave in that you can apply to your scalp.

:grouphug: Like I said, time will heal it.

[luckyduck]

I have found that if I condition the length, then mixing a small amount of shampoo with a good amount of conditioner and warm water, shampoo the scalp with that, then condition the length again,(c-cow-c), my scalp does much better and doesn't itch or produce the sores you are talking about.
I have had a problem with seborrhea for years, the sores and itchiness were terrible. I tried many different shampoos, and keeping it squeaky clean, like the doctor ordered, all to no avail. Now with the above method, I can wash 2x weekly and really not have all that over production of sebum that was causing all my itchiness.

[Holly9192]

I would deffinetly reccomend vinegar. Whenever my head itched that badly the only thing that helped was to dump straight vinegar on my head and let it sit for about 15minutes to half an hour and then rinse. Also shampoos with sulfates can be extremely irritating to my scalp.

[Sunny_side_up]

Awww poor sammich! Damn anti dand shampoo! I'd also do the more natural approach, no perfumed products, water only- also maybe cooler water to soothe your scalp and help with circulation.Hope it improves soon :)

[loralie]

Aw Sammich, that sucks!

I know for a fact that I get worse itchies and dandruff when I use SLS too often... but I know you really like them right? What about taking a break and trying something SLS-free for a good week or two to really figure out what the issue is?

I think right now, if you want to stay away from oil on the scalp, try slathering on a nice, moisturizing conditioner over your whole scalp and length, like really saturate it, and leave it on for a while to help soothe the itch. Make sure it's as natural as you can get.

I really hope you can figure it out, itches suck suck suck! :(

[ratgirldjh]

I would say you are definitely having a reaction to the shampoo. Some shampoos will cause me to have a very stingy and itchy and red scalp and any place they have touched my ears, etc. and until i wash it all again very well with something that I AM SURE does not bother me - it will keep getting worse and if i don't wash it off I end up with pretty much the reaction you are describing after a few days.

Some conditioners do this to me too.

I would say to wash again very gently and thouroughly with a product that you KNOW you have no reaction to - for me it would be a very mild soap with a vinegar rinse... or try CO with a conditioner you KNOW that you are not sensitive to... something calming - maybe Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose... (at least I am not allergic to that one... but YMMV)

Then DO NOT use that shampoo EVER again!!! For me every time I have tried to use a product I have had this reaction to the next reaction was worse and worse and would last longer each time!!!

Last time I tried to use something I have had this reaction to before (Sunsilk :() i almost had to go to the ER!!! I started getting hives and was having trouble breathing... until I finally got it all washed away! And keep in mind that these products actually penetrate into your skin and get into your blood stream... yuck :(

good luck :)

eta: and taking benadryl is a great idea ^^^

[JenniferNoel]

Awwwww! I'm sorry about this terrible inconvenience. I'm not much help when it comes to scalp reactions (never been a real product user other than dyes and never had reactions) but the best I can say is to never use that shampoo again, ever ever ever ever. There was something in there that didn't agree with your scalp, and try following ratgirldjh's advice.
Good luck! :grouphug:

[Sammich]

Awww guys, thanks a ton for your replies. I'mma try and reply to each of them.


This happens to me when I use 1) sulfate shampoos and 2) shampoos and conditioners with strong fragrances.

It takes *time* for the scalp skin to calm down and heal, I used pine tar shampoo and tea tea oil in shampoo to calm it down, but it's really just a matter of time.

Be sure to notate what shampoo it was so that you don't use it again, maybe take an allergy pill such as Benadryl (an antihistamine) to calm down the reaction.

I am sorry you are itchy, but try not to dig at it, it will just get worse, possibly infected from the nails scratching it, and it is going to make small cuts and scabs which will bother you more.

Try an antihistamine, or the tea tree oil in some conditioner or maybe a leave in that you can apply to your scalp.

:grouphug: Like I said, time will heal it.

*HUG*! Gah, sulfates usually work for me. >_< I guess I really have to take a break from them perhaps, glad I'm not going to school yet, I can stay oily! Yay!
I'm still finding it incredibly hard not to itch, it's unbearable itchies. @_@ But I'll try, thank you for your concern! <3 I guess you must be right because everytime I itch I keep finding blood under my fingernails, yuck. I must be tearing my scalp off! Hah!
I already take an anti histamine, I take cetrizine, I'm not sure whether it's working or not because I take it everyday. I guess not, lol!


