Burning oily scalp with painful red spots

[Pig benis]

Hi folks

I was wondering if anyone can help, I have had this problem going on for the past year which my doctors can't seem to get to the bottom on. What is happening is occasionally I will get these red bumps anywhere on my scalp for a few days and then they will randomly disappear. When the spots arise, my hair will become very greasy along with my forehead. The worst area is around my hair line. Once it is greasy the area around the front of my hairline will burn which is very uncomfortable, but the worst part is I notice hair falls out when this happens. Since it has started I have noticed a gap in the front of my hairline opening up, which it’s all I see when I look at a mirror but others have said that they haven’t noticed.

This is really a last resort for me. The burning sensation can be rather painful. I've seen a few doctors now and they just give me different drugs, but I don't believe how something which I swallow can directly help my scalp. Should I ask to speak with a specialist? If so, I'm not too sure who specialises in this sort of thing?

As for my diet, I do eat pretty well, I also play a lot of squash and go to the gym 3 times a week.

Thank you for any advice
PB

[BenM77]

I may be able to help!

This happened to me last year and I tried different shampoos etc to no avail. At 35 years old it was frustrating to get what felt like ingrown hairs on my scalp, some in the hairline at the brow and near the ears.

I thought about what it could be and google told me that spots on the forehead and in the hairline are usually down to diet. I thought about what I had changed and in the last six months I had started having cereal in the mornings after a long time of not drinking milk, I decided to cut milk from my diet and the spots have completely gone.

The reason it took so long to find is because the problem didn't arise straight away. My scalp is completely clear now

[steveT350C]

Scalp will be a dermatologist.

Hope you get it sorted

[MitchT]

1: Have a food sensitivity test. You'd be amazed how some foods can make your body react.
2: Stop using shampoos and shower gels that contain sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate. Difficult because most of them do, in fact I'm pretty sure all high street brands do. You can get SLS-free ones - my OH gets hers from Love Lula.

[Tribal Chestnut]

If you start to trot around with your large pig tool out folks mightn't notice your baldness and bonce acne.

I get an awfully dry scalp at this time of year, if it's any consolation. Stops me picking my nose though as I can eat the flakes.

[Driller]

Don't want to alarm you OP but I had exactly what you described when I was 18-19 and it was the prelude to my receding hair line.

[kev b]

If I consume cows milk my scalp will start to itch and flake, now as much as possible I avoid dairy food. As I have aged, cheese now upsets my digestion as well, it seems many humans aren't able to digest cows milk properly.

[Pig benis]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Tomorrow I will be making another appointment to see the doctor and I will be insisting to see a dermatologist. Today the spots have subsided quite a bit from my scalp, but it is still sore in one part (by my right ear).

I really do not want to loose my hair if this is what is happening. Partly because I know I will look stupid as even short hair doesn't suit me, but also none of my friends have lost their hair at all. Hence it making me very self-conscience. I'm a person who likes options, so I have looked into hair transplants which yes they are expensive, but the cost is nothing incomparrison to being miserable makes it sort of justifyable. But does this sort of procedure actually work?

Anyway I digress - I did start taking saw palmento tablets and my head scalp stopped hurting. Does anyone know where to get the shampoo version?

Thank you,
PB

[BenM77]

Do you drink a lot of milk?

Two of us who replied have had the same issue with milk and it can happen anytime. My scalp is completely clear now.

[Pig benis]

I drink soya milk if that counts?

BenM77 said:

Do you drink a lot of milk?

Two of us who replied have had the same issue with milk and it can happen anytime. My scalp is completely clear now.

[BenM77]

Pig benis said:

I drink soya milk if that counts?

BenM77 said:

Do you drink a lot of milk?

Two of us who replied have had the same issue with milk and it can happen anytime. My scalp is completely clear now.

How long have you been using soya milk ? Do you use it because you are allergic to dairy ?

A quick search says that soy is a top ten allergy, it would not be difficult to drop dairy and soy products for a few weeks to see what happens.

You will get help through your GP and a dermatologist but trying this would not hurt your diet and it could be quicker. Like I said in my first post, my scalp is completely clear now. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[kev b]

I will also add that my son was found to be dairy intolerant as a baby, after weeks of hell we swapped to soya milk which was a miracle cure,he was better in 24 hrs.

Unfortunately he soon became intolerant of soya milk as well with roughly the same symptoms especialy flaky, scaly skin. We ended up using a formula developed for people with cystic fibrosis which did the trick but cost £20 per small tub.

One other thing to consider, are you washing your hair with very hot water as this seemed to aggravate my scalp?

[Driller]

BenM77 said:

Do you drink a lot of milk?

Two of us who replied have had the same issue with milk and it can happen anytime. My scalp is completely clear now.

I guess you don't take milk protein supplements then? (I can't as I'm milk protein/lactose intolerant).

[BenM77]

Driller said:

BenM77 said:

Do you drink a lot of milk?

Two of us who replied have had the same issue with milk and it can happen anytime. My scalp is completely clear now.

I guess you don't take milk protein supplements then? (I can't as I'm milk protein/lactose intolerant).

No, never bothered with anything like that. My personal view is that they are not necessary but that's a whole different thread

I didn't use milk for years until deciding to have cereal in the mornings last year, the problem with my scalp was not instant hence why it took so long to find. I still have cheese but since stopping the milk my scalp is completely clear.

It also took maybe two weeks to clear up, these things are not instant which makes it harder to diagnose.

[Pig benis]

Thanks for all of the advice chaps.

So the past few weeks I have gone a bit mad with cereal. I am training a lot at the moment and after dinner I would always be hungry, so I would often get through 4 bowls of cereal in the evening. I would mainly use soya milk, but when that would run out I would have normal semi skinned milk. As of Monday I haven't had any milk of any sort and my scalp has improved. It is slightly sore at one point, but no where near as bad as the start of last week.

I'm seeing my doctor sometime next week and I will be asking to see a dermatologist. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of this.

[BenM77]

Pig benis said:

Thanks for all of the advice chaps.

So the past few weeks I have gone a bit mad with cereal. I am training a lot at the moment and after dinner I would always be hungry, so I would often get through 4 bowls of cereal in the evening. I would mainly use soya milk, but when that would run out I would have normal semi skinned milk. As of Monday I haven't had any milk of any sort and my scalp has improved. It is slightly sore at one point, but no where near as bad as the start of last week.

I'm seeing my doctor sometime next week and I will be asking to see a dermatologist. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of this.

Glad things are improving OP. It can catch you out because it is not instant but you can have problems with milk at any time, it will take more than a week to clear so it is good you are seeing improvements already