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Original poster

My daughter has a really itchy scalp, please help!

25 replies

midnightmoomoo · 18/10/2014 21:29

My 9 year old DD has thick wavy/curly hair and a couple of weeks ago I straightened it for her and she wore it down for school for three days (usually wears it up). Typically enough, she caught nits but we caught them straightaway, I treated her with Lyclear, went through with the nitty gritty comb and got the little buggers out.

Since then she keeps on about an itchy scalp although I have re-combed and checked daily and know the nits have gone.

We have changed her shampoo and conditioner, and also her detangling spray in case she'd developed a reaction to them but she still says her head itches, especially when she brushes it.

I don't know what to try next. No sign of dandruff or excema or flaky skin. She swims twice a week and I make sure she washes her hair properly afterwards and rinses well.

Does anyone have any ideas to help please?

OP posts:

tomanyanimals · 18/10/2014 22:01

Don't know if it's worth trying but I seem to have developed a thing so I can't use anything with fruit or flower essence so has to be pretty bog standard don't know why I have but just started all of a sudden? Other people found tgel worked if they got an itchy scalp may be worth a try?

hettie · 18/10/2014 23:01

Mmme, are you using a nitty gritty comb? If not you may not have got the eggs and it may still be the head lice (speaks through bitter experience multiple infestations). Also the bites from the lice can itch for a while after you've got rid of the bloody things.... Remember because of their cunning life cycle you only have to miss one tiny egg in your comb through.....

Original poster

midnightmoomoo · 18/10/2014 23:48

Thank you both, yes we have a nitty gritty comb, in reception nits were a regular occurrence! This is the first lot she's had in years, maybe she's reacted to the lyclear? I've got baby shampoo (DS2 gets excema) so I might try her with that and will pick up some baby conditioner tomorrow as that won't have fruit/flower extracts and see if that helps. Never bought t-gel but will have a look at that, thank you!

The bites might be the culprit though as it's worse when she brushes her hair so perhaps that stimulates the scalp where she'd been bitten?

Thanks for posting, I appreciate it!

OP posts:

fairyfuckwings · 18/10/2014 23:55

Do you think it might have triggered a dandruff type allergic reaction? My daughter has an on/off flaky scalp and the only thing that seems to work is polyrar shampoo. Might be worth a try?

MarionSnippet · 18/10/2014 23:56

My teenage DD has very thick hair and experiences an itchy scalp such that she will scratch it until it bleeds. She now has special shampoo from the GP - sorry can't recall name - to keep the problem under control. The nits may be a red herring.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 19/10/2014 00:33

My DS has a flakey scalp (not sure if it's itchy though- he does scratch but I think it's an absent-minded teenage boy thing, like nail biting)

I've tried TGel on him but it made his skin on his face red and irritated.
Baby shampoo makes my scalp itchy.

I bought him Eucerin shampoo, that seems to help him.

Greengardenpixie · 19/10/2014 00:59

I have had nits [perks of working as a teacher] and they do itch for a while after. Its to do with being allergic to the saliva of the louse i have read [yes charming].

Original poster

midnightmoomoo · 19/10/2014 09:15

Thank you all, she was crying last night and asked if I could take her to the doctor, but I told her there wasn't anything to see so I didn't see the point........epic fail, as my eldest son would say! I'll give it a bit longer with some of your suggestions , but if it doesn't clear I won't feel so bad taking her to the doctor if there's a shampoo they can prescribe to help. Hopefully it won't come to that though. At least you guys have helped me narrow it down and I've got something to go on now, I was a bit baffled before!

OP posts:

Greengardenpixie · 19/10/2014 09:31

If its upsetting her I would take her to the doctor tbh. The doctor wil have a hood look and prescibe you something. She sounds distressed. Could it be her panicking thst the nits are still there? You know that way that uou can just feel itchy at the thought? It can feel very real.

traviata · 19/10/2014 09:38

Give her anti-histamines as well, and try a shampoo that doesn't contain sodium laureth sulfate - it is a very irritating ingredient.

some ideas here

R4roger · 19/10/2014 09:44

i took my dd to the doctor and got prescription shampoo

Original poster

midnightmoomoo · 19/10/2014 09:45

Ooh, anti histamine, fab idea, I hadn't thought of that!!! She's had nits so often before I don't think she's worried they're still there, but I know I scratch a lot whenever they're mentioned so it might be that. Thank you x

OP posts:

VivaLeBeaver · 19/10/2014 09:47

I'd buy some overnight hedrin and slather that on just to make sure. If she's got thick hair it can be so difficult to see them. Dd has been like this before and I've combed, not seen anything. Itching has continued so ive used hedrin and the itching stops.

Greengardenpixie · 19/10/2014 09:54

I personally gave up with headlice treatment. I used loadsnof conditioner and a nit comb. worked a treat tbh. Did it numerous times. Much cheaper and less messy.

unlucky83 · 19/10/2014 10:17

I was going to say watch out for MI/MIT (Methylisothiazolinone). Its a preservative, in lots of products.
www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10517988/The-epidemic-in-the-bathroom-manufacturers-told-to-remove-chemical-linked-to-skin-allergies.html
I've never been sensitive to anything but have found I react to this. Kept having a burning face coming out of the shower, thought it had just been too warm/my age. Changed shampoo and it stopped. Then used something with it in again by accident and had the burning face again. It is in lots of things (and washing up liquid) even in Tesco's baby shampoo...I use baby shampoo and it was on special offer - and I hadn't checked...cos surely no-one would put something like that in baby shampoo FGS.

Petitgrain · 19/10/2014 11:51

If she's crying and asking to be taken to the doctor why would you say no? It doesn't matter if you can't see anything, you're not a doctor presumably? Take her, the doctor will sort it, no big deal.

avagosling · 20/10/2014 16:43

I would try omega3s as they are essential for skin lubrication from the inside! And the Scalp Soother Oil by Fushi is amazing

Original poster

midnightmoomoo · 20/10/2014 17:47

Thanks for that, something else to try. She's been ok today, maybe the change in shampoo and conditioner has done the trick.

OP posts:

Secretsout · 20/10/2014 18:01

I have a sensitive scalp and struggle a bit with 'normal' shampoos. I find TGel works well and doesn't irritate at all. Also, could she be leaving some shampoo in, causing irritation?

Original poster

midnightmoomoo · 20/10/2014 19:11

secret I wondered that too, especially as she swims twice a week !! I do remind her that she needs to rinse well, but as her hair is so thick there's every chance that she's not getting it all out, maybe conditioning before the shampoo is all out. Thank you x

OP posts:

burnishedsilver · 20/10/2014 19:16

Apparently the itching can last after the nuts have gone because there can be an allergic reaction to their bites - a bit like a mosquito bite. See if an antihistamine helps. I took antihistamines myself for the same reason and it worked.

burnishedsilver · 20/10/2014 19:17

Nits...not nuts!

herecomesthsun · 20/10/2014 19:37

Our eczema clinic advised this shampoo for my son's very itchy scalp

herecomesthsun · 20/10/2014 19:37

does pong though

toppoptart · 20/10/2014 20:02

I suffer with a bad scalp I use loreal elvive anti dandruff shampoo with selenium it's branded for men but used to be just in the normal range it's amazing stuff sorts out my scalp after 1 wash and the more you use it the better it is, sell at big boots only and it's black bottle with orange lid

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