I would say you are definitely having a reaction to the shampoo. Some shampoos will cause me to have a very stingy and itchy and red scalp and any place they have touched my ears, etc. and until i wash it all again very well with something that I AM SURE does not bother me - it will keep getting worse and if i don't wash it off I end up with pretty much the reaction you are describing after a few days.

Some conditioners do this to me too.

I would say to wash again very gently and thouroughly with a product that you KNOW you have no reaction to - for me it would be a very mild soap with a vinegar rinse... or try CO with a conditioner you KNOW that you are not sensitive to... something calming - maybe Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose... (at least I am not allergic to that one... but YMMV)

Then DO NOT use that shampoo EVER again!!! For me every time I have tried to use a product I have had this reaction to the next reaction was worse and worse and would last longer each time!!!

Last time I tried to use something I have had this reaction to before (Sunsilk) i almost had to go to the ER!!! I started getting hives and was having trouble breathing... until I finally got it all washed away! And keep in mind that these products actually penetrate into your skin and get into your blood stream... yuck :(

good luck :)

eta: and taking benadryl is a great idea ^^^

That's so annoying about my shampoo, I've never had any bad reactions from it like that before, usually it's really good with my scalp and relieves the itchies, taking away dandruff. :(
Thank you for your input!
Damn, that sounds scary and really makes me cautious about what I put on my head now. *shiver* o_o


Aw Sammich, that sucks!

I know for a fact that I get worse itchies and dandruff when I use SLS too often... but I know you really like them right? What about taking a break and trying something SLS-free for a good week or two to really figure out what the issue is?

I think right now, if you want to stay away from oil on the scalp, try slathering on a nice, moisturizing conditioner over your whole scalp and length, like really saturate it, and leave it on for a while to help soothe the itch. Make sure it's as natural as you can get.

I really hope you can figure it out, itches suck suck suck! :(

I'll be taking your advice, I'm gonna just WO for a while, greasies here I come!
SLS free is usually pretty bad for me! (What a rhyme) It usually gives me the itchies and some major dandruff, doesn't make sense to me but hey. *Shrug* Whatever my scalp likes, it gets! Lol!


Awww poor sammich! Damn anti dand shampoo! I'd also do the more natural approach, no perfumed products, water only- also maybe cooler water to soothe your scalp and help with circulation.Hope it improves soon :)

Aww, thank you, also thank you for your concern on my profile page too! *Huggle* I'll be doing the WO only route, we'll see how that goes.


I would deffinetly reccomend vinegar. Whenever my head itched that badly the only thing that helped was to dump straight vinegar on my head and let it sit for about 15minutes to half an hour and then rinse. Also shampoos with sulfates can be extremely irritating to my scalp.

I'm not sure I can get around to using vinegar. :o I don't think my family would appreciate me stealing some vinegar, lol and I'm out of moneyz, but thank you very much for your suggestion!


I have found that if I condition the length, then mixing a small amount of shampoo with a good amount of conditioner and warm water, shampoo the scalp with that, then condition the length again,(c-cow-c), my scalp does much better and doesn't itch or produce the sores you are talking about.
I have had a problem with seborrhea for years, the sores and itchiness were terrible. I tried many different shampoos, and keeping it squeaky clean, like the doctor ordered, all to no avail. Now with the above method, I can wash 2x weekly and really not have all that over production of sebum that was causing all my itchiness.

Yeah, I normally do the CWC way also, but it was an experiment I was going through, I wanted to see how my hair would be like with shampoo only. Not doing that again! Hah.


Sounds like a bad reaction. Maybe from mixing products.
Years back I had a reaction to a shampoo.My scalp felt like it was on fire .I used fragrance-free products until my scalp felt better. I think the more you try to mess with it, the worse it gets.

You're pretty right, I'm scared of oiling my scalp anymore, I'm sort of scared I blocked my pores with the coconut oil or something, lol maybe that's why I've gotten all those red pimply things!


Yes. Somebody please find an answer and (more importantly) a solution for her. She can't keep her hands out of her head! I tried looking at her head for her but it's rather difficult on a webcam.

Maybe something worth noting: There are rashes and tiny bumps on her head that look similar to mosquito bites. o_o; Dunno if that's any help but...I'll let the hairperts see if they can figure it out.

DAW! Ranny! :love:


Awwwww! I'm sorry about this terrible inconvenience. I'm not much help when it comes to scalp reactions (never been a real product user other than dyes and never had reactions) but the best I can say is to never use that shampoo again, ever ever ever ever. There was something in there that didn't agree with your scalp, and try following ratgirldjh's advice.
Good luck! :grouphug:

*Huggle!* I'm scared it might not be the shampoo that gave me the reaction, perhaps it was the oil. :(

[rhubarbarin]

This is a known side-effect of anti-dandruff (antifungal) shampoos!

Just be gentle to your scalp, it will clear up eventually. Maybe take some Benadryl or another antihistamine to calm the reaction.

And try not to scratch!

[x0h_bother]

OW no no no vinegar why would you want to pour acid on open sores? Sorry but I think it's bad advice.
Most likely you have an allergic reaction, probably to fragrance, how far up the ingredients list is the fragrance? You also may be trying a shampoo with fragrance you have never used before.
Not using the product you have reacted to and not bothering your scalp for a while is probably the best advice.

[DragonLady]

Any chance you've gotten head lice? That will cause you to itch like there's no tomorrow.

[Sammich]

This is a known side-effect of anti-dandruff (antifungal) shampoos!

Just be gentle to your scalp, it will clear up eventually. Maybe take some Benadryl or another antihistamine to calm the reaction.

And try not to scratch!

A known side effect!? OOh, that'd explain me SOMETIMES getting a tiny bit of an itch after my shampooing, but it's strange how those times it never dragged on like this and just itched a tiny bit, probably didn't notice. :p
It's getting hard to be gentle to my scalp, after every little'gentle' scratch I keep getting blood, uh oh. :p
It's horrific itching!


OW no no no vinegar why would you want to pour acid on open sores? Sorry but I think it's bad advice.
Most likely you have an allergic reaction, probably to fragrance, how far up the ingredients list is the fragrance? You also may be trying a shampoo with fragrance you have never used before.
Not using the product you have reacted to and not bothering your scalp for a while is probably the best advice.

Oh, I was a tiny bit skeptical. XD; Glad I didn't try it then, lolz. :D
I've used that shampoo before, again and again with the same fragrance eachtime, it's surprisingly: "Head and shoulders; Soothing care."
Ahem, meant to be good for my scalp.. guess not. :D LOL! The fragrance was not really close to the top at all. :p


Any chance you've gotten head lice? That will cause you to itch like there's no tomorrow.

No, I don't have any headlice at all. :D But thanks for that suggestion!

Thanks you guys. :grouphug: I'mma try and do WO wash today asap. We'll see how it goes. @_@

[Stormsong]

You could do a contact test to try and see which product it was that caused the reaction. Place a drop of each on your skin somewhere you can see it (like the inside of your elbow, perhaps use one arm for the oil and the other arm for the shampoo). Leave it there for a while then wipe it off and see if you get an inflamed/bumpy reaction.

Also, as I see you are based in England, then you could also go see your GP, maybe ask if there is one that specialises in skin conditions/reactions within your practice, I know there is in mine from personal experience. At least it doesn't cost us anything here to go and see the GP :).

As far as itching goes, try and find something for your hands to do, learn to knit/crochet? that way your hands are occupied, and also you're concentrating on something else other than how much your scalp is annoying you :)

Hope you find something to relieve it for you soon :)

[Sammich]

You could do a contact test to try and see which product it was that caused the reaction. Place a drop of each on your skin somewhere you can see it (like the inside of your elbow, perhaps use one arm for the oil and the other arm for the shampoo). Leave it there for a while then wipe it off and see if you get an inflamed/bumpy reaction.

Also, as I see you are based in England, then you could also go see your GP, maybe ask if there is one that specialises in skin conditions/reactions within your practice, I know there is in mine from personal experience. At least it doesn't cost us anything here to go and see the GP :).

As far as itching goes, try and find something for your hands to do, learn to knit/crochet? that way your hands are occupied, and also you're concentrating on something else other than how much your scalp is annoying you :)

Hope you find something to relieve it for you soon :)

I did the contact test, the head and shoulders shampoo on one arm and the dabur vatika on the other. :D

Hey, thanks fellow Uker! But I'm a very socially awkward, shy person. :o My parents aren't home yet soooo I'll wait! *Squeak* I don't want to bother the GP for something relatively simple which I may be able to fix by myself, but thank you for your suggestion! <3 :p
:grouphug:
I'm just going to be typing around LHC as my method of distraction. ;)

Does anyone know if mixing almond oil and coconut oil caused a reaction? Because I may have done that on my scalp as a sort of after condition after shampoo only, hmm.

