Sensitive Scalp: Does This Condition Exist? An Epidemiological Study
March 2008
in “
Contact Dermatitis
”
TLDR Nearly half of the French individuals surveyed reported having a sensitive scalp, more common in women, often linked to hair loss and symptoms like itching, and triggered by factors including shampoos and pollution.
The epidemiological study, which included 1011 French individuals, found that 44.2% reported having a sensitive scalp, with a higher prevalence in women (47.4%) than in men (40.8%). Scalp sensitivity was linked to hair loss, with 11.5% of sensitive scalp individuals also reporting an associated scalp disease, compared to 1.1% without scalp sensitivity. Symptoms such as prickling, itching, and burning or pain were more common among those with a sensitive scalp. The study identified pollution, heat, emotions, and shampoos as main triggers, with shampoos being implicated in 49% of cases. The study concluded that scalp sensitivity is a frequent condition that shares common triggers with skin sensitivity, and it may be related to trichodynia. Further research is needed to better understand and define scalp sensitivity.
