Sensitive scalp what to do. Care for sensitive scalp

Trichologists agree that the first step to increasing scalp sensitivity is dehydration. Because of this, the fat layer decreases and the subcutaneous fluid evaporates very quickly. The result is completely unprotected skin from irritating external environmental influences, even after usual combing the head, washing it with shampoo, or prolonged exposure to sunlight, it begins to itch, become inflamed, and flake.

Other important reasons for the appearance of skin sensitivity on the head are disruptions in hormonal metabolism, incorrect selection of hair care line, negative chemical and thermal effects on hair, lack of vitamins and amino acids in the body, thyroid diseases, negative effects of ultraviolet radiation on strands, etc. For this reason, every woman can suffer from sensitive scalp, regardless of hair type. Bottom line: overly sensitive scalp is characterized by rapid circulation of lymph and blood, but its protective functions and moisture are greatly weakened.

The above symptoms are similar to several skin diseases at the same time. Peeling can easily be confused with ordinary dandruff, slight redness, burning with an allergic reaction of the body to the components of the hair care line. However, there are some important differences. So, if a woman suffers from dandruff, large particles can be seen on her head. white, when combing, they separate and fall off onto clothes. Because of hypersensitivity peeling of the scalp occurs exclusively along the line of hair regeneration, usually on the back of the head or temples. Hard scales are not washed off the skin, they do not fall on clothes.

An allergic skin reaction is a short-term phenomenon that goes away over time. As a rule, itching and burning on the skin is the result of a reaction to an incorrectly selected washing shampoo, styling products, and aftercare. In the case when the skin on the head is too sensitive, redness and itching are observed for a fairly long period of time. And if the problem of hypersensitivity is not treated in time, even the type of scalp may change over time. The skin becomes tight and dry, which leads to a sharp increase in the activity of the sebaceous glands, which try to protect themselves from external irritations. The result is that the hair becomes oily, large quantities fall out.

Treatment of skin sensitivity disease

At the first symptoms of this problem, as a rule, all women begin to treat their hair on their own. Shampoos saturated with zinc are used to treat dandruff, products against oily scalp, they contain drying components, etc. The overdried scalp from such incorrect treatment dries out even more, becomes irritated, begins to crack, and microscopic holes appear through which bacteria penetrate the epidermis. It is not recommended to treat the disease yourself.

You will worsen the problem, the sensitive skin on your head will become covered with dandruff, and your hair will begin to fall out. It is recommended to deal with the problem with the help of a specialist without worsening the situation.

Initially, you need to restore the natural water and lipid balance of the skin on your head. You need to start treating the epidermis of the skin with a mandatory visit to a trichologist, he will prescribe a course of restorative procedures, vitamin complex, this will help solve this problem.

Home treatment

Will help speed up getting a beneficial result home treatment, implying the use of active restorative, nourishing, soothing components. These include:

• Aloe juice, which soothes, wonderfully moisturizes dry scalp and covers the skin with a protective film.
• Calophyllum medicinal oil – reduces inflammatory processes on the scalp, reduces painful symptoms.
• Molecule “PS21” - relieves vasospasm in the circulatory system, soothes the scalp, reduces pain.
• Mint extract – contains cooling menthol, it perfectly soothes the skin.
• Piroctone Olamine – its small concentration remarkably exfoliates hard scales, restores the natural flow of blood and lymph in the scalp.
• Glycerin perfectly moisturizes and regenerates the skin.
• Jojoba essential oil is a very good moisturizer.
• Lavender oil - has a calming effect on the skin, eliminates irritation and redness.

It is also recommended that in case of excessive sensitivity of the scalp, use balms that strengthen children's shampoos. They have safe chemicals. composition, normal acid level, they are suitable for the delicate scalp of a child. However, such shampoos are not able to completely solve this problem; they can only make caring for strands more comfortable. In addition, children's shampoos are not able to effectively rinse hair from cosmetical tools styling

What will you have to give up?

