{"id":62287,"date":"2023-12-26T16:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T21:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=62287"},"modified":"2024-10-25T10:20:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T14:20:30","slug":"sore-scalp-causes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/sore-scalp-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why does my scalp hurt? Related conditions and treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"

The most common causes of scalp pain and tenderness are inflammation, headaches, nerve-related diseases, and fungal infections. And, in people who have a sensitive scalp, some irritants in hair products like shampoos, relaxers, soaps, oil, dyes, and even changes in weather can contribute to that feeling of pain. Depending on the cause, scalp pain may feel like pressure or a numbing, stabbing, or burning pain. It may also feel itchy or like a tingling sensation. Symptoms that may accompany scalp pain include headaches, itchiness, scaly patches, and dandruff.<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes scalp pain?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Anything that activates the pain receptors in a person’s scalp or head can trigger scalp pain. The causes of scalp pain differentiated by origin include headache disorders, vascular disorders like temporal arteritis, skin inflammation and infections, and environmental and lifestyle factors.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Nerve conditions<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Nerve-related scalp pain can come from conditions like occipital neuralgia or trigeminal neuralgia, where nerves in the scalp become irritated or inflamed, leading to sharp or shooting pain,” says Andrei P. Gherghina, MD, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of <\/span>OCEANS dermatology<\/span><\/a> in Boynton Beach, Florida. Occipital neuralgia is a headache disorder that causes sharp burning pain or shock-like pain in the upper neck and head. <\/span>Trigeminal neuralgia<\/span><\/a> is an electric shock-like pain that is felt on the face. Both nerve conditions can trigger pain sensations in the scalp. <\/span>Shingles<\/span><\/a> is yet another source of scalp pain arising from angry nerve endings, but it is accompanied by a blistering rash.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Nummular headaches<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nummular headaches<\/span><\/a> are sometimes referred to as coin-shaped headaches because they’re characterized by pain that is prominent on a small coin-shaped area on any part of the scalp. The cause is unknown. The scalp pain varies from mild to moderate and, occasionally, severe. Pain may be pressure-like, stabbing, or burning. Nummular headaches can be periodic or chronic—subjects in one study averaged three attacks per day with a frequency of 10 affected days per month. <\/span><\/p>\n

3. Tension headaches<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tension in the muscles between the head and neck may cause mild to moderate headaches, known as <\/span>tension headaches<\/span><\/a>, and it may eventually lead to pain in the scalp. It is characterized by dull, pressure-like pain felt all around the head but more severe in the scalp, temples, or back of the neck. Tension headaches can be caused by <\/span>stress<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>depression<\/span><\/a>, head injury, <\/span>anxiety<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>sinus infections<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>flu<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>smoking<\/span><\/a>, and dental problems. It can affect anyone of any age but is mostly seen in older teens and adults. Additionally, women have a higher risk of tension headaches.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Temporal arteritis<\/span><\/h3>\n

Temporal arteritis<\/span><\/a> is a condition that occurs when there is inflammation, swelling, tenderness, or damage to the blood vessels (temporal arteries) that supply blood to the head, neck, upper body, and arms. It is also known as giant cell arteritis and is more prevalent in people with an inflammatory condition called polymyalgia rheumatica. Temporal arteritis may be characterized by symptoms such as scalp tenderness or sensitive scalp, throbbing headache on one side or at the back of the head, jaw pain, and vision loss. This condition has no known cause, but it may have an underlying cause that has been linked to immune reactions, infections, and gene mutation. Temporal arteritis requires immediate medical attention and treatment to prevent vision loss and blood vessel damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Folliculitis<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the causes of scalp pain is <\/span>folliculitis<\/span><\/a>. “Folliculitis is inflammation of the hair follicles, which is usually caused by bacteria or fungi,” Dr. Gherghina says. “If you have scalp folliculitis, you may have itchy lesions on the scalp that may become sore and crusty from constant scratching. Overall, the outlook for recovery is good with appropriate care,” Dr. Gherghina says. <\/span><\/p>\n

6. Seborrheic dermatitis<\/span><\/h3>\n

Seborrheic dermatitis<\/span><\/a> is a common inflammatory skin disease that affects oily parts of the body, including the scalp, back, chest, and face. Seborrheic dermatitis causes dry, itchy, and inflamed scaly patches to form on the scalp. The itchiness and inflammation may cause scalp pain. The noninflammatory version is known as dandruff. There are other types of dermatitis that could cause scalp pain as well:<\/span><\/p>\n