A dry, flaky scalp can be itchy, irritating and unsightly. Because it has a variety of possible causes, it's best to seek diagnosis from your doctor or dermatologist. In the meantime, you may get some relief by abstaining from scratching your scalp, applying a cold compress, soaking your scalp in bath water with baking soda or colloidal oatmeal added in, and switching to dye-free, unscented hair products, advises Columbia University on its Go Ask Alice! website.
Eczema
Eczema is a family of inflammatory skin conditions generally characterized by flaky, dry skin that may also be red, itchy, scaly, painful or oozing. A few types of eczema can cause a dry, flaky scalp.
Atopic dermatitis, the most severe and persistent type of eczema, affects more than 30 million people in the U.S., according to the National Eczema Association. It often manifests on the inside of the elbows and knees, but can appear anywhere on the body.
Seborrheic dermatitis is another type of eczema that affects the scalp. In many instances, dandruff is a form of this condition, notes the American Academy of Dermatology on its EczemaNet website. Flakes generally come from scaling skin.
Contact dermatitis develops from skin's chronic exposure to an irritant or allergen. Shampoo or hair styling products may trigger this condition, causing a dry, flaky scalp. Typically, dyes and perfumes in the products are responsible, explains Columbia University.
Dandruff
Dandruff is a common condition causing a dry, flaky scalp. While it is often a byproduct of a type of eczema, it also results from weather-related dry skin, psoriasis, failure to shampoo the hair and scalp regularly or overgrowth of the naturally occurring malassezia fungus, according to MayoClinic.com. Daily shampooing, particularly with a product formulated to treat dandruff, often clears up the condition. Try a shampoo made with zinc pyrithione, coal tar, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid or ketoconazole.
Psoriasis
About half of all people with the most common type of psoriasis, plaque psoriasis, experience breakouts of the condition on the scalp, states the American Academy of Dermatology on its PsoriasisNet website. The entire scalp can be affected, or flare-ups may occur in a localized spot. Skin on the scalp may also be red, thickened, scaly, itchy, bleeding, burning, sore or losing its hair.
Scalp Ringworm
Scalp ringworm, otherwise known as tinea capitis, is not actually a worm; rather, it is a fungal infection related to others such as athlete's foot and jock itch. Flaky skin may be tender and red or grayish, and hair often breaks near the surface of the skin, becomes brittle or falls out easily, explains MayoClinic.com. The infection is treatable with a regimen of prescription griseofulvin or terbinafine hydrochloride.
