Help me stop scratching my head to shreds

[itchingnonstop]

Help!

For about six weeks I've had a ridiculously itchy head at night time - and especially in the mornings. To the extent that my head is bleeding, sore and red from my fingernails. I've tried to resist but It's just so itchy I can't stop.

I was hoping you lovely Mumsnetters would have some ideas what is causing it and how to stop it. JUST MAKE IT STOP!

I have already:

1. had a hairdresser and a nurse check for nits and have used a nit comb. Several times. There are no nits and no eggs. I don't have nits.
2. had a dr check for psoriasis and dermitis. It's neither. Dr said just to use piriton when it itches but it itches every day and I want to address whatever the cause it rather than just take medication every day. And the piriton doesn't work anyway!
3. changed my pillow to hyper allergenic.
4. changed my washing powder
5. stopped using my old (scent free) and tried another Neutrogena shampoo for itchy scalps.
6. stopped using conditioner
7. stopped using all hair styling products
8. had my hair cut shorter
9. opened the window to make it cooler at night time (it's not hot in my room, I'm in the Uk and don't have the CH on yet but thought I'd try it anyway).

The itching is just on my scalp, the top, front and back but not at the sides and not on any skin around the head that doesn't have hair on it.

I am allergic to cats but no cats have been in my house and I haven't touched a cat in years. I don't have any other pets.

Please please if anyone has had this, how did you resolve it?

Neem shampoo by Vogel is worth trying.

I tie it back in a bun. I have thick enough hair it’s not noticeable and my itching is more at the base. You can get liquid scalp solution too that doesn’t make your hair greasy.

It's also a symptom of perimenopause and allergies ( eczema or pollen/fungal spores) take the anti histamine as someone upthread has suggested to break the cycle. I have it at the moment too and mine is either meno or fungal spores...doesn't really matter which the anti histamine sorts it.

If you've exhausted all physical possibilities, consider if there's a mental issue, maybe linked to anxiety or depression - similar to nail biting, skin picking, etc. It might sound a bit weird but hypnosis can help in situations when no physical cause can be found.

Hi OP, I use almond oil on my scalp, I find it really soothing. I rub it in well with my fingertips (trying to resist the urge to scratch!) then pop a shower cap on for 20 minutes and have a relaxing bath. I use Johnson's baby shampoo, as it doesn't have sodium laurel (?sp?) sulphate (or phosphate ? Sorry, it's a common ingredient in shampoo and conditioner whatever it's called) in it which I was told was a possible cause of the itching.

Doing this once a fortnight or so helps me so might be worth a try? You can use olive oil but I prefer almond as it smells better 🤣

I always swear by T-Gel. Wash into hair and leave on for a couple of minutes before rinsing.

@itchingnonstop
Mine is similar, though not as bad as yours. My hair gets greasy really fast. When I scratch, I get little white blobs, round, not flat, under my nails, but I suppose could still be dandruff, although doesn't seem to be, I have no flakes.. sometimes little spots that pop.. TMI, sorry.. Definitely not nits.
I did use a clarifying shampoo - please don't do this! Totally strips everything out of your hair, & made my scalp worse. Am just soldiering on at the mo as I can't think of anything else to do.
As @Eyesopenwideawake says, I guess yours could be mental rather than physical? When my late mum lost my Dad, she itched & ended up with a bald spot. I'm not stressed so can't imagine that's my problem..

Novasone /elocon lotion by prescription. It's a clear liquid, you don't need much and it doesn't leave your hair greasy. I think you really need to see a dermatologist as soon as possible, I have similar, gp missed it but derm diagnosed me with psoriasis.

I've found my skin has gone very dry since menopause.

As pp mentioned Sodium Laureth Sulfate (a foaming agent) is one of the worst offenders for drying skin. I've just checked my cheap shampoo and it's the biggest ingredient after water!

We've swapped from using shower gel full of SLS's etc to using natural organic soap from Simply Soap in Norfolk. No SLS and other nasty chemicals and our skin feels so much better.
They also do shampoo bars with no SLS or other nasties in them so maybe they would help.

@ElizabethinherGermanGarden do you mean proper silk pillowcases. Just looked and they're about £80 -£90 a pair on Amazon. Or do you mean a cheaper version? A link to the ones you've found solve the issue would be great.

If Nizoral doesn’t work, Polytar shampoo is another good option. Leave on for 10 minutes while you soak in the bath, then rinse. I get it from eBay, though originally my GP prescribed it.

I'm sorry, I don't know - mine was a present and it was from M&S. I'm certain it wasn't that expensive. My friend and I are not on that level of pressie exchange! I'll have a look on their website and see whether I can find it.

I think it's this one at £30. More expensive present than I had thought! Her birthday is coming up...had better start looking for a good present 🎁

I have been browsing at M&S and found this: https://www.marksandspencer.com/silk-pillowcase/p/hbp60273714?intid=mobileappppdpshare

Hi are you absolutely sure you don't have headlice? I had the exact same thing happen to me in the summer. My head was burning it was so itchy. I got my hairdresser to check my hair and she couldn't see anything. I did have them and i had loads it took me ages to get rid of them. I dont how we missed them.

Thanks @ElizabethinherGermanGarden . I need two pillows due to other issues so they are £60 a pair, ouch!!!

Another thing I thought I would mention and seems to have helped my itchy head is really washing out conditioner properly. I saw some annoying teenager's smug TikTok about washing your hair like a hairdresser by sectioning it and I realised that I usually just washed the top/outside of mine by standing under the shower - tried washing my head upside down and using the shower head in my hand rather than in the holder and that seems to have helped the itches around the nape of my neck.

@TSJ19 as per my OP, a doctor, nurse and hairdresser and a nit comb haven't found any nits.

@ElizabethinherGermanGarden thank you for the conditioner tip. I am careful to wash it all out because I used to get dandruff back in my 20s from poor rinsing , and for the last week or so I haven't used any at all; no change to itchiness.

@ElizabethinherGermanGarden That's a helpful tip, thanks. I remember a hairdresser once telling me I had 'a build-up'. I was horrified - a build-up of WHAT? She said shampoo, but I rinse forever.. :-(
I will try this, thanks.

Have you changed your diet recently? I had this for three months, saw a private dermatologist, tried antihistamines, and every product known to man, nothing helped.

Then one day I was looking up keto recipes (for the diet I’d been on for three months), and saw a post about keto rash, seemingly related to really low carb. I upped my carb intake very slightly and it went away! I assume intermittent fasting could produce similar issues depending on what else you eat.

I hope you get some relief soon, it’s soul destroying when it goes on so long.

Try this shampoo. It's also available in other shops not just Amazon.

Sorry I missed you said a doctor had checked. I really hope you get to the bottom of it.

I rubbed some 1% hydrocortisone cream into the affected areas then washed with baby shampoo for a few weeks. I managed to get some very low allergy shampoo (Salcura anti itch shampoo) off ebay and use that periodically to give my scalp a rest from other shampoos.

I’ve started to shampoo my conditioner out. I wash, condition then just shampoo the roots of my hair again. I’ve found this has definitely helped. I get my DDs to do this now and noticed a huge change in their hair. Myself and 2 of my DDs have greasy hair, it’s been a huge help.

When I had intense itching it turned out to be nits. But I’d had my hair checked and checked and was told I didn’t have them.

May treat your hair/scalp for nits just in case your are super sensitive.

I find using cold gel packs from the fridge helps reduce intense itching. It may provide some relief when you are at home.