Everyone will have a touch of flakes on the scalp once a while as a result of dead skin. However, the excessive shedding and build up of dead may give the scalp a scaly appearance and if unattended, it may lead to persistent itching and scratching. This can be quite annoying, frustrating, uncomfortable and embarrassing as the flakes become visible on the scalp and hair.
This phenomenon can be associated with a few common skin conditions or irritations that affect the scalp leading to reactions by producing dry or oily/greasy scales or flakes and crusty sores. This depends on the root cause of the inflammation which could be internal or external to the sufferer.
What causes scalp scaling and flakes?
Cradle cap – This mostly affects newborns. A common symptom is a greasy scalp with yellowish flakes that may spread to parts of the face and eyebrows.
Dry scalp – A dry scalp tends to be itchy and may flake as a result. The causes of a dry scalp are mostly environmental ranging namely cold winters, shampooing too much, shampooing too little, scalp sensitivity to harsh hair products like chemicals, gels, hairsprays and dyes, use of alkaline soaps or alcohol based shampoos, as well as excessive heat from dryers.
Scalp psoriasis – This can be identified by red and white small powdery (thick if severe) plaques on the scalp that may spread to the forehead, ears and neck. They tend to be itchy and painful and may lead to temporary hair loss on the affected areas.
Dandruff – Dying and flaking off of skin cells from the scalp is normal but sometimes, if the shedding and build up is excessive due to internal or environmental causes, it tends to give the scalp a scaly appearance leading to irritation. It can be identified by dry, fine flaky skin on the scalp. Most people will simply complain of white/grayish flakes on their shoulders which are mostly noticeable on dark clothing.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis/ eczema – this is dandruff accompanied by inflammation particularly affecting the sebum gland rich areas of skin. It may extend from the scalp to other areas like eyebrows and folds of the nose with possible redness and itching which may be worsened by stress, allergies, hormonal imbalances, poor diet and immuno-suppression. The flakes can be yellow, white or grayish and if left untreated, can lead to hair loss.
Head lice – Head lice mostly cause irritation and itching of the scalp but scratching can lead to crusting and scaling of the scalp. They are usually confined to the scalp, especially the occipital and post-auricular regions and diagnosis is by identification of the lice as they are visible with naked eyes.
Tinea Capitis – Commonly known as ringworms, this is an infectious fungal infection that affects the skin. Symptoms of scalp ringworm are a flaky, circular patch of baldness which could have a rash and itch.
This blog is aimed at providing suggestions of the common scalp conditions that cause scaling and is not a replacement to physician advice. It is important to contact a physician for all medical problems.
