Scalp Acne - Causes and Natural, Non Prescription Treatments You Can Make and Use at Home

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Many people are quite surprised when they find that acne, bumps, or pimples have moved from their face and onto their scalps. Your first reaction may be "how in the world could I possibly get acne on my scalp?" Simply, because your scalp is an extension of your skin and you can get acne or pimples wherever you have skin.

Causes: Scalp acne (the medical term is scalp folliculitis) is sometimes (but not always) caused by the same things that cause pimples on your forehead, face, or body.

Many people incorrectly assume that those who have acne form on their scalps do so because of a build up of dirt and oil or by dropping the ball hygienically. The opposite is sometimes true, as shampoos, hair loss / hair growth and cleansing products that we sometimes use on our hair can severely irritate our scalps and the result is sores, acne, or pimples. Some people can even have a severe allergic reaction to these products and acne is the result of this.

Sometimes, scalp acne really can develop as the result of a build up of or excess sebum or oil production, or DHT (the substance that causes male pattern baldness) on the scalp. In this case, people sometimes make the mistake of thinking that if an oily scalp is the problem, then the solution must be to use harsh shampoos made just for oily hair. This could be a big mistake because such products can either irritate your scalp more or dry it out, causing it to be red and itchy on top of the pimples.

Keep in mind that sebum and oil are produced by your sebaceous glands to protect your scalp. So, if you pour harsh or irritating chemicals on your head, your sebaceous glands are going to go into over drive in protest. This could very likely worsen the acne, which is unfortunately what you were trying to treat in the first place.

Natural, Safe Treatments For Scalp Acne That Won't Irritate The Skin Or Make The Problem Worse: Now that we've discussed the most common causes, it's easier to see that any treatment should both clean the scalp and treat the acne without being irritating, clogging, or putting the sebaceous glands into overdrive.

I know it's common to treat acne on the scalp with products that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, but if you're skin is sensitive (which may be the reason for the acne in the first place) these treatments may just make your problem worse and injure your scalp further.

There are many natural substances that are both safe and effective for your hair and scalp and any acne they may contain. You can make and use these at home without a prescription. (Although it's always a good idea to ask your doctor if you have questions or concerns.) Some examples are tea tree oil, juniper berry, chaparral, burdock root (and its tea), chamomile flower (and its tea), eucalyptus, golden seal root, and neem oil, to name only a few. Typically these are added to a carrier oil (like jojoba) and / or diluted to safe, non irritating levels and applied directly.

You can get these natural scalp treatments in any health food store (and in many large grocery and discount stores) and online. Which of these will be most effective for you will depend greatly on the cause and severity of the problem.

The good news is when used correctly (and sometimes in combination), these natural treatments can be very effective, very gentle, and very soothing for most scalp problems (including acne and inflammation) and they can even be added to gentle, PH neutral shampoos if you don't feel like starting from scratch.