There are plenty of misconceptions and misunderstandings about dry scalp. What exactly is it and where does it come from? Can it be cured?
At first, dry scalp can seem like a minor annoyance. But having a dry scalp can affect much more of your livelihood than you think. For example, if you have a strong passion for fashion and just finished a fashion program at an educational company like Project Fashion, you might be inspired to design some clothing of your own. But black—arguably one of the most popular (and safest) choices in the fashion world—and dry scalp don’t mix. Before you know it, you’ve got flakes of dry scalp on your shoulders for the world to see.
Or, imagine you’ve just dedicated a week of your time to a silent meditation retreat. Dry scalp can cause severe itchiness, and it’d be pretty hard to sit till in silence if you can’t help but to keep itching your head.
Dry scalp isn’t just about the appearance of your hair. It can also be pivotal to your health, too. Here’s what you should know about dry scalp and how to fix it:
Dry Scalp vs. Dandruff
One of the first things you’ll want to understand is the difference between a dry scalp and dandruff. Many people use the terms dry scalp and dandruff interchangeably, but they are very different conditions with different types of causes. To give you an overview, both have similar symptoms: an itchy scalp, and falling flakes.
The biggest differentiator is that with dry scalp, your skin becomes irritated and flakes off because the skin doesn’t have enough moisture. Typically, this means other parts of your body, like your arms and legs, are dry, too. Flakes from dandruff, on the other hand, tend to be bigger, oilier, and more flaky, while dry scalp results in smaller, whiter, and drier flakes.
However, most researchers aren’t actually quite sure about what causes dandruff, though potential causes include oils secreted by the scalp, fungal infections of the scalp, or sensitivity to certain hair products. Dandruff is easier to treat, while dry scalp is often a result of dry skin, and takes more careful, long-term care to get rid of.
What Causes Dry Scalp?
Skin conditions like eczema, excessive washing, and dry air can all be contributing factors for dry scalp. Hormonal changes, stress, and even age (skin becomes more dry as it gets older) are all additional causes for dry scalp. In some cases, even external causes can result in dry scalp. For example, during the winter, the air tends to be more dry, which affects the skin. Environmental pollution and even certain medications can cause the skin to flake. Lastly, if you aren’t hydrating your body enough, or if you’re smoking too often and have a poor diet, you could get dry scalp.
It May Be Linked to Health Conditions
Hopefully, in your case of dry scalp, it’s a result of one of the aforementioned causes. However, sometimes dry scalp is associated with health conditions. The most common health conditions associated with dry scalp are seborrhea, eczema, and scalp psoriasis.
With psoriasis, the body’s immune system is triggering too many skin cells to grow on different parts of the body, including your scalp. Eczema is more common among babies and children, but it’s a condition that can still happen with adults as well. Unfortunately, the exact causes of eczema are unknown. But on the good side, there are treatments that have proven fairly effective against treating eczema, like prescription steroid creams and different types of moisturizers.
Lastly, seborrhea is a skin disease that’s similar to eczema and psoriasis, which causes a red and itchy rash on your scalp, making it dry and flaky. Stress, natural yeast on skin, and cold, dry weather are all contributing factors. Those with certain medical conditions, like AIDS, depression, and alcoholism are at an increased risk for seborrhea.
Curing Dry Scalp
Fortunately, there are several ways that you can cure dry scalp. First and foremost, you want to eliminate the potential causes, and as previously mentioned, hair products could be drying your skin and scalp. Natural hair products that are sulfate-free will help reduce the chances of further drying your skin. You should also try hydrating hair masks and lotions, which can be particularly effective during the winter, when the air becomes more dry. Here are a few other dry scalp tips:
- Drink enough water to keep your body hydrated (at least the recommended amount of two liters)
- Change your diet; eat healthier foods and get a decent amount of rest
- Work on stress and anxiety; both can contribute to dry scalp
- Speak to a dermatologist, who can help you determine potential causes and provide you with a clear treatment path