[ktani]

I have had reactions like that. Catnip tea helped me the last time (patch test first) but with something like that it still takes time.

I definitely think that you need to wash your hair with your regular shampoo to get any residue that you reacted to off your scalp. It generally took my scalp up to 2 weeks to recover from such a reaction. Even though the catnip tea was a great relief, my scalp needed time to recover and it needed to be free of any trace of what I had reacted to at the time.

I sympathize. Been there, felt the pain and discomfort. Benadryl can help. It made me stoned for a weekend (I am very sensitive to anything that can make one drowsy) but with my worst reaction years ago, my hair hurt and it did help relieve things to some extent. I chose it after visiting the pharmacy and was told that it was the best (at the time) choice for getting into my bloodstream to help fight the reaction rather than using something topical.

ETA: Patch test anything that you think is the culprit. Almond oil can be a sensitizer to some people but it sounds more like an ingredient in the dandruff shampoo, not necessarily the dandruff fighting ingredient itself.

[ChrissieM]

How about an oatmeal water rinse? Soak some oats in water for a while, strain out the solid parts, and pour it on your scalp.

[Sammich]

I took a few pictures of the little red bumps, they seem to be all up my neck too and they do look like mosquito bites, yuck, creeped me out when I saw them in a lil line up my nape! O.O Don't have any mosquitoes over here though! :p

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5609&pictureid=73668

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5609&pictureid=73669



I have had reactions like that. Catnip tea helped me the last time (patch test first) but with something like that it still takes time.

I definitely think that you need to wash your hair with your regular shampoo to get any residue that you reacted to off your scalp. It generally took my scalp up to 2 weeks to recover from such a reaction. Even though the catnip tea was a great relief, my scalp needed time to recover and it needed to be free of any trace of what I had reacted to at the time.

I sympathize. Been there, felt the pain and discomfort. Benadryl can help. It made me stoned for a weekend (I am very sensitive to anything that can make one drowsy) but with my worst reaction years ago, my hair hurt and it did help relieve things to some extent. I chose it after visiting the pharmacy and was told that it was the best (at the time) choice for getting into my bloodstream to help fight the reaction rather than using something topical.

ETA: Patch test anything that you think is the culprit. Almond oil can be a sensitizer to some people but it sounds more like an ingredient in the dandruff shampoo, not necessarily the dandruff fighting ingredient itself.

I used my regular shampoo yesterday, it helped pretty well but it was still pretty bad today! :( Anywho, my itchies are relaxing at the moment, some little sharp pains here and there because I just sprayed cone free conditioning spray on my scalp. Ouch, I guess I do have open sores. @_@



How about an oatmeal water rinse? Soak some oats in water for a while, strain out the solid parts, and pour it on your scalp.

I'll see if I can try that tommorow, thank you for the suggestion! :)

By the way everyone, I'm doing the reaction testing thing, nothing is happening on either arm. Sometimes one arm itches more than the other, (Both of them sometimes itch), but not severely at all, no marks no redness. o.o

[EtherealOde]

Those are hives it looks like to me. I would use water only for a few days to calm don my skin and hopefully rinse off any residue of whatever caused the reaction. Then while your scalp heals, see if you can find a gentle unscented conditioner, preferably something that is natural without sulfates or anything irritating. In the meantime, while using the water only, you could take some hyrdocortizone cream meant for the skin, put about a teaspoon of the cream into a small bottle and add some water to thin it out. Then apply to your scalp to help relieve the itching. The itchy bumps on your nape and neck could get dabs if the cream right from the tube, undiluted.

I hope you find out what caused the reaction, you must be in quite a state right now!

[Laurenji]

The only thing that cures my scalp itchies is an AVC rinse. I usually rinse out most of it on the length, but leave it in close to the scalp. I don't use straight vinegar (heavens no! I'm sure that would hurt my hair!). I just use a dilution of about 1 tsp per cup of water. Ever since I was a kid, my scalp has always been so itchy that I would scratch it until it bled. Only this has ever really helped me. And the best part is, the relief is instant, or close to it, especially if you make the AVC rinse with cold water.

[bugeyedmonster2]

Any chance you've gotten head lice? That will cause you to itch like there's no tomorrow.

*cue scary music*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhh!

:scared::run:

That's a scary thought.

[bugeyedmonster2]

On the reaction spot test; For me those don't work mostly because my scalp is the most tender sensitive area. It might not cause a reaction on my arm, but will definitely go to town once I put it on my scalp.

Have you tried asking the doc for something for the itch? I drank sarsaparilla root beer once (best root beer ever!) and woke up very very itchy with big red welts all over. I was actually pacing back and forth due to trying not to scratch. I couldn't sleep because the itchy kept me awake. I finally went to the doc and whatever he gave me really helped with the itch. Was finally able to rest.

Hope you stop itching soon!

[Sammich]

Alrighty, update.

I've found out I had an allergic reaction...
+
LICE.
I REALLY DO HAVE LICE! Wow, we looked around and there was absolutely nothing pointing to lice.
It's not lice yet, but we found only one lice. My sister in law checked thoroughly and found there were about 50 nits(eggs). Not too much, but wow.
I was scared as crap when I first found out, and now it's .. fine... it's sunk in, they aren't as scary as I thought. hopefully they should clear up in about a few days. :D

Any tips or tricks in trying to rid myself of them, I'd appreciate it. Thank you guys so much! :D
I love LHC!

[In2wishin]

Alrighty, update.

I've found out I had an allergic reaction...
+
LICE.
I REALLY DO HAVE LICE! Wow, we looked around and there was absolutely nothing pointing to lice.
It's not lice yet, but we found only one lice. My sister in law checked thoroughly and found there were about 50 nits(eggs). Not too much, but wow.
I was scared as crap when I first found out, and now it's .. fine... it's sunk in, they aren't as scary as I thought. hopefully they should clear up in about a few days. :D

Any tips or tricks in trying to rid myself of them, I'd appreciate it. Thank you guys so much! :D
I love LHC!

Since lice are fairly common you should be able to get a good anti-lice shampoo and use the nit comb that is usually included. I know people have washed their hair in turpentine but it just doesn't seem safe to me.

Make sure you wash everything your hair/head comes in contact with in hot water....sheets, pillowcases, towels, clothing, comb, brush, hairtoys, etc. If you spend time with your head touching furniture that can't be washed, spray with an insecticide.

Good luck! They are annoying critters but remember that that is all they are.....little critters looking for a happy home.

[Sammich]

Since lice are fairly common you should be able to get a good anti-lice shampoo and use the nit comb that is usually included. I know people have washed their hair in turpentine but it just doesn't seem safe to me.

Make sure you wash everything your hair/head comes in contact with in hot water....sheets, pillowcases, towels, clothing, comb, brush, hairtoys, etc. If you spend time with your head touching furniture that can't be washed, spray with an insecticide.

Good luck! They are annoying critters but remember that that is all they are.....little critters looking for a happy home.

Thank you, I went right away and did all of that. Yuck. :p At least I got it in it's early stages, I'mma get some lice stuff today, I panicked because it was on Sunday and shops closed at 5! :p I spent hours searching for my old lice comb, lol! :o That's a very cute way to describe them, it almost makes me not want to kill them all off! :p

Wow, I have nits, dandruff and a allergic reaction. :rolleyes: :p

[magpielaura]

Oh poor you! Double whammy!

I'm not very good at remembering to skin-test products myself, but when I do test hair things I put a dab behind my ear. I often won't get a reaction from other sensitive areas, but this puts a little product in the area it will be used and is a better indication for me wether something is going to make my head go crazy.

I find vinegar a wonderful cure for itchy, though now might not be the best time to try it out as you have got lots going on already. It does sting if the skin is broken, but for me the relief is worth it. It your scalp is super-irritated it might be too much so go slowly if you do decide to try. One tablespoon in a jug of cool water is enough, though sometimes I use it stronger. You could dab a little diluted vinegar on a small area the first time you try it out to see if it helps. When I do a vineger rinse the itch just switches off, it is such a relief.

Hope it calms down soon, and the nits clear up quick!

ETA - vinegar has also cured my dandruff!

[error]

Oh no ! You should run out to a pharmacy and buy some tea tree oil it may help! Good luck :-< (as awful as it feels try not to scratch!)

[error]

Oh I missed the part where you said it was lice my little brother he got lice so i put olive oil saturated on his head for 20 minutes ,then rinsed it all out and it killed all of the lice!

[dropinthebucket]

Sounds like an allergic reaction to something. Try a mallow wash while you try to find out what caused it (marshmallow root, in decoction - rinse scalp and let sit for several minutes, then wash off). The mallow will calm the skin wonderfully.