Sore Scalp :( HELP!

[legallycurly]

Hi ladies! So, I've been on my hair care journey for a little over 6 weeks. The biggest change I've made is laying off blowdrying/flat ironing and wearing wash n go's. Lately, I've noticed that my scalp is sore (like when you wear your hair parted one way for a long time, then try to wear it parted another way and its sore the first few days). Anybody experience this? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[chocolatedoll18]

bump because i do low manipulation styles and dont comb until i wash once every week and my scalp gets sore too

 

[silenttullip]

you may be scrubbing too hard when you poo? or your scalp may not like the poo or cowash you use. When something is stripping to my scalp it will get sore

bump

 

[Emz Forever]

Bumping for more responses cos I have been experiencing this too...

 

[supermodelsonya]

Sounds like a growth spurt. My hair isn't parted any kind of way and when my scalp gets really sore like that, I always get a really good growth spurt. Look in my albums here for evidence. My scalp was hurting like crazy in December after I made SL. BY January of this year, I shot well past that mark.

 

[Emz Forever]

Sounds like a growth spurt. My hair isn't parted any kind of way and when my scalp gets really sore like that, I always get a really good growth spurt. Look in my albums here for evidence. My scalp was hurting like crazy in December after I made SL. BY January of this year, I shot well past that mark.

@ bolded - goody goody gosh, I hope you are right

 

[supermodelsonya]

@ bolded - goody goody gosh, I hope you are right

It's been a bit of a debate here over the years and on other boards.

There are those that claim you can't feel when hair grows and others that claim that they can. But when I get a growth spurt, it's no denying it. The proof is in the pudding when I take progress shots.

 

[Emz Forever]

It's been a bit of a debate here over the years and on other boards.

There are those that claim you can't feel when hair grows and others that claim that they can. But when I get a growth spurt, it's no denying it. The proof is in the pudding when I take progress shots.

Well I am 5 months post now, and am due to relax soon-ish (I keep changing my mind, lol) but I will def let you know whether mine turned out to be a growth spurt.

 

[curlyninjagirl]

Unfortunately, there is no scientific proof that hair growth can have "spurts". I sooooo wanted that be true cuz the other day I noticed a tender spot just under my crown for no apparent reason.

I tried to google the reason this happens and I'm coming up with a lot of sites that talk about bacteria around the hair follicle just underneath the scalp. This sounds like the most logical explanation besides styles that cause tension. **Shrug**

 

[ycj1]

If that's the case I have growth spurts all the time. My scalp stays sore for some reason. I took my braids out the begininning of this month and my scalp is just now getting back to it's normal feel. My scalp has been so sore for the past 2 weeks. I've decided to give it a rest from the braids for a couple of months.

I've oiled my scalp trying to relieve the soreness but with me time itself is the only thing that seems to help the soreness fade away.

I don't really know if its a growth spurt or not but I know that soreness is no joke tho!

 

[Kindheart]

Perhaps you re allergic to something you re using .I ve had a bruisy kind of feeling on my scalp before as if someone pulled it too hard ,I was using some growth aids from l oreal that gave me an allergic reaction .
Growth spurts are a bit of a myth but who knows ..

 

[Boujoichic]

That bacteria at the follicle someone mentioned sounds scary. I dont get a sore scalp but I would try putting a little tea tree oil in my leave in and make sure it gets on my scalp. It feels refreshing and is antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal.

 

[Emz Forever]

Hmm....interesting points. I just took my braids out a week ago so maybe that could be the reason. Except my scalp wasnt sore with the braids in, so I didnt think my scalp would react with soreness when they were taken out. Sigh... the investigation continues...

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

I only get a sore scalp when my hair grows. I never believed it either but If I measure right after it's sore, my 1/2in is there. It's weird.

 

[Spiffy]

Perhaps you re allergic to something you re using .I ve had a bruisy kind of feeling on my scalp before as if someone pulled it too hard ,I was using some growth aids from l oreal that gave me an allergic reaction .
Growth spurts are a bit of a myth but who knows ..

This is what it was for me. I had a sore burning scalp that would crust; it was horrible. Turns out, I'm allergic to coconut oil.

 

[legallycurly]

This is what it was for me. I had a sore burning scalp that would crust; it was horrible. Turns out, I'm allergic to coconut oil.

how did you figure out you were allergic to coconut oil?

 

[leleepop]

My scalp does best when i wash once to twice a week. I cant go any longer than a week or ill get sore,itchy scalp.hth
ETA: i also find i cant put too many products directly on my scalp.

 

[FebeeSigns]

Sounds like a fungus/bacteria problem or perhaps an allergy.

 

[Nayna]

Yea I don't know about no growth spurt. My scalp has been so sore lately that I was scratching in my sleep Gave myself a flippin' scab. I have highlights so I think I would notice if I've had a growth spurt. Since it has gotten so bad I have been only shampooing with Giovanni Tea treat weekly and letting it sit on my scalp. It feels so much better.

 

[divachyk]

My hair is tender where I part it although I move the parts around. I don't pull and tug at my hair all that much although I bun daily and I don't have the pony too tight. The soreness increases if I try to change the direction that I lay my hair. The soreness comes and goes but never uncovered why.

 

[chiconya]

Well in Shamboosie's book "Beautiful Black Hair" he talked about how the curly hair strands is trying to push through the scalp follicle and it could be painful. Also he mentioned how the hair can dig in the scalp. I had soreness soon after washing my hair more frequently and just taking care of my hair better.

I find that it hurts more when I airdry and my newgrowth is all coarse. But when I blow dry it doesn't hurt cause the hair is lying flat and not digging in my scalp.

I get sore scalp from my hair growing only in the crown though where my hair is the coarsest. Just this morning I added a few drops of lavender and tea tree oil essential oils to some pure coconut oil to massage my scalp. That is my natural cure just in case it is a fungus or something, no use in taking chances plus it's healing oils. I've been dry massaging my scalp a lot too it helps calm it down.

Has gentle massage helped any?

All that co-washing may be causing growth.

The jury is still out for me on whether or not leaving the hair/scalp wet for long periods causes fungus/bacteria on the scalp/itchy scalp (I'm suspicious)

 

[gn1g]

I too have a very tender sore scalp today. Sometimes I get a "hot spot" or a very sharp sore spot in my head and I have found it comes from stress.

My remedy has been

iodine or aloe vera juice directly from the leaf.

 

[Imani]

I get sore scalp in what I call my "stress area" although i don't think its actually related to stress. my hair gets this funny sore feeling in the middle back of my head just above the nape. It gets really bad in the winter, bc it gets aggravated even more with the dryness. This is the spot where my hair has constantly been breaking off over the years. Its much thinner than the rest of my hair. And its the reason why I decided to go natural. When I was relaxed, my hair would be in this cycle of growing out for a few months (usu spring or summer) and by Christmas in that spot, I would literally have about an inch or less of hair. So far, since I stopped relaxing it is doing better, but only time will tell.