Immediately forget about “aggressive” cosmetics, conditioners, shampoos with parabens, harmful sulfates. In winter, when sitting in a heated room, it is recommended to stay away from warm radiators, which have a drying effect. When going for a walk, be sure to wear a hat, it will protect sensitive strands from the wind, low temperatures environment. Don't forget about panama hats, hats and summer - today fashion brands delight women with quite stylish options.

And most importantly, eat right, drive healthy image life, avoid alcohol, smoked, pickled foods, hot peppers, sour juices.

Have healthy beautiful hair– daily painstaking work. After all, not everyone manages to keep their scalp normal, which in turn affects the condition and appearance hair. The sensitivity of the epidermis of the head can be so pronounced that even the slightest touch to the hair can cause a lot of unpleasant sensations. The scalp becomes red and flaky, which has a significant negative impact on attractiveness.

Main causes and symptoms

Symptoms of sensitive scalp have similar features to the manifestations of many other pathological diseases of the epidermis. For example, ordinary dandruff falls off freely, which cannot be said about the keratinized scales that stick to the surface of the head when the skin becomes sensitive. There is also redness of the scalp, a constant feeling of itching and tightness.

Experts identify several causes of scalp sensitivity. The process of sebum secretion is disrupted, which often leads to itching. The influence of one or more factors affects the condition of the skin. These include:

• constant stressful situations;
• environmental pollution (emissions of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere);
• poor nutrition;
• mechanical damage to the scalp;
• hormonal disruptions in the body as a result, for example, of the birth of a child;
• prolonged wearing of motorcycle helmets, wigs, tight hats and other headgear;
• lack of vitamins in the body;
• incorrectly selected shampoo;
• frequent use of a hair dryer to dry or style hair;
• use of chlorinated water;
• staying for a long period of time under the scorching sun.

It’s easy to verify that your scalp is truly sensitive. Enough after acceptance water procedures Carefully part your hair and visually check for any signs of irritation or redness.

Proper care

Sensitive skin head is quite common today. Of course, to solve the problem, you should contact an experienced dermatologist, who, after a visual examination and additional examinations, will be able to make an accurate diagnosis for further treatment.

The first priority is to eliminate factors that could trigger skin sensitivity. It is important to ensure proper care hair to maintain health and beauty. There are unwritten rules by adhering to which you can restore the structure of your curls, improving the health of your scalp:

• It is recommended to wash your hair not with hot, but with warm water, since the liquid high temperatures may cause irritation and dry out the skin;
• from the use of shampoos, the use of which results in discomfort(peeling, itching, skin tightness), you should refuse immediately;
• You should choose special hair care products, giving preference to natural ones with a moisturizing effect. Pharmacies sell shampoo for sensitive scalp, the main properties of which are reducing irritation and cleansing the skin. As a rule, they are absolutely safe, which makes it possible to use them for pregnant women and newborns. At the same time, you can use drugs that strengthen your hair;
• It is recommended to use hair masks at certain intervals. Everyone makes their own choice of the product that best suits their hair type. The main thing is that the mask must contain nutrients that moisturize the epidermis and be hypoallergenic;
• Once or twice a week it is necessary to carry out scalp massage sessions. For this purpose, it is better to use preparations based on natural ingredients;
• It is important to completely stop using hair dryers, straightening irons, curling irons and other devices. Their thermal effects negatively affect the condition of the hair and scalp;
• to comb your hair, it is better to take a brush with natural and fairly thick bristles;
• periodically give your hair a break from hairpins and elastic bands;
• be sure to wear a protective hat when spending long periods in the sun;
• stick to proper nutrition. It is important to eat as many fruits, vegetables, and grains as possible. Eliminate fatty, spicy, smoked and flour dishes from the diet;
• try to avoid stressful situations. Do yoga, conduct meditation sessions.

Everyone's recovery process takes place over a different period of time. Some people forget about the disease already on the second day of treatment. For others it takes a week. The most important thing is to purposefully achieve your goal.

