Yellow or white flakes of skin from your scalp are called dandruff. It’s not contagious or serious, but can be tough to treat. Dandruff is usually a sign of seborrheic dermatitis, a skin condition that can also cause redness and irritation. Other culprits might be not shampooing often enough, dry skin, sensitivity to hair care products, and oily, irritated skin. If over the counter remedies don’t seem to help, your dermatologist can suggest other treatments to provide you with relief.

The good news is that this condition doesn’t usually seem to be uncomfortable for infants. It develops at between two weeks and 12 months of age, but the exact cause is not known. Symptoms include scaly red or crusty yellow patches on the scalp, though it may also start on the face or diaper area. It can spread to eyebrows and skin folds, like behind the ears, back of the neck and under the arms.

Treatment begins with cleansing the affected areas daily with a baby wash or no-tears baby shampoo. Removing the scales gently with a soft brush will help. If regular cleansing doesn’t seem to provide relief, your doctor may recommend other mild prescription solutions.

Be aware that this condition can sometimes cause irritation and infection in the diaper area or skin folds. Keep an eye on these spots and contact your doctor if the symptoms worsen or if the area feels warm, looks red, or drains fluid. These could be signs of an infection.

Children with atopic dermatitis may see the condition get better or go away as they get older.

Hives are red, raised, and very itchy bumps that can form on the scalp and anywhere on the skin. They can be as small as a pencil eraser to very large. The individual hives tend to appear and then disappear within 24 hours, during which time other hives can form. Sometimes, hives go away and come back.

If they come and go for less than six weeks, they’re called acute hives; longer than six weeks and they’re called chronic hives. They’re caused when a substance triggers your body’s immune system to release histamine. Some common triggers include medications, sunlight, certain foods, insect bites or stings, and stress.

The most important treatment for hives is avoiding what triggers them for you, if you’re able to determine what that is. Your dermatologist can diagnose hives and provide a variety of treatments such as antihistamine therapies, lotions, steroids, oral medications, phototherapy and injected medications.

If your throat, tongue or lips begin to swell, you may be developing angioedema, a complication of hives, and should seek medical attention right away.

Eczema is a term for various kinds of skin swelling and is also called dermatitis. The most common type is atopic dermatitis and is mainly seen in babies, though children and adults can develop it, as well.

Most kinds of eczema cause dry, itchy skin with rashes on the face, inside the elbows, behind the knees, and/or on the hands and feet. Scratching worsens the condition, turning the skin red and causing it to swell and itch even more.

Eczema may improve or worsen at intervals, but it often lingers for a long time and can be accompanied by hay fever and asthma. Eczema is not contagious and though its cause is not known, it’s likely triggered by both genetic and environmental factors.

Some things may irritate your skin and aggravate eczema – such as some soaps, fabrics and lotions – and should be avoided. Other factors that can cause or worsen eczema are allergic reactions and stress.

Consult your Advanced Dermatology dermatologist if eczema is affecting your ability to sleep or engage in daily activities, looks infected or if home remedies aren’t successful. We are skilled at diagnosing eczema/atopic dermatitis, and can offer a variety of treatment options, such as medicines, skin creams and IPL or other light therapies, to ease symptoms.

Scaly patches that spread over the scalp may be a sign of ringworm, a highly contagious fungal infection. It usually appears as itchy, red patches of lost and/or broken hair, and is most common in school-aged children. A dermatologist’s treatment is necessary to fight this infection and prevent it from spreading to others.

Shingles usually affects only a small section of your body at once, but that portion can be the scalp. Symptoms may include pain, burning, numbness or tingling, itching and sensitivity to touch. A red rash often develops with blisters that break open and crust over. Some people don’t develop a rash, while others might also experience fever, headache and fatigue.

The varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox, is the cause of shingles. Once you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in nerve tissue and may reactivate in later years as shingles. Singles is highly contagious to those who are not immune to chickenpox.

Seek prompt treatment from your dermatologist for shingles on the scalp. Care may include prescription anti-viral medications, pain medication and sometimes corticosteroids. Be cautious when brushing the hair so as not to scrape the rash or blisters. Scratching the scalp too hard can result in scarring that damages hair follicles.

While an intensely itchy scalp is more often a sign of lice, it can also be from scabies. The mite that causes scabies can burrow into your scalp, causing intense itching and little red bumps.

Your dermatologist will diagnose scabies and offer the prescription medication(s) required to eliminate the mites and eggs. Sometimes rash or itching will worsen over the first week of treatment, but your scalp should heal within four weeks. Sometimes people require more than one treatment to get rid of mites.

Like lice, scabies requires treatment of the individual affected, as well as the washing of clothes, bedding, towels and anything with which you have come into contact while infected. Because it’s so contagious, doctors may recommend treating the entire family or close contacts, even if they do not appear to be affected.