Indignant, annoying pimples aren’t simply restricted to your face and physique: Scalp pimples is a really actual wrestle too—and could be a main headache to cope with. These breakouts aren’t as widespread as those in your chin, brow, or again, however “they’re not precisely uncommon both,” Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Premier Dermatology and Pores and skin Most cancers Middle in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, tells SELF. Give it some thought: You may have tons of hair follicles and oil-producing sebaceous glands in your scalp. And in the event that they get clogged with extra oil, useless pores and skin cells, and/or product buildup, it’s common for a number of pimples to pop up, Dr. Zubritsky explains.

Bear in mind, although, that not all scalp blemishes are essentially pimples. So earlier than you begin self-diagnosing, scroll under for every part it is advisable learn about zits on high of your head—together with the right way to deal with them, the right way to forestall them, and the way your styling merchandise could be contributing to the issue.

First, what’s scalp pimples?

Identical to the breakouts in your face, pimples in your scalp can take the type of whiteheads, papules (tiny flesh-colored bumps), and cysts round your hairline, roots, or the again of your neck, Howard Sobel, MD, scientific dermatologic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York Metropolis, tells SELF.

Nonetheless, in case you’re experiencing extra tender-to-touch or tremendous itchy bumps, you may very well have scalp folliculitis, not pimples. This pores and skin situation appears to be like fairly related, and a few of the remedy suggestions are the identical—like avoiding pore-blocking substances and frequently washing your hair. The primary distinction? Folliculitis exhibits up when hair follicles turn out to be infected (not simply clogged) from a bacterial or fungal an infection. Because of this, these spots are typically monomorphic (all the identical measurement), smaller, itchier, and extra painful than the common zit, Dr. Sobel explains.

What causes scalp pimples?

“Scalp pimples might be brought on by quite a few components, together with however not restricted to micro organism, hormones, and extra oil manufacturing,” Dr. Zubritsky says. And whereas head zits don’t essentially favor a sure hair kind or texture, Tiffany Clay-Ramsey, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Epiphany Dermatology in Atlanta, tells SELF that they’re extra widespread in people with skinny, straight strands—since that hair kind tends to be oilier (which in flip can result in congested pores). Equally, individuals with greasier roots on the whole usually tend to get pimples on their scalp.

Different doable culprits embody heavy hair care merchandise similar to gels, pomades, waxes, and hairsprays—all of which may set off pimples cosmetica (breakouts stemming from issues utilized on to the pores and skin), per the American Academy of Dermatology. Continuously carrying a hat might contribute to breakouts too—the friction can irritate your scalp and the fabric can lure oil and micro organism, Dr. Zubritsky says.

In additional extreme instances, annoying spots hiding in your hair could be a symptom of an underlying medical situation like lichen planopilaris (a type of alopecia), scalp psoriasis (itchy, scaly patches or plaques), and seborrheic dermatitis (scalp eczema). “That is very true in case you’re experiencing extra regarding issues like bleeding, flaking, or ache,” Dr. Zubritsky provides—wherein case, it’s finest to see a dermatologist for an correct prognosis.

The way to deal with scalp pimples at residence

No matter you do, “completely don’t squeeze or pop the pimples,” Dr. Sobel says. You run the danger of making open wounds, that are entry factors for micro organism. So, touching them together with your fingers can enhance your threat of an infection.