Particular attention should be paid to the condition of your hair in winter. After all, during the heating period, the air in the room dries out and the normal microflora of the scalp is disrupted. A kind of dehydration of the hair occurs, the curls become brittle, and the ends simply begin to flake, which is unacceptable. An integrated approach to solving this problem will always allow you to have strong hair and a healthy scalp.

21 years old, height 182, weight 77.
I have been experiencing pain on the left side of the back of my head and shoulder for about a year now. It only hurts when I run it through my hair or the T-shirt touches my shoulder, left side, sometimes, but especially my feet, sometimes it makes me shiver - as if there is increased sensitivity. There is also noise in the ears. Sometimes everything goes away and sensitivity becomes normal.

As the symptoms manifest themselves, the throat also begins to hurt and throb on the left side in the area of ​​the wisdom teeth, which are just cutting in on the left side, and the mendalin on the left side (tonsillitis), the tongue on the left side becomes a little numb.
Basically, it starts to hurt when I sit down, when I walk, when I stand, pain rarely appears. As soon as I sit down it starts to hurt, but not always. In the area between the shoulder blades, when I straighten my back or take a deep breath, there is a crunching sound. I also noticed while using the hydromassage bath that on the back near one of the upper vertebrae there is a point with very increased sensitivity when a stream of water is directed at it, it radiates a little to the shoulders and the left side of the head, but also not always and when symptoms appear.

As part of the examinations, I had consultations with neurologists who referred to cervical osteochondrosis, and took an X-ray of the neck with tests, 6 photographs in various positions, no shifts of the vertebrae were detected, small osteophytes or some similar name were visible (I don’t remember exactly right now).
I took many different blood tests, including hormone tests, and had an ultrasound of my kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Well, this was a general examination. Massage of the cervical-collar area does not help. The pressure is slightly elevated, usually 135/75, sometimes higher, but mainly the upper level rises and the difference becomes large 160-170/75-80. But this is rare; blood pressure monitoring was done and no hypertension was detected.

I measured the pressure in various lying and sitting positions, it is always the same, except for lying on the left side it drops sharply to 100-110/48-60. I can’t sleep on my left side; if I fall asleep I wake up and jump up suddenly. More than a year ago I couldn’t lie at all for more than 5 minutes on my left side, I felt bad, there was a strong arrhythmia, but now it’s gone.

Well, my overall health is normal, except for increased sensitivity, I don’t feel dizzy, I never feel sick, I’ve never lost consciousness in my life. Sometimes my right side hurts from the liver area to the ribs, I did an ultrasound of the gastrointestinal tract and found small stones in the bile ducts, the pain was attributed to them.

I have been doing sports periodically for 2-3 months. I recently started running 2.5-4 km, after running I feel better, I read that if you have problems with your spine, then running can cause harm, what should you do to continue running or should you not?

I also came across an advertisement that we have in our city
* Vertebral electromechanical simulator "Swing machine" - recommended for sclerosis, poor posture, osteochondrosis, radiculitis, dysfunction of the digestive system, insomnia, stress and other cases.
* Technology of motor rehabilitation of patients using the “Fifth Vertebra” simulator. Rehabilitation is carried out under natural conditions of the spine. Recommended for people with spinal curvature and other problems, as well as healthy people as a preventive measure.
* The autogravitational training device "Gravitrin" is proposed to be used to restore the physiological shape of the spine and restore correct posture. Relieves pain, tension, fatigue in the back, dizziness, changes blood pressure and other.

I would like to go for a preventive workout, what do you say about these exercise machines?

When flaking and redness appear on the scalp, many people suspect dandruff or an allergy. However, behind these symptoms lies a completely different problem - scalp sensitivity. If you self-medicate or do nothing, you can get serious illnesses and lose a good half of your hair.

Experts website - Alexandra Edelberg, stylist at Schwarzkopf Professional, Ekaterina Chernovskaya, technologist at Paul Mitchell Russia, Sergey Tishin, training manager at Kerastase- reveal the meaning of the concept of “sensitive scalp” and talk about how to cope with the problem.

Signs of a sensitive scalp

Experts say the first step to increasing skin sensitivity is dehydration. For a number of reasons, the dermis is deprived of its lipid-fat layer, moisture is not retained in the deep layers and quickly evaporates. As a result, the skin becomes defenseless against any external influences - from simple scratching to washing your hair or exposure to the sun, a feeling of discomfort, burning, itching occurs, redness, inflammation and peeling appear on the surface of the skin.

Hormonal imbalances, incorrectly selected hair care line, mechanical or thermal damage during styling, chemical damage during coloring, sudden climate change, vitamin deficiency, endocrine diseases, aggressive exposure to the sun (burns) can all contribute to the process. Therefore, the scalp can become sensitive with any hair type.

Marks of Excellence

All the symptoms listed above are similar to several problems at once. Thus, flaking can easily be confused with dandruff, redness and itching with an allergic reaction. But there are fundamental differences here.

For example, with dandruff, fairly large particles cover the entire surface of the head; they very often separate and end up on clothes. With sensitive scalp, peeling appears in the thinnest areas - along the edge of the hairline, in the temporal areas, on the lower part of the back of the head. The keratinized scales always remain on the skin and do not fall on clothes.

As for allergies, this is a temporary, passing phenomenon: a reaction to a shampoo or styling product, which may disappear in the absence of irritants after a few days. If the scalp is sensitive, then itching and redness haunt the person for a long period.

By the way, sensitivity can even lead to changes in the type of scalp itself. Dry and tight, it strengthens the work of the sebaceous glands in order to somehow protect its surface. As a result, the hair quickly becomes oily.

In all of these cases, people who do not know the problem begin to self-medicate. Use anti-dandruff shampoos containing zinc or anti-dandruff products. oily skin heads built on drying components.

The damaged scalp from such “reanimation” begins to dry out even more, become irritated, and deep wounds and cracks appear on it, which open the gate for bacteria to enter the deep layers of the dermis. As a result, if you self-medicate or, conversely, do nothing, a sensitive scalp can cause dandruff and hair loss. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to deal with this problem when its first signs appear, without waiting for side effects.

How to treat sensitive scalp

To rehabilitate the scalp, it is necessary to restore its hydro-lipid and water balances. Therapy includes home care and a visit to a trichologist. The doctor will help you find out the root cause of the problem and prescribe an additional course of vitamins and recovery procedures.

Home care

Your home care should include products with active moisturizing, regenerating, nourishing and soothing ingredients. These include:

• Aloe Vera- enhances the protective functions of the skin, creates a protective film on the surface, softens and moisturizes.
• Calophyllum oil– effectively relieves inflammation and redness of the scalp, eliminates discomfort.
• PS21- a molecule that is designed to relieve spasm of blood vessels. It soothes the scalp, relieves redness and discomfort.
• Peppermint extract– contains menthol, allows you to instantly soothe the scalp and relieve discomfort, has a pronounced cooling effect.
• Piroctone olamine– in small concentrations, helps exfoliate dead skin cells and restore blood flow in the scalp.
• Glycerol– a powerful moisturizing and regenerating component.
• Macadamia, jojoba, shea oils– moisturize, create a protective film on the surface.
• Lavender extract– relieves irritation, soothes the skin.

Many forums advise using shampoos and balms from the children's series if your scalp is sensitive. There is some truth in these words. The fact is that children have the thinnest and most delicate skin, which is susceptible to allergic reactions.

Sensitive scalp - solution to the problem

Therefore, manufacturers strive to make the product as safe as possible. chemical composition(does not add fragrances or parabens), as well as the PH level for children's scalp. But baby shampoo will not solve the problem, but will only make washing your hair more comfortable. In addition, it does not cleanse hair well from styling products.

Your beauty assistants:

Sensitive scalp - solution to the problem

1. Sulfate-free shampoo for blonde hair Forever Blonde Shampoo Paul Mitchell,
2. Recovery oil with babassu, jojoba and macadamia Hair Repair Oil Yves Rocher,
3. U moisturizing shampoo Instant Moisture Daily Shampoo Paul Mitchell,
4. Mild shampoo for sensitive scalp Kerium La Roche-Posay,
5. Nourishing mask for hair restoration Avon "Comprehensive Care"

Sensitive scalp - solution to the problem

1. Serum Kérastase Sensidote Dermo-Calm,
2. Universal shampoo "Gentle minerals" DERCOS Vichy,
3. Shampoo Gliss Kur Extreme Oil Elixir,
4. Shampoo "Moisturizing and care" Nivea,
5. Shampoo for sensitive scalp Sensitive Soothe Shampoo Schwarzkopf Professional.

Salon treatments

Professional treatments may include various rituals of deep hydration and regeneration of the scalp. They are based on special masks, capsules, with the help of which, under certain conditions, you can achieve the effect only in the salon.

Hair is business card any person. They should be strong, thick and shiny. However, keeping them in excellent condition requires a lot of effort, especially if you have a sensitive scalp. Today there are enough effective methods treatment of this problem and if you do everything correctly, then your hair will always be flawless.

Before we talk about choosing a treatment method and remedy, it is worth understanding the cause of head sensitivity. This can be “given” by nature, or it can be acquired. But still, the signs of sensitivity are the same in both cases. A person who has sensitive skin feels itching and sees redness after using shampoo or after eating certain products that do not go away immediately; when there is a temperature change or stress, some irritation appears. Also, peeling may appear in the hairline area, on the back of the head and temporal region.

Remember that if your hair quickly becomes oily, this may indicate not only fat type skin, but also about its sensitivity. Therefore, do not rush to use various products for oily skin with a drying effect. Such self-treatment can make things even worse.

How to distinguish skin sensitivity from other diseases

In general, if you observe any of the symptoms listed above, you should consult a specialist, since such sensations may indicate other diseases of the scalp. It may be necessary to begin immediate treatment. However, if you carefully study all the signs of irritation, you can determine exactly what is causing your scalp to suffer. For example, if you observe peeling in particularly thin areas of hair growth - at the temples, the lower part of the back of the head, at the boundaries of hair growth. In such cases, there is a risk of confusing sensitivity with a dandruff problem. It is important to know that dandruff flakes are enough large sizes and distributed over the entire surface of the head. Also, they do not linger on the hair and can fall on clothes, which we cannot observe with sensitive scalp.

Quite often people also tend to confuse sensitivity with allergic reactions. Yes, indeed, both depend on nutrition and other possible irritants. However, if you have an allergy, then any signs of redness or all sorts of unpleasant sensations disappear as soon as the irritant is removed.
Therefore, carefully monitor your health and study in detail unpleasant symptoms touching the scalp.

Causes of skin sensitivity

We already said above that sensitivity can be natural or acquired. If you have this congenital condition and depends on the location of the nerve endings, then you will not be able to cure your sensitivity, so just maintain the condition of your skin with moisturizers. But if the skin has become sensitive already in adult life, then you have every opportunity by using effective treatment, will cope with his problem. It is very important not to let things take their course. Sensitivity leads to hair loss and the formation of small wounds and cracks into which bacteria can enter and cause the development of fungi.

The skin becomes sensitive when the sebaceous glands are disrupted and the lipid-fat layer becomes thinner, which contributes to dehydration of the scalp. This makes the dermis defenseless against environment. Sensitivity can occur for a number of reasons:

