Easy ways to ditch an itchy scalp

While the rains fill the air with romance, your closet with umbrellas and your wardrobe with pop-hued gum boots, it’s a big downer for your skin. Like every shift in season, monsoon also begets beauty ailments, no matter how hard you try to avoid them.

Itchy scalp

Dryness is not only a winter problem, irritable skin can also be a result of humidity in the air. A common problem many of us face is dandruff or a flaky scalp that comes off in your hand when you try to itch. If the dandruff falls on your face, it can lead to acne and oilinduced pimples. “Dandruff is a reaction to the fungus that naturally lives on the skin and the scalp. It causes skin flaking, itching and oily scalp. Look for a shampoo that contains coal tar. This element (included in a lot of medicated shampoos available online and across cosmetic stores) will exfoliate the dead skin cells and reduce the inflammation caused by dandruff,” says dermatologist Kiran Lohia. Dermatologist and hair expert Sonia Mangal adds, “The excessive dandruff may extend to eyebrows, eyelashes, behind the ears and sometimes, even the chest. Apart from smart shampooing, avoid excessive oiling.”

DIY cures

Start curbing an itchy scalp at home. “Apply a mixture of onion, garlic and apple cider