Itchy Scalp 101: Here's How to Relieve It

If you've got an itchy scalp and it inexplicably feels like you rubbed it with a ghost pepper, you’re not alone. Researchers are finally shining light on fussy skin—that isn’t on your face. The problem is called scalp sensitivity, and it’s exactly what it sounds like—burning, prickling, itchiness, and tightness on your scalp. New studies reveal it happens after contact with normally harmless things like hair products...or air (and its pollutants).

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Note: This irritation is a different beast than dandruff, which can be hella itchy but is typically caused by a fungus and comes with telltale flaking. Scalp touchiness isn’t surprising: The area has more blood vessels than any other on the body, and each hair follicle has four different types of nerve endings. But it is challenging to treat (how do you avoid air?). Studies recommend using a shampoo with heavy-metal-removing ingredients, like disodium EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, or sodium citrate (try Earth’s Nectar Mint Leaves Tea Tree Shampoo). It will lift away the pollutants that can speed exfoliation of the scalp’s outer layers and heighten sensitivity.

Oral antioxidants, like Viviscal and Nutrafol, may help, too, says Nicole Rogers, a dermatologist and hair-transplant surgeon in Metairie, Louisiana. She also tells patients who complain of a tight or burning scalp to switch to a sulfate- and fragrance-free shampoo (the Earth’s Nectar formula also fits that bill): “That often clears up the problem in less than a week.”

Learn how to make scalp toner out of tequila: