Having a crusty scalp is very unpleasant because it looks red and it is very itchy. There are three possible common causes of having a flaky scalp. It could be a scalp condition called scalp psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff.
Dandruff is very easy to distinguish amongst the three because it will show a loose gray flakes which are dead skin cells on the scalp and easily gets removed by scratching your head. The other two conditions are more serious than dandruff.
You can hardly tell the difference between the scalp psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis according to SkinStore.com, because they have the same symptoms and the only noticeable difference is that scalp psoriasis sometime spreads on the body while the seborrhoeic dermatitis only spreads on the scalp and face.
Causes:
Dandruff is caused by clumping of dead skin cells on the scalp and if the scalp is dry, the more flakes it produces. The easiest to identify among the three possible causes, dandruff is also the easiest to treat.
For seborrhoeic dermatitis, it is often seen as red, scaly patches on the head and sometimes seen in eyebrows. There is no known cause of this scalp condition, but there is one theory coming from experts. As it turns out, seborrheoic dematitis could be caused by a scalp inhabitant in humans called yeast, which is a type of fungus. The yeast can cause skin inflammation in the scalp causing the red itchy patches.
The third one is scalp psoriasis, which also has different cause. It has been said that genetics and the environment plays a factor in this scalp condition but the main cause is the immune cells in the scalp attacks the normal cells causing inflammation. The dead cells on the scalp increases and turns to flakes.
Treatment:
The treatment may vary per cause, but the very common thing is to prevent your scalp from drying. The good news about this is that you won't have to resort to medication - there are several ways to moisturize your scalp using natural methods.
As recommended by LiveStrong, massage your scalp using olive oil. Dip your fingers in an olive oil and massage your scalp using your fingertips few times a week. The glands in your scalp that are clogged will reproduce again the natural scalp oil called sebum which is beneficial also for your hair.
Using an anti-fungal or an anti-dandruff shampoo may also help to get rid of the fungus that causes flaky scalp, but make sure to rinse your hair properly after application because hair products and improper hair washing may also contribute to scalp dryness.
