Hair care: how to treat and prevent pimples and breakouts on the scalp

Some folks seem awfully surprised when they experience what looks and feels like acne--on their scalp. It shouldn't be so surprising, however. After all, the scalp is covered with skin. The skin is topped with hair. With hair and skin follicles come pores, and a multitude of opportunities for them to become clogged. Clogged pores lead to breakouts.

Typically not as troublesome as facial breakouts, such scalp issues are still uncomfortable. They can cause the skin to grow tender. Once drying, they become flaky and often litter the scalp with flakes of dandruff. A few simple steps can treat such breakouts effectively. They require minimal effort, and most often include products you already have in your home.

Soda water is great for drying scalp pimples. It's all natural and if used only occasionally, it shouldn't cause any unnecessary drying. Shampoo hair as usual. Towel dry and comb. Pour a 32 ounce bottle of cold soda water over your head and massage into scalp. Rinse with warm water.

If breakouts are frequent, try white vinegar as a treatment option. Again, this is a purely natural treatment, and with exception to the smell, is mild on the scalp. Follow the same steps used with the soda water treatment. After rinsing the vinegar out, you may wish to shampoo again with something mild like baby shampoo. This will help eliminate the strong scent of the vinegar.

Baby powder is helpful in treating breakouts on the scalp, but you'll want to consider this treatment either before bed, or some time when leaving the house isn't an immediate concern. Sprinkle a generous amount of baby powder--preferably unscented--onto your head and massage into your scalp. The powder will help to absorb excess oils and will aid in drying up the pimples. Thoroughly brush the baby powder out of your hair the next morning--or several hours after the treatment. Follow with a mild shampoo.

Avoiding scalp breakouts is as important as treating them. Keep hair clean and oil free. During summer months excess sweat can clog pores and cause more breakouts than usual. It is very important, however, not to over wash your hair. This can cause drying or irritation, and both of these can lead to scalp breakouts.

Sometimes harsh shampoos cause breakouts. Try using one with a milder detergent base. Baby shampoo is a good choice.

Too much conditioner is sometimes the culprit when pimples appear on your scalp. Be sure your conditioner isn't oily. Then make sure to thoroughly rinse it out after use. If these steps don't work, consider trying a product that includes both shampoo and conditioner in one step, or simply avoiding conditioner for a few days. When you resume using it, try conditioning hair every other day instead of daily.

These simple steps should help prevent or treat unpleasant breakouts on your scalp. In addition, they will help with general maintenance of your hair, resulting in shiny, healthy locks.