Scalp Acne
Acne on your face is one matter; acne on your head is another. Those pesky pimples really, really hurt when they end up on the top of your head because your comb, brush and fingers always seem to find them. What is it about a sore place on our head? Why do we pick at it 100 times a day? In this case, it only makes it worse as your sometimes-dirty hand rubs the acne again and again and again. Uh, it's still there, and it's going to be there until you treat it. Even then, it's going to take some time to get rid of it, so stop touching it already and let's discuss your battle plan to fight scalp acne!
Acne breaks out on your scalp for a couple of different reasons. It could occur for the same reasons that it occurs on other parts of your body—pores get blocked, excessive oils are produced, bacteria multiplies and certain areas become inflamed. Or, it could come about because of an abnormality involving your hair follicles, meaning that you could have more acne on your scalp than on other parts of your body. If this is true, you might have medical condition that I will address more below.
First, let's talk about getting rid of the scalp acne. You should know that many pimples on your pumpkin will go away on their own, that is, if you stop rubbing them with your dirty fingers. Seriously, most of the acne on your scalp will disappear in a week or so if left alone.
Other pimples might need more serious treatment. Some grow quite tender and sore and can be much more stubborn about staying. Treating scalp acne can be a little tricky because hair usually gets in the way of directly attacking the inflammation. To help with this, you need to first cut out the oily products that you use on your hair. Yes, all hair products have oils in them, but some contain more than others. Do a little research if necessary and find out which products you can switch to if the ones you currently use are high in oil. An experiment you can do is to abstain from your current hair care and styling products and see if your problem goes away. If so, you'll need to make a permanent change.
Another bit of common advice is to use a very mild, gentle shampoo for a week or two and forego the conditioner. This can help to reduce your scalp's exposure to oil and might solve your problem as well.
Other than simply varying the products that you use to clean and care for your hair, you can also, of course, apply certain medicines to your scalp in a direct attack on the acne. Benzoyl peroxide is quite popular as an antidote to acne because it works. The issue with applying it to your scalp is that is can bleach your hair. You might want that cool look, but if you don't, you're going to have to either be extremely pin point in your application of benzoyl peroxide or you're going to have to choose another weapon. Again, do some research and discover other medicines that will not bleach your hair as you treat your acne. Your hairdresser might know a trick or two for fighting scalp acne.
Some people have found anti-dandruff shampoos to be effective in combating acne. This would make sense in that these shampoos often contain large amounts of zinc, which has proven to be successful in treating acne.
If changing your shampoo doesn't work and benzoyl peroxide is doing nothing to solve your problem, you might have a more serious issue involving your hair follicles. There is a medical condition called scalp foliculitis, which can produce widespread sores that itch, especially along the hairline. This condition is thought to be caused by bacteria and buildups of yeast, and you're going to need to see a doctor to get a prescription for an antibiotic, antihistamine, antifungal and/or steroid agent. In fact, the next time you see your doctor, have him or her take a look at your scalp and s/he should be able to tell if it's standard scalp acne or something more serious.
More help for scalp acne and all other forms of acne can be found on various sites on the Web, although it's never a bad idea to talk to your doctor or to see a dermatologist. In conjunction with counsel from the pros, some sites can give you tips that are hard to find in other places, advice that can be easily applied and can help you to manage or eliminate your acne.
Acne breaks out on your scalp for a couple of different reasons. It could occur for the same reasons that it occurs on other parts of your body—pores get blocked, excessive oils are produced, bacteria multiplies and certain areas become inflamed. Or, it could come about because of an abnormality involving your hair follicles, meaning that you could have more acne on your scalp than on other parts of your body. If this is true, you might have medical condition that I will address more below.
First, let's talk about getting rid of the scalp acne. You should know that many pimples on your pumpkin will go away on their own, that is, if you stop rubbing them with your dirty fingers. Seriously, most of the acne on your scalp will disappear in a week or so if left alone.
Other pimples might need more serious treatment. Some grow quite tender and sore and can be much more stubborn about staying. Treating scalp acne can be a little tricky because hair usually gets in the way of directly attacking the inflammation. To help with this, you need to first cut out the oily products that you use on your hair. Yes, all hair products have oils in them, but some contain more than others. Do a little research if necessary and find out which products you can switch to if the ones you currently use are high in oil. An experiment you can do is to abstain from your current hair care and styling products and see if your problem goes away. If so, you'll need to make a permanent change.
Another bit of common advice is to use a very mild, gentle shampoo for a week or two and forego the conditioner. This can help to reduce your scalp's exposure to oil and might solve your problem as well.
Other than simply varying the products that you use to clean and care for your hair, you can also, of course, apply certain medicines to your scalp in a direct attack on the acne. Benzoyl peroxide is quite popular as an antidote to acne because it works. The issue with applying it to your scalp is that is can bleach your hair. You might want that cool look, but if you don't, you're going to have to either be extremely pin point in your application of benzoyl peroxide or you're going to have to choose another weapon. Again, do some research and discover other medicines that will not bleach your hair as you treat your acne. Your hairdresser might know a trick or two for fighting scalp acne.
Some people have found anti-dandruff shampoos to be effective in combating acne. This would make sense in that these shampoos often contain large amounts of zinc, which has proven to be successful in treating acne.
If changing your shampoo doesn't work and benzoyl peroxide is doing nothing to solve your problem, you might have a more serious issue involving your hair follicles. There is a medical condition called scalp foliculitis, which can produce widespread sores that itch, especially along the hairline. This condition is thought to be caused by bacteria and buildups of yeast, and you're going to need to see a doctor to get a prescription for an antibiotic, antihistamine, antifungal and/or steroid agent. In fact, the next time you see your doctor, have him or her take a look at your scalp and s/he should be able to tell if it's standard scalp acne or something more serious.
More help for scalp acne and all other forms of acne can be found on various sites on the Web, although it's never a bad idea to talk to your doctor or to see a dermatologist. In conjunction with counsel from the pros, some sites can give you tips that are hard to find in other places, advice that can be easily applied and can help you to manage or eliminate your acne.