Why does my hair hurt?

[IHeartHarryStyles]

It’s that horrible pain you get after you’ve had your hair tied up for ages, except it’s been down today. It’s painful when my hair moves, as if it’s genuinely my actual hair that is the source of pain. Does anyone else get this unprovoked and do you fix it?

Your hair is a whole component of your nervous system, so when you pull it up that puts pressure on the nerve endings that are at the root of the follicle. When you do that over time, they get sore.” ... “Then when you take your hair down, the nerve endings get stimulated again, so your scalp feels more sensitive.

Any chance your hairline is sunburnt?

I've had this before if I've not washed my hair for a few days where in the days leading up to that I've had it up in a ponytail or a bun

@ScrapThatThen I wish 😒 its been wet and mizzly here today, not a scrap of sun in far too long.

I had this. Turned out it was seborrheic eczema. Couldn't see anything just very die hair follicles like I'd worn my hair up too tight.

Any changes to your diet or medication recently?

@HansBanans sometimes it feels like this straight after washing but I definitely notice it more if my hair is on the ahem grottier side of clean.

Does you hair really have nerve endings? Surely not?!

@BitOfFun nothing fundamental that I can think of.

@MiniMum97 how did you discover it and how did you fix it?

But if a long story. Had sore follicles for a long time. Then started getting what I thought was recurrent thrush. Without going into the full story after many doctors had had a good look at my fanjo and various tests incl a biopsy and meds, I was referred to a dermatologist who took about a millisecond look at my fanjo and diagnosed seborrheic eczema. Also got her to look at my scalp and she diagnosed the same.

Unfortunately it's managed and not cured. There are loads of shampoos you can buy but they-have some pretty toxic ingredients so I wouldn't want to use long term.

Definitely don't use anything with oils on your scalp as it feeds on oil and wash your hair frequently. Don't let it get too greasy.

I found a "shampoo" that doesn't aggravate it with no oils and try to keep my hair clean and that stops it getting too sore.

I've had this for years. When I wear my hair in a ponytail, it can hurt on my crown, where the hair goes in different directions. My dd has the same.

@MiniMum97 good advice, glad you got sorted.

Wash it every day. It's dirty hair syndrome!

I wash my hair everyday and it's worse when I put it up when wet as it forces the hair follicle the wrong way.

My 8yr old DD would until very recently scream blue murder when I done her hair, even when it's tug free.... I asked where it hurt and she said exactly as you've said. Googling did throw up that it is a thing to have sore hair despite it being "dead"

Traction?

Is your hair being pulled a bit too tight?

I get this and I wash my hair daily.

I find this on the second day when my hair hasn’t been washed, for instance, if I move the root of my hair the other way, it hurts my scalp.

I get this, best way to get rid of it is wash you hair.

I get this, especially when my hair hasn't been washed for a couple of days. I even get it in my eyebrows!!

I get this too OP - it's on the crown, also where my har goes in different directions (like MrsSSG). I have what I think is called a double crown, which is really far back to one side of my head, and means the scalp often shows. I hate it. When my hair starts hurting there (usually when it needs washing, but not always) it just makes me more conscious of the double crown where it looks thin. I think it's also why I've never been able to do a high ponytail, as the low crown pulls it down. I can only do a low ponytail at the nape of my neck.

URGENT - scalp hair pain can be a sign of Giant Cell Arteritis - the doctor said to my mother they were always told to beware “the patient who is pain when brushing their hair.” It’s the fifth cause of blindness in England. Not to panic you but having experienced this with my mum who is now partially sighted - I wish we had known. Go to your GP and mention.