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What is Scalp Acne?

First of all, you shouldn’t get too worried over scalp acne because it’s just like any other kinds of acne that sprout from your face and back. Besides growing on your scalp, the symptoms and appearance are the same like regular acne.

What most people might find it weird having acne growing on the scalp, it’s actually not a really uncommon problem considering the fact that the scalp is also part of your skin. The most notable difference is that your hair usually covers over it and it’s less noticeable than acne that grows on other parts of your body.

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What Causes Scalp Acne?

In most hair follicles, there are these little oil producing sacks known as sebaceous glands attached to it. The glands produce oils (also known as sebum) which are important for maintaining the moisture and provide protection for the skin and hair. When excreted, the oils find its way to the skin’s surface through the narrow hair shaft of the hair follicle.

Due to a few possible reasons the exits (pore openings) of the hair shaft can be blocked or clogged up, trapping and preventing the oils from reaching the surface. Eventually, the trapped oils will accumulate and flood the surrounding areas of the hair follicle causing it to swell up.

Bacterial Infection

The problem doesn’t end there just yet. If the oils do not exit the hair shaft in due time, your hair follicles can be infected by a type of bacteria known as Propionobacterium Acnes that flourish and multiply rapidly by consuming the trapped sebum inside your hair follicle.

In response to the booming bacteria population, your body’s immune system reacts by sending white blood cells to kill the bacteria. This will evidently leave a pile of dead bacteria, white blood cells and other chemicals released in the process that will cause inflammation, redness and pustules to the affected area.

In more extreme cases, the inflammation can spread to the surrounding skin and create larger lumps and cysts known as nodules that can cause permanent scarring if you do not treat it promptly and effectively.

So what are the main causes of these blockages? There are 2 major culprits involved...

Overactive Sebaceous Glands

Many internal factors like hormonal imbalances, stress or a poor diet can trigger your glands to excrete more sebum than usual. Excessive oils that retain inside can potentially increase the stickiness of the hair shaft’s walls. When the walls get sticky, it can further attract dead cells and more oils to stay within the walls, creating a build-up which will eventually close the pore.

When the blockage occurs above the skin’s surface, it’s also commonly known as a blackhead where the plug is dark. White heads are when the blockage occurs below the surface of the skin.

Puberty is one such time where your hormones are accelerating causing your oil glands and hair follicles to more active than usual. Any sort of physical and mental stress can also be a reason for scalp acne and a greasy scalp.

Surface Pollutants and Debris

Certain hair products that you use might be a source of scalp acne. There are a lot of hair products especially for hairstyling that contain a lot of synthetic oils and other chemical compounds. These products can also be source of oil and debris build up on the surface of your scalp. If you leave it unattended, the pollutants slowly accumulate and block the pore’s opening as well.

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Medical Symptoms

Acne symptoms are usually categorized into inflamed acne and non-inflamed acne. Some of the common symptoms for non inflame acne are

• Uneven skin surfaces
• Bumps with a black spot in the center (blackheads)
• Bumps with a white spot in the center (whiteheads)

Non-inflamed acnes does not hurt when touched and hardly show any signs of inflammation and redness. It’s also the most common kind of acne conditions faced by people and usually requires no serious treatments. However, if left long enough, some of the non-inflamed acnes can flare up to inflamed acne so it’s best to take notice early.

Inflamed acne is caused by a bacterial infection and it’s usually much more apparent than non-inflamed acne. Inflamed acne can display symptoms of

• Inflammation
• Skin irritation
• Crusts formation
• Pustules
• Scabs

For mild cases of inflamed acne, it’s pretty easy to treat but if you are unlucky the inflammation can spread and it can be a real painful experience for you. If not handled properly, cysts can form which can cause permanent scarring to your scalp and you might end up with bald patches.

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Treating Scalp Acne

Most scalp acnes that are less serious will usually resolve by itself over time and if it doesn’t bother you, then you hardly need to do anything about it. But if the acne is persistent and it’s getting serious, you should take some steps to subdue it as soon as possible.

Most of the time, a little topical application should do the job in getting rid of the acne. The problem is, treating scalp acne might require a little more skill than treating normal acne on the face and body because the hairs over the area usually obstruct you from applying the treatment effectively.

The most common treatment for regular acne is benzoyl peroxide, a potent anti-acne treatment that works. However, it’s best NOT to use benzoyl peroxide on the scalp because it’s known to bleach out your hair color. Unless your hair is already white, you might want to skip this treatment for scalp acne altogether.

Another Good Alternative

A common and widely used topical medication is Salicylic acid. This active ingredient works by exfoliating dead skin cells by penetrating through your skin into the hair follicles unclogging and keeping the pores clear.

Salicylic acid comes in many treatment forms like

• creams
• lotions
• gels
• shampoos

Salicylic acid also helps promote the shedding of dead skin cells and reduces the chances of further blockages and breakouts on the skin. Use together with a good cleansing shampoo, you will have the perfect scalp acne treatment that works effectively.

A good shampoo to consider for treating scalp acne and preventing blockages is Ionil-T/Plus. This shampoo has a proven capacity on some dandruff problems like Scalp Psoriasis and Seborrheic Dermatitis as well. If you have some dandruff problems as well (not uncommon when facing scalp acne) both treatments work hand in hand in keeping your scalp spick and span.

If you are using cream or gel based salicylic acid treatments, directly applying the solution to the acne is also a savvy way to target the problem without messing up your hair. To do this, all you need is a cotton bud, squeeze some of the cream or gel onto it and swab it over the problem area.

For more persistent and serious cases, it’s best you seek medical attention from your doctor and he will usually prescribe you with oral or topical anti-bacterial medications like Bacitracin, Neomycin, and Mycitracin.

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Acne Prevention Basics

Preventing scalp acne from occurring from the first place should be your main concern once you get the problem under control. Sometimes, a few simple things that you have missed out might be the root of your problem. Follow these simple steps below to reduce your chance of getting scalp acne and prevent further scalp issues.

1. Keep your scalp clean
   Get a mild shampoo that can help reduce the oil concentrations on the scalp. Together with a moisturizer to keep your skin surface soft and clean, the pores won’t be clogged for the oils to come out.
2. Use non-oil based styling products
   Cut down altogether gels, creams or sprays that contain oil for styling. Some of these products can contain chemicals that can stick to your scalp and cause build ups.
3. Less fatty foods
   Foods that are laden with fat and oil can flood your body and make the situation worse. Try cutting down on fatty foods and take more vegetables and water.
4. Cut down on your stress levels
   Too much stress is a source of acne and oily scalp. Reduce it as much as possible. Frequent light exercises and breaks can help stabilize your body’s rhythm and prevent stress related conditions like scalp acne.

When it comes to scalp acne, there are still a lot of things you can do about it. The principal idea in preventing acne is keeping your skin clean and clear all the time. Maintain it this way and it’s highly unlike you will see another ‘bump’ on your scalp.

You might want to check out my Preventing Hair Loss section which might be beneficial for alleviating your hair and scalp problems too.

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