Your Guide to Scalp Tenderness and Hair Loss

Your scalp can be tender because of migraines, headaches, insect bites, and rashes. But it can also be a sign of hair loss. Some of these scalp issues will clear up independently, but they can signal an underlying medical condition.

Scalp tenderness can include pain, tingling, inflammation, numbness, itching, throbbing, and stinging. People can experience these scalp symptoms simultaneously, making it difficult to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Conditions that cause blood vessels on your scalp to constrict below the surface can not only be painful for your scalp but also further damage your hair. In this article, we’ll explore the causes of scalp tenderness, how to diagnose it, and what the treatment is to improve your scalp health. Further, we’ll tell you how Hairy Hair can help with hair loss.

What are the Causes of Scalp Tenderness?

According to research in the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, it’s estimated that between 25% and 70% of the general population experiences scalp sensitivity. Scalp tenderness comes alongside different conditions, including headaches, eczema, psoriasis, and hair loss. Here are some of the possible causes of scalp tenderness:

Skin Conditions

Scalp tenderness can occur because of different skin conditions, including:

• Insect bites
• Head lice
• Psoriasis
• Dandruff
• Rashes
• Eczema

With these conditions, scalp sensitivity can be accompanied by inflammation, flaking, bleeding, or pus.

Scalp psoriasis can cause scalp tenderness and flaking due to stress, hormones, and extreme weather conditions. Lichen planus, another scalp and flaky scalp condition, can be caused by stress or medications.

Dandruff can cause scalp tenderness through the buildup of natural oils. It can stem from issues similar to scalp psoriasis or lichen planus, along with ringworm or a fungal infection. 

These scalp diseases, unless treated, can cause reversible hair loss.

Hair Loss

Some balding conditions, like telogen effluvium, involve scalp tenderness. It is reversible hair loss when your hair shifts prematurely from the growth phase to the resting stage of the hair cycle. 

Telogen effluvium most commonly arises when the body reacts to an abnormal physical or emotional stressor. The body focuses on nourishing the vital organs, and, as a consequence, hair follicles become starved.

32% of hair loss patients were found by Dermatology Reports to complain about tenderness on the scalp. Telogen effluvium and alopecia areata were the most commonly reported disorders of hair loss with associated scalp tenderness.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which the body recognises the hair follicles as foreign and causes inflammation on the scalp, leading to patchy baldness. Alopecia totalis is another autoimmune type of hair loss that causes baldness on the scalp, whereas alopecia universalis causes overall shedding on the body.

How Do You Diagnose Scalp Tenderness?

You must consult a doctor if your scalp tenderness doesn’t go away. They will ask about your medical history, lifestyle, diet, and recent changes during the consultation. The doctor may then examine your scalp for any signs of scalp irritation and retrieve a sample from the scalp for laboratory tests.

Some more serious symptoms can accompany scalp tenderness, requiring more immediate medical attention. Some of these include:

• High fever
• Body rash or burning sensation
• Severe headache lasting for hours
• Breathing difficulty
• Excessive hair loss in clumps
• Double vision or blurring of the eyes
• Heavy bleeding or oozing from the scalp

What is the Treatment for Scalp Tenderness and Hair Loss?

In the majority of cases, tenderness of the scalp will heal on its own, but with accompanying hair loss, it may be a sign of an underlying cause that needs to be treated. Having your hair loss diagnosed is the first step towards treatment since the right solution will likely depend on the cause. Here are some of the potential treatments for scalp tenderness and hair loss that may help reduce scalp discomfort:

1. Corticosteroids are steroid ointments that might be capable of halting inflammation caused by chemical treatment or hormonal imbalance. They might also be used to manage alopecia areata, psoriasis of the scalp, and eczema.
2. Antibiotics can be used for chronic scalp disorders that are caused by bacterial infection.
3. Antihistamines can help if you are having an allergic reaction that is causing scalp sensitivity.
4. Antifungal medication can be incorporated into medicated shampoos to improve conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff that causes shedding.
5. Minoxidil can aid in ensuring your hair follicles are receiving enough nutrients by increasing blood flow to the scalp if you have telogen effluvium.

Home remedies can also help with pain management if the condition persists. Massages of the scalp can be useful to relieve stress as well as to increase blood flow to the scalp. Use of cold or heat packs over the scalp for 10 minutes in intervals can also prove to be useful. Avoiding tight hairstyles and wearing your hair loose can help relieve tension in your scalp, leading to tenderness.

How Can Hairy Hair Help with Hair Loss?

While a sensitive scalp is something many people experience, there can be something underlying that is causing the problem. If you’re not addressing the root of the problem, including an itchy scalp, then your symptoms can worsen, and it can lead to further damage, including hair loss. You should see a doctor if you’re worried about your scalp tenderness and thinning for medical advice.

If your scalp tenderness is not treated, it may result in infection or scarring alopecia. If you have sensitive skin, there are a few things that you can do to avoid tenderness of the scalp in the future. These include covering your scalp when you’re exposed to the sun, not using harsh chemicals on your hair, wearing relaxed hairstyles, and keeping an eye on your stress levels.

Contact Hairy Hair today if you want to take charge of your hair loss treatment. Our hair growth pill contains powerful ingredients that can address a range of issues comprehensively. The treatment is a vasodilator that aims to enhance the delivery of nutrients to your follicles, and it helps to minimise the amount of DHT in your body, which causes hair follicles to shrink.

To get started, just fill in a quick online questionnaire. Once we get to know you and your hair loss, an Australian GP who is an expert in hair loss will review your information and create a personalised treatment plan. They’ll give you a call to go through your plan and answer any questions you have. Your prescription will then be delivered right to your door, providing a discreet and convenient way to manage your hair loss.