Itchy, Flakey Scalp
- See also: Dandruff
Parent Q&A
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child's dry itchy flaky scalp
–Jul 25, 2020Hi BPN community, I'm looking for recommendations to help our 7 year old's dry itchy flaky scalp. She washes her hair 2x/week and combs her hair 2x/day. In the past, she was using Pantene shampoo/conditioner but started having this patch on top of her head. We switched to Heads and Shoulders and it's better but she still complains of itchiness at time. I notice that the dryness and flakiness is better but still there. Is there anything that I can put on there to help? Thanks in advance.
Jul 25, 2020Dry, flaky scalp help!
–Feb 28, 2017Since giving birth almost five years ago, I have struggled with really dry, flaky scalp, particularly in the front, by my hairline/forehead. It is embarrassing. I have tried coconut and jojoba oil, and several other shampoos and treatments for dry hair/scalp, but nothing seems to work. I would love to hear if there are others out there who are struggling with the same thing and how you have dealt with it. Sometimes it itches as well. Thank you.
Feb 28, 2017
I assume you are certain it's not lice? (Sorry.) Our 9 year old had an incredibly flaky scalp earlier this summer, and after two shampoos with Head & Shoulders Clinical Solutions, it cleared right up. If you are using the strongest possible OTC product and it's still a problem, ask your pediatrician. Also, a parent has to do the shampoo and really scrub at the scalp; kids don't seem to have the arm/wrist strength to do a good job. Then do a really thorough brush with a wet brush to get out any straggler bits of flaky skin.
Finally, she might be shampooing too often at twice per week. We wash my daughter's medium length fine hair once per week, and she brushes once per day.
Try Free and Clear shampoo. It has zinc pyrithione but it has no SLS. The SLS is not good for your scalp.
Use Head and Shoulders or same ingredient from Walgreen's every couple days to loosen dry skin. Then apply Neutrogena tar shampoo on area and let sit 10 minutes. After a couple times itching may be gone. Advice was from dermatologist.
Neutrogena TGel worked well when I was younger.
I went through this with my 2 girls earlier this year (ages 9 and 6). It took a while for them to get over it, but these are the things that worked/works for us:
1) Aveda protective scalp concentrate (pricy for a small bottle, but a little goes a long way)
2) Conditioning their hair every single time that they wash it (3 times/week). Sometimes we would skip this or they would use leave-in conditioner. For the first month or so, I really worked the conditioner into their scalps.
3) Using a scalp brush in the shower. I purchased for about $5/each on Amazon.
Good luck!
Coconut oil massages into the scalp for a few minutes before shampooing has really helped my oldest child.
Could it be an allergy to the shampoo? Try Neutrogena or DHC clear shampoo.
I’d recommend trying California Baby Super Sensitive shampoo, and trying to shampoo more frequently (every other day or so). The shampoo is moisturizing, non-irritating, very soothing. She might not need conditioner afterward, depending on her hair type. Their conditioner is too heavy—I’d go for something lighter like Dolphin Organics.
Washing more often will help remove scalp build-up and get the moisturizers to the scalp. Use plenty of the shampoo and massage it in gently but thoroughly—make good contact with the scalp using fingertips (not nails).
Heads and Shoulders is not effective for a lot of people. We’ve had very good experiences with the California Baby Super Sensitive.
My son struggled with this for years. He had serious cradle cap from birth and continued to have dry, flaky, itchy scalp into teens. We finally switched to a prescription shampoo that his doctor recommended and it’s been a game changer. It’s Ketoconazole Shampoo 2%. Good luck!
My daughter is allergic to some of the chemical ingredients in shampoos. For example, both shampoos you mention contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which can cause dry skin. While I am not a chemist when I switched her to a natural, milder shampoo the itchiness went away. Her pediatrician also prescribed her a milder shampoo for a while called T/Gel Therapeutic shampoo.
My daughter has this, too! I was sort of hoping to follow this thread and see if anyone had any cool solutions. My kid has these yellow-patches on her scalp in addition to the dry, itchy, flakey skin. I keep meaning to look on Pinterest to find some all-natural solution to try... (Actually, I've gone onto that site many times to just that. But then ended up falling a rabbit hole of interesting topics and then never getting back to the topic at hand! Oops.)
Here's one suggestion on Pinterest:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has antifungal properties.
These properties may help in getting rid of the fungi causing the infection.
You Will Need
What You Have To Do
How Often You Should Do This
You can do this 2-3 times a week.
They also suggest lemon and/or baking soda and/or a varity of oil treatments. Here's the link:
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/home-remedies-to-cure-hair-fungus/
I'm not sure if all of those ideas would work if the issue is NOT actually a fungul infection though, since I feel like those were the same suggestions for other scapl issues. I'll try it and report back!
~Mailisha
Have you consulted with the dermatologist or esthetician? There have been a few articles about how shelter in place has been exacerbating skin conditions due to subconscious stress! Seborrheic dermatitis can be common and I had it on my scalp and terribly on my forehead and chin. I already need sulfate free shampoo due to acne prone skin, so there were few options for me but a cheap and good one is selsun blue "medicated." I use it to wash both my hair and my face, and I wash my hair almost every day because I work out. The dryness was gone within a week, and flaking stopped within 2 weeks. When you find the right products it's a game changer! My esthetician also recommended Regenepure DR if I wanted a higher-end option, and it also works great and has a less intense smell, but it's $25 for a small bottle vs $5 for selsun.
Good luck!
allergy to some of the colorings etc in the shampoo? Also, I would suggest taking a high dose of fish oil for a few weeks and see if that helps.
Our youngest has had a tendency toward flaky scalp since his extreme cradle cap when he was born, and what has finally helped is Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo. At first we used it 2x per week and now just when there's a 'flare-up' and it has made a big difference.