Itchy Scalp

What can be the causes of dry and itchy scalps?

Dry and itchy scalps can be caused by dandruff. They can also be caused by a matter of simple things. With a very, very dry scalp, very dry skin elsewhere is not uncommon. If a person has dry skin naturally on their body, their scalp might well be dry. A dry scalp can also be caused by very simple things, such as not rinsing their hair properly after shampooing, or not washing their hair often enough. Both of those, of course, are easily dealt with. Dry skin and dandruff, or flaking of the scalp, happens because the skin is turning over on the body - all over the body including the scalp all of the time - though we don't notice it. But on the scalp where there's hair growing, it tends to accumulate. When you comb your hair it will fall, and be physically not too attractive.

What is dandruff?

Dandruff is caused by a proliferation of fungus. It can also be conditions which are not actually dandruff, and may be more than that, but it appears to be dandruff because of the scaling. Such things as psoriasis and seborrheic eczema are often labelled as dandruff, but actually require slightly different treatments because they are more severe. But they are all basically caused by an excessive scaling of the scalp.