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Black Hair and Itchy Scalp

It is not uncommon for African American’s to have problems with itchy scalp.  There are a few conditions that can cause black hair to experience itchiness.  A few of the more common conditions are dandruff, dermatitis, and scalp acne. 

Dandruff is a typical itchy scalp condition for people of all hair types.  It is typified by small flakes accompanied by itch.  Usually, it is mild.  Sometimes it can be worse with flakes that mound together in patches on the scalp.  For many people this is a chronic condition and can be embarrassing. 

Another condition that black hair is prone to is contact dermatitis.  This is a reaction that is either due to an allergy or irritation.  One cause can be chemicals in hair products.  There are chemicals in perms and straighteners as well as many shampoos and conditioners.  Another cause of irritation in black hair is often tightly woven braids and extensions.    

African Americans can be prone to scalp acne as well.  Acne on the scalp can be similar to the acne on the face, but it should be treated in a different way.  Scalp acne can be mild or more severe with large pimples and sometimes even cysts.   Even though this is a very itchy situation scratching can cause infection and scaring. 

For the scalp to be healthy it is important that it has the proper amount of oil.  If there is too little or too much oil on the scalp problems can occur.  When the sebum gland overproduces oil can build up making greasy hair and scalp and causing breakouts.  Too little oil can also cause breakouts because the hair follicles can be left open allowing bacteria to become trapped.  Natural ingredients can be used to create a proper balance.  Zinc is a great ingredient that cleans the scalp as well as regulates the sebum gland.    Thyme and sage are good for detoxifying the scalp.  Jojoba oil and emu oil hair products are excellent at providing moisture to both hair and scalp.

Tags: black hair, dandruff, emu oil hair products, Itchy Scalp, scalp acne, scalp treatments

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 8:33 pm and is filed under Itchy Scalp. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.