burning scalp

[mad319]

I have been having the dandruf problem since the last year of high school and i'm 27 now. I never had any other problem with my scalp tho like itching or burning. about 6 months ago my scalp started to burn so bad that i had to take a shower twice a day to make it feel better. It gets so itchy and burning that it hurts sometimes. two days after my scalp started burns so bad i remembered sleeping on a pillow after having sex with my husband that had stuff on it without changing the case which is very unusall for me. and i figured that that could have infected my scalp. but i'm not sure if it's a reasonable explanation or not. and what should i do to get rid of this problem or if it's a serious problem or not. i'm very scared to be having  a serious problem on my scalp and loose my hair or something especially that it have been falling alot. and i'm kinda embbarrased to talk to a doctor about that. thank you for your help.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

This could be seborrhoeic dermatitis. It is a skin disorder affecting the scalp, face, and trunk causing scaly, flaky, itchy, red skin. It particularly affects the sebum-gland rich areas of skin.

Side effects to inflammation may include temporary hair loss. If severe outbreaks are untreated for extended intervals, permanent hair loss may result, because of damage to hair follicles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seborrhoeic_dermatitis

Soaps and detergents such as sodium laureate sulfate may precipitate a flare-up, as they strip moisture from the top layers of the skin, and the drying property of these can cause flare-ups and may worsen the condition. Accordingly a suitable alternative should be used instead.

Among dermatologist recommended treatments are shampoos containing coal tar, ciclopiroxolamine, ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, or zinc pyrithione. For severe disease, keratolytics such as salicylic acid or coal tar preparations may be used to remove dense scale. Topical terbinafine solution (1%) has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of scalp seborrhoea,as may lotions containing alpha hydroxy acids or corticosteroids (such as fluocinolone acetonide). Pimecrolimus topical lotion is also sometimes prescribed.

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for your symptoms and a proper clinical examination if your symptoms persist.

Let us know if you need any other information and post us on how you are doing.

Regards.