If you are like many people, just the thought of an itchy scalp makes you literally scratch your head. An itchy scalp is one of the commonest yet most annoying hair problems that people have to encounter and deal with when scalp-related conditions are mentioned. Itchy scalp is brought about by a number of things but will generally be categorized as either dry itchy scalp or red itchy scalp. Although they all talk of one and the same thing, there are slight differences between the two that are worth mentioning.
Despite the mental co-relation between thinking of an itchy scalp and literally scratching the head, the cause is not in any way mental… the cause of an itchy scalp is physical. Seborrheic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, excessive dry skin and head lice are few of the many things that can lead to an itchy scalp. The use of wrong hair products such as hair food and hair shampoo can also contribute to an itchy scalp. As such, for you to be able to identify the best remedy for your itchy scalp, more often than not you would need to identify the underlying root cause of the problem so you can have an effective treatment plan in place.
Dry itchy scalp. A dry itchy scalp is generally characterized by uncontrolled itching and flaking which can lead to hair loss if no measures are taken. The main cause of a dry itchy scalp is insufficient amounts of oils in the scalp and the hair. This could be as a result of poor nutrition or use of harsh hair products that would strip the scalp and hair off its vital oils and nutrients.
Red itchy scalp. Red itchy scalp on the other hand is a situation where the scalp is so dry and itchy that once it is scratched it turns out red. In most cases, the itching is incessant, which justifies the reason why it will turn out red after a while. The red burning sensation will always be in patches, and the skin will be so sensitive that it might lead to large chunks of hair loss especially when reacting to harsh hair products such as shampoos. This is a situation that calls for the use of the mildest shampoos and hair products in the market, while seeking urgent medical attention.
Home remedies for Itchy Scalp. Some of the home remedies for itchy scalp include:
-Mixing 3 cups of olive oil and around 10 aspirins (crushed) and then rubbing evenly on the scalp.
-Boiling around 12tbs of oatmeal in 6 cups of water for an hour or so before removing the oatmeal and adding rosemary and then rubbing evenly on the scalp
-Taking 4tbs of dried thyme and boiling in 2 cups of water for around 10 minutes, straining the brew and applying the cool waters on the affected scalp. This is very soothing especially for the red itchy scalp condition.