• Bad ecology. Substances that are in the air have a very strong effect on our entire body, and especially on the scalp, since hair has the ability to retain and accumulate small particles.
• Abrupt climate change. The epidermis of the head is very badly affected by sudden climate changes and prolonged exposure to sunlight without a hat.
• Stress. In general, any excitement has its effect on general state our health, and the surface of the head is no exception. And stress can cause hormonal imbalance and vitamin deficiency, which are among the main causes of sensitive skin.
• Nutrition. An unbalanced diet means a lack of essential vitamins in the body. Watch your diet and make it as varied as possible.
• Scalp care products. Often, damage to the skin balance is directly related to our desire to have beautiful hairstyle. Thus, the use of various straightening irons, curling irons and hair dryers dries and irritates the skin. And frequent dyeing causes chemical damage skin hairy part.
• Incorrectly selected hats. Narrow or very tight-fitting hats put pressure on the temples and scalp, disrupting blood circulation, which leads to changes in the condition of the skin.
• Motorcycle helmets. The skin must breathe. Therefore, if you wear a motorcycle helmet for a long time, sooner or later you may have problems. Constantly tying your hair in a knot has exactly the same effect.
• Tying hair in a knot. Abuse of this procedure causes constant tension in the hair follicles, which can lead to inflammatory processes.

Read also Caring for oily skin at home, choosing the right products

How to choose shampoo for sensitive scalp

Now there are many products for sensitive skin that can be easily purchased at the pharmacy. They differ in price and quality, as well as composition. One of the frequently used products is shampoo for sensitive skin. Sometimes you can hear that it’s good to use baby shampoos, but although they are less harmful, they clean worse and do little to help cope with the problem of sensitive scalp.
Typically, products for sensitive skin combine many components, such as:

• Aloe vera oil, macadamia oil, jojoba oil, shea butter– these components soften the skin and create a protective shell;
• Calophyllum oil, lavender extract– acts as an antiseptic, eliminating irritation and redness;
• Peppermint or its extract– soothes the skin;
• Piroctone olamine– this element acts as a scrub, exfoliating dry skin and restoring blood circulation;
• PS21– eliminates spasms and heals blood vessels;
• Glycerol– moisturizes very well;
• Panthenol– restores damaged tissues

These ingredients are far from the only ones that can be used. The main task of such additives in shampoos is to relieve redness and irritation, improve the protective functions of the dermis, moisturize, cleanse and restore blood circulation.

Today you can find in pharmacies various means for sensitive skin: shampoos, serums and masks. Almost all well-known cosmetics manufacturers produce a special series for those with this problem. Therefore, the choice of shampoo is entirely up to you and the brand you prefer. It doesn't matter at all what brand it is. The main thing is that the products in their line are designed specifically to combat sensitivity, have a moisturizing effect and are without any aggressive essential oils. The shampoo should not have a strong odor and bright color– these are signs of hypoallergenicity of the product.

From well-known brands, for example, we can highlight several shampoos:

• Scalp Specifics Lenitive Shampoo from Italian manufacturers, Selective Professional brand
• Sensitive Scalp Shampoo from the Londa brand
• Bonacure BC Scalp Therapy by Schwarzkopf

Having chosen the right shampoo, you should not reassure yourself that the problem of skin sensitivity has been solved. It is worth paying more attention to this issue and, if possible, undergoing a full course of treatment.

Care for sensitive scalp at home

Of course, it is best to start treating hair sensitivity with a consultation with a trichologist, but you can do a lot at home to solve this problem. At home, you can easily carry out a fairly effective course of ridding your scalp of sensitivity. This can be treatment with all kinds of moisturizing and nourishing masks. It is best to make yeast, kefir, sour cream and milk ones. Avoid using alcohol and pepper. If you decide to purchase any product at the pharmacy, then look for those containing zinc, menthol, flower extract orange tree, tea tree oil. You should also listen to the following tips:

• Rinse off the shampoo well, otherwise, if left unwashed, it causes great irritation.
• Dilute shampoo half and half with water to avoid dry scalp.
• Use an acid rinse to reduce the harmful effects of hard water. For this you can mix lemon juice or Apple vinegar with water in proportions of 1 tbsp. per liter
• It is good to do a light massage using a non-greasy liquid sedative.
• Minimize or eliminate any heat styling you do with a hair dryer, flat iron, styler or curling iron.
• Replace your comb. It should be as soft as possible, but at the same time thick and natural.
• Give your hair some air. This does not mean at all that you need to give up your favorite ponytail or knot, but from time to time, loosen your curls so that they receive their dose of oxygen.