Help with 12 Year Old - Itchy Scalp

Get a second opinion from a dermatologist and see an allergist. If nothing is found, ask for something to help cope with the itching. I have had prescription Atarax pills for itching before, and they helped me a lot.

D.-
I have had itching without flaking too and Aveda's scalp treatment has been very effective for me. There are Aveda stores and you can also get it online. It smells good, it works well, and you can put it on and work it in after a shower. It does stiffen the hair, but after it dries it brushes through normally. Good luck, I hope this helps!
-K.

i don't know if this will help, but it has helped a few of my clients with scalp conditions(I am a Hairstylist). There is a company call Joico and they make a shampoo called Biojoba for scalp conditions. If you try this your daughter will probably still be itchy for the first week as the shampoo cleans whatever she has built up on her scalp off(she will probably also have a flaky scalp for that week. After that she will probably be itch free-I have had clients with sciorioses(sp) that have sworn by this to relieve itch and help to get rid of build up on the scalp. Hope this can be of help-Good luck

Does she have any issues with anxiety? Sometimes an itchy or burning feeling on the scalp is a symptom associated with anxiety.

It sounds like Seborrhic Dermatitis. There is no cure, but things can be done to help the pain, burning, and itching on the scalp.
My daughter has been diagnosed with it and is currently on a steriod based liquid I use on her scalp twice a week. My daughter says it helps some.
I also spray her scalp once or twice a month with Apple Cider vinegar (organic, raw and unfiltered). Leave on for 30-60 minutes and then she washes out. This has helped her alot too! I use Money shampoo and conditioner for her. No more hair products ever. She says it hurts to wash her hair at times. Doctor has told me no oils (baby oil or coconut oil or any oil based shampoo) as it only feeds the bacteria on the scalp.
I'm now constantly searching for home remedies to ease her pain. She's been dealing with this for almost a year. She's now 17 and although I know it's not curable,the doctor said it'll go away with proper treatment and come back again when she's older (50-60).
I'm going to try the tea tree oil on her. (3 drops of tea tree to 1 ounce of olive oil) and put on her scalp to alleviate any itchy and dryness she has now. I've read many things on how tea tree kills bacteria and has been used for inflammation. I am going to double check first with her dermatologist before I do this. And also some Omega 3 fish oil.
I pray my girl gets some relief soon, I can't imagine having my scalp feel itchy and painful all day. Sometimes I have to give her Tylenol or Aleve to ease some pain for her. ☹️
Please post any updates and if anything helped your daughter.

My scalp gets itchy as well. It tends to happen if I get sweaty or need to wash my hair as well. I am often changing shampoos because the condition gets worse with certain brands. I found that the Trader Joe's brand shampoo and conditioner works well. It doesn't have the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (I think that's what it is!) in it. Also, I have to go light on the conditioner because that can make my hair greasier, which leads to itchiness. Pantene has also worked for awhile now, also. Good Luck!

Soak her scalp with baby oil, let it sit for a few hours and then wash her hair; mabye needs to be washed more than once. This always worked for my babies when they had cradle cap. Oil helps my legs when they are dry and itchy.
I would suggest doing this every weekend when she is home from school and has the time.
F.

Hi D.,
Sorry to hear about your daughter's itchy scalp. I know it can be very painful and maddening. My daughter who is just 10 months old also had a spell of itchy scalp. It was not cradle cap like one would think. I believe she had contact dermatitis with the fabric of her car seat. Anyway, all the creams perscribed did not help. (hydrocortisone, alclovate, desidine, etc..) the crazy thing that did work was desitine! Her diaper rash cream did the trick and eased the crazy itiching! It left her hair a little wet looking but she got relief. The creamy desitine smells nice too. I hope this may help some what. I wish your daughter will get relief soon.
All the best
A.

could be exema and psroisis, not sure if I have the spelling on those 2 right and if it is, when she sweats it will get worse, but thing for it is to keep it dry and maybe put her head under a heatlight to dry it up, cause drying it up is getting close to getting rid of it. I think there are soaps out there if it is one of these skin things but having it on the head is worse then the skin because it is harder to get rid of on the head. Chlorine also helps dry it up, going to a swimming pool helps. I'd go back to the dermatologist and have them check it again.

Maybe try pine tar soap. It is bar soap that you can find at health food/herb stores. It worked for my husband.

I've read that candida can cause different types of rash and/or itching. There is a good book, "Digestive Wellness for your children" that offers a lot of insight into health ailments and nutrition. She has lots of great solutions for common and not-so-common problems. Can't remeber the author, but you can check Amazon. Also, you try the website http://www.curezone.com There you can search for similiar questions and post your own questions to get help from people who may have expereinced the same thing. Also think about what shampoos, lotions, laundry detergent, soap, etc. that you may be using on a regular basis that might be causing an allergic reaction. Do you use a shower filter?

Your poor daughter. I can sympathize. I have sensitive skin and a fussy scalp as well. I have two suggestions:
Start with the inside-- you might want to give your daughter some fish oil supplements and multi vitamins. If you're not getting A+ nutrition all the time (and who is), the skin is one of the first parts of the body to suffer. High quality fish oil is especially good for the skin.
Second, I'd try shampoos with as few ingredients as possible. There's a brand specially designed for people with allergies called DML. I saw the shampoo and conditioner most recently at the Kaiser pharmacy. You don't have to be a member to shop there.
The last tidbit I'll mention also has to do with alleriges. When I was a teenager I would develop itchy skin (essentially small hives) if I was too hot. I almost always had an itchy chest after showering. I pretty much grew out of this allergy as I got older but it was really annoying for many years.
Good luck to you and your daughter!!
A.

My son had/has the same problem when he was about 13 we had to stop the washing with the denorex etc (we thought it was dandruff) He had to start using really good conditioners and everyday! Not so much shampoo. Good luck I hope this helps some.

R.

Hi D.,

This must be awful for you and your daughter. I am a hairstylist and read what you are going through.

First of all dandruff is different then most people realise.

Dandruff stinks and comes out in big flakes. Most people have dry scalp and mistaken it as dandruff and then you use strong shampoo that makes the scalp worse and then you chase a big circle.

You have used the Paul Mitchell tea tree shampoo? I have found a lot of times it is the chemicals we are showering with that is causing lots of problems. There is lead, mercury and many things in the water that the body does not like.

I found this shower filter that I love that takes out all the bad stuff in the water and puts all the nutrients back in it and it makes my skin and hair feel great. I recommend that shower filter to many and seen great results.

How about her stress? Is she getting good nutrition? This can all contribute to her condition also.

If you are interested in learning more let me know.

Good luck to you.

N. Marie

i remember reading once that dandruff can be healed with a simple herb. i'm thinking that perhaps instead of trying to solve the problem from the outside, you gotta solve the problem from the inside. have you tried investigating home remedies yet? there are some super simple remedies to common aliments that we have forgotten about with all the western medicine hype. perhaps consult with a homeopathic doctor and they can prescribe something very mild that can help solve the problem

Hi D.,

sounds internal to me. the best skin clearer in aloe vera. you can use the juice or the gel in a blended drink, just make sure it is organic, keep it in the fridge (molds easily so do not keep it very long(.
many kids these days have food allergies, which create heat and skin irritation ( the head it a prime heat clearing part of the body). most kids are allergic in some degree to wheat, also sometimes to dairy, etc. may want to have her tested or just try some rice bread or millet, just check labels to make sure there is no wheat mixed in. whole grain rice milk is a winner for most kids, lots of children are also allergic to soy!
last thing to think about is emotional toxicity. make sure she is able to process whatever is coming at her ( with art, exercise, therapy, lots of baths or just laying on a blanket on the lawn with a book or journal. a calm child will reduce any "itchy" condition caused or partially caused by too much of other people's emotions to comfortably digest.

blessings,

A. m

Try a different dermatologist!!
Have you considered an allergy of some kind---either to a hair product or a food? I understand it is only her scalp but I have had hives in small areas, like my ears only, so I think it is at least possible.

Hello D.: I had one of those Aha moments about 5 years ago when I took my sone to the dermatologist for a problem and asked - oh by the way- and showed him my scalp and questioned why I was having so much dandruff. Turns out that I had developed Porisis!!! To be honest after that the doctor rechecked my son and turns out his itch and dry feet were the same thing. Seems he wasn't looking for that as the cause and just missed it and he has it himself.
It really helps using the head and shoulders for porisis and the Tea Tree shampoo has been wonderful. At its worse and I have had it develope due to stress porisis is awful but my son has only a few patches.
So PLEASE chesk this out. You can even read it on line, but they generally are talking about the worst parts of it.
If you have Kaiser and are in the Hayward/ Union City one I can give you the name of several great doctors there.
Good Luck, this is nothing to wait on. Nana Glenda

Have you tried Benadryl? It could be an allergy?? If Benadryl helps, you might want to consult an allergist.

Poor kid. Good luck!