Very Itchy scalp - so itchy i cant sleep!!

Dear Doctor,
I hope you can help, i have tried to find answers for over 7 years, both with GP's and also more recently with a dermatologist, still without any answers. I have a very concerning issue with my scalp, across my hairline, crown and generally across the top of my scalp i suffer from itching, often so bad i cant sleep and it affects my concentration at work. I have small white grain like bits forming on my scalp. These sand like bits are sometimes loose on my scalp but also attached to my scalp. When my hair comes out, which has become more apparent since my condition has worsened over the past 6 months and is now also a major concern,  there is a build up of white substance on the follicle. My hair also becomes very greasy very quickly, within 24 hours of washing it, my hair becomes greasy and within 48 hours it looks disgusting. I also suffer from very tender small spots within my scalp, which have a yellowish appearance. These are not that common, around 3 - 4 a week.

Additional Info:
I am a male 29 years old, living a healthy lifestyle, good diet and also exercise regularly.
I do get dry skin very easily, i moisturise all the time.
I researched into this condition and i believe it’s a fungal condition.... but Nizorel doesnt seem to be helping to clear the condition.

Please help!!

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi.

The most likely differential for this is a severe case of seborrheic dermatitis. The cause for seborrheic dermatitis is yet unknown and there is no definite form of medical therapy as this condition may recur. Others have associated yeast infections with it. While some have implicated stress and environmental factors. You may seek second opinion for your condition.

Does anyone in the family also have a similar condition?

Do you have similar greasy white scales over the chest or other parts of the body?

[mrjimmyc]

Thank-you for your response and advice.

In reply to your questions, I am the only one in my family which has this and I believe no one has ever had similar symptoms. I don’t get greasy skin anywhere else over my body; in fact my skin is normally quite dry. My scalp is also normally very dry it’s just my hair which seems to become greasy within about 24 hours of being washed. I also get tiny yellowish spots actually in my hair follicle. When my hair comes out I notice on the end of the hair shaft, think it’s called the bulb, there is a build up of white substance; could this substance be a bacterial build up? Which causes the itching? Also would this have any relation to excess sebum production, ultimately also causing my greasy hair?

I appreciate your time and help.
Thank-you.      

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi.

I think this white substance may be sebum. I had mentioned of seborrheic dermatitis in my previous post. I think this is a likely differential. An overlying fungal infection may be present. However, for some, a fungal infection will present with redness and well demarcated plaque like lesions on the scalp which is not present in your case.

There is no definite medical treatment for seborrheic dermatitis. Frequent and vigorous shampooing with medicated shampoos is the mainstay of therapy.

Is there any associated hair loss?

[jenneedshelp]

I suffer from the same exact condition. Grainy and itchy scalp. When my hair falls out there is also a white grain at the follicle. I also have hair loss.
I do not thin it is seborrheic dermatitis- I have tried medicated shampoos for this; and  they did not help.

Has anyone figured out what this condition is?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

At this point, a likely differential for this type of conditions are seborrheic dermatitis and fungal infections. The white grain may be sebum secondary to the overactive sebaceous glands. This may be the closest differential we can have. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic disease condition and does not necessarily respond to medications. There is in fact no definite medication for seborrheic dermatitis. Stress, weather and yeast infections have been associated with this. You may discuss this with a dermatologist so your concerns may be addressed.

[ericaalice]

hi, i had the grainy like things on my scalp too... with terrible acne... you might want to look into something called the demodex mite... they live on the face/head... come out at night...and thrive in people that have weakened immune systems...(i was on antibiotics for months for lyme disease...it wreaked havoc on mine) it seems tea tree oil helps... my doctor seems to think i'm crazy... so i'm looking for a new one... I hope this helps...

[bbinjabr]

Hi,
I have the same problem for almost 15 years now with no luck whatsoever.. 2 doses of accutane did not help at all. all kinds of shampoos with no help. all kinds of antibiotics with no help. It may have to do with certain type of food.. it is the only possibility that we need to try out? it is said that dairy products might be one of the reasons.
You are not alone... Let's hope that someday we will find a solution..

[lykaru]

hi i'm having the same problem and it really bothers me. i cant sleep at night. i tried diffrent type of shampoos but it doesnt help.i'm hoping that someone out there will help us. god bless us!!

[Mrun]

hello.. i had the grain stuff thing too on my scalp... go for ayurvedic treatments.. i started applying aloe vera gel ( directly from the leaf ) which controls the itching.. try tea tree shampoo once a week.. helps..stay away frm chemical laden shampoos ( makes things worse ) ... drink aloe juice everyday.. and dont stay up late at night.. ( aggravates pitta dosha which worsens the condition ) ... dont scratch ur head will lead to infections.. do yoga every morning :) ... itl b fine :)

[Mrun]

and one more thing.. love urself no matter what :) gives the treatment a boost.. trust me .. i had thin hair before .. were gettin thinner n thinner.. and i used to hate myself for that ... i changed myself... if anything goes wrong with ur system ... it takes a toll on ur hair .. so basically its nt smthing superficial.. hope it helps everyone :) take care !

[Meme052]

I have this too!  This problem brought me to MedHelp.  When I massage my scalp even very lightly, dozens of these little grains come off my head (they seem to be lodged at the base of the hair shaft, or pore).  The only problem I have believing it is seborrheic dermatitis is that everything I find online says it is flakey.  As others here have stated, it is NOT flakey!  

It is almost like little crystals or grains of sand/sugar/salt.  They are very hard and not squishable.  Weird!  Please help!  See my profile for my posts on this topic, please!

[thankyouforyouranswer]

MANY OF YOU DESCRIBE MORGELLONS DISEASE which still goes unrecognized despite the 300k people around the world who registered at the morgellons research foundation. Ignore the Morgellon watch site. This guy, and his cohorts have no credentials yet mock people who have this disease. Don't be fooled by debunkers. You know what you have. This disease is a huge cover up in my opinion, and it is spreading. Look online at how many hits for black specks, sand particles in head, itchy with no rash, itchy head, bites, etc., etc.

please read my previous posts on this, and keep an open mind. It is not fun, and it is real. Best of luck.

[desertrose129]

EricaAlice thank you for bringing to my attention the Demodex Mites it makes so much sense.
Symptoms

    Noticeable symptoms of demodex infection are frequent redness, hair loss, bumps, and itching of particular areas of the skin, especially around the hair follicles. Many skin conditions can be traced back to active demodex infections such as Acne Rosacea.


Read more: Demodex Mites in Humans | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5390759_demodex-mites-humans.html#ixzz1YV4mWv4p
Hopefully this will help there is a home treatment on that site check it out