Why is my scalp so itchy and flaky?
Common dandruff is seborrheic dermatitis: an overreaction to a yeast that lives on every scalp, flaring with stress, winter and infrequent washing. Greasy yellowish flakes with itch are its signature.
Anti-dandruff shampoos containing ketoconazole, selenium sulfide or zinc pyrithione work when used correctly: lather, wait five minutes, rinse, two or three times weekly for a month, then maintenance.
Thick silvery plaques, scalp psoriasis, patchy hair loss with scale, or a scalp that fails two proper shampoo trials deserves a doctor. In children, patchy scale with broken hairs can be fungal and needs oral treatment.
Source: NHS, dandruff
See a doctor promptly if
- A scaly patch on the scalp with hair loss or broken hairs, especially in a child
- Scalp flaking with weeping, crusting, open sores or a spreading red rash
- Swelling of the face, eyelids or ears within days of a hair dye or new product
- One thick patch that keeps growing, bleeds, or will not heal
- Severe scaling that appears fast in someone with a weakened immune system
- Flaking with fever, swollen neck glands, or feeling unwell
Try the symptom diary10 seconds a day, free, nothing to installSkin follows what you touched, ate and changed. A dated week shows the pattern a photograph cannot.
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
For flakes and an itchy scalp
Dandruff is a scalp condition, not a hygiene problem, and shampoos with ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione or selenium sulfide treat it. Leave it on the scalp two to three minutes before rinsing; that contact time is most of the trick.
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