DD has incredibly itchy scalp?? Allergies?

[Ann.without.an.e]

It has been driving her crazy for a week.  It isn't lice, I've checked and checked her head.  It is clean, very clean.  No rash, no bumps, no bugs, no dry skin/dandruff, etc.  Last night I gave her Claritin and it was better for almost 24 hours.  So I guess it is an allergy?  It has come out of no where, so suddenly.  Any experiences or thoughts on what is causing this reaction?

Edited November 7, 2016 by Attolia

[prairiewindmomma]

This is an allergy thing for me.  It is the most uncomfortable itchiness ever.  I take zyrtec (cetirizine) daily to manage it, and if I forget it for more than a day or two, the itchiness is back.

[Mrs_JWM]

There are anti-itch shampoos that work well.

 

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[1GirlTwinBoys]

Have you changed shampoos or hair products recently?  Once I tried using a more natural shampoo that I got at Whole Foods Mkt and my head started itching like crazy after using it for a while.  It was crazy!  I switched back to a regular salon shampoo and it went away.

[Greta]

If she changed shampoo around the time this started, check the label for lauryl sulfates. Laureth sulfates are fine, but lauryl sulfates make me itch like crazy.

[MercyA]

I get this when my body is overloaded with histamine. I sometimes get hives from heat or stress, and itchiness of the scalp often precedes the hives. Antihistamines like Zyrtec and a low-histamine diet are most helpful for me. 

[Forget-Me-Not]

It seems to be an allergy/eczema thing for me. My hairdresser suggested lathering my hair with dandruff shampoo (I use Matrix Biolage Scalp Sync) and leaving it on for ~5 min while I wash the rest of my body.  It made a huge difference for me. 

Edited November 7, 2016 by Forget-me-not

[Suzanne in ABQ]

If she changed shampoo around the time this started, check the label for lauryl sulfates. Laureth sulfates are fine, but lauryl sulfates make me itch like crazy.

 

 

Really?  Laureth Sulfates is terrible on my head.  It actually hurts.  If I persist, then I start losing my hair in handfuls.  I avoid Sodium Laureth Sulfate like the plague.  :)

 

I haven't seen sodium lauryl sulfate in many years (Prell had it, and Pert).  The Laureth molecule is large, and not supposed to be able to penetrate skin cells, but it still bothers me.  

[Laurel-in-CA]

Scalpicin helps me with itching.

[Greta]

Really? Laureth Sulfates is terrible on my head. It actually hurts. If I persist, then I start losing my hair in handfuls. I avoid Sodium Laureth Sulfate like the plague. :)

 

I haven't seen sodium lauryl sulfate in many years (Prell had it, and Pert). The Laureth molecule is large, and not supposed to be able to penetrate skin cells, but it still bothers me.

Wow, that's weird that we have such different reactions. I haven't checked in awhile, but Pantene and several other major brands used to have SLS. Ammonium lauryl sulfates also bother me, though, so it's certainly possible I'm thinking of that instead.

[lailasmum]

I struggle with shampoo. It makes me really itchy and it's got to the point where it's basically all shampoos to some degree it doesn't matter which detergents they contain though for a while there where some that caused me less symptoms. An alternative could be a conditioning cleanser but you need to get one that is just that. Some still sneak in a little shampoo.

Edited November 7, 2016 by lailasmum

[lollie010]

My DD has this. It's always worse at night. She gets hives often. It became unbearable when her doctor put her on Prevacid. It's apparently a common reaction. Nothing helps.

[prairiewindmomma]

zyrtec/claritin/etc counter one type of histamine; prevacid, zantac, etc. counter a different type of histamine. If your allergies are particularly strong, it's not uncommon to take both types of meds.

[Joules]

I struggle with shampoo. It makes me really itchy and it's got to the point where it's basically all shampoos to some degree it doesn't matter which detergents they contain though for a while there where some that caused me less symptoms. An alternative could be a conditioning cleanser but you need to get one that is just that. Some still sneak in a little shampoo.

 

I got to that point with all shampoos.  I would become allergic within a couple of months.  The allergist recommended Vanicream products.  They are available on the retail market (amazon, etc.) and not just at the doctor's office now.  I've been using their Free and Clear Shampoo and Conditioner for years now without becoming allergic. 

https://www.psico.com/product/free-and-clear-shampoo/

[kbutton]

I get this when my body is overloaded with histamine. I sometimes get hives from heat or stress, and itchiness of the scalp often precedes the hives. Antihistamines like Zyrtec and a low-histamine diet are most helpful for me. 

 

Me too, and it's completely independent of the shampoo. It will come and go for days at a time, but it's always worse later in the day and the evening. 

 

OP, if this seems to be unrelated to the shampoo, per se, you might look into mast cell activation disorder. Chronic Pain Partners has some good webinars on the topic.

 

Also, if you use herbal shampoos, sometimes the ingredients in the shampoo are things that people are allergic to as plants (or close relatives), but they don't really think about the beauty product side of things--chamomile and echinacea are examples of things that can make people itch. Chamomile is in tons of stuff, and people who are allergic to ragweed can have a big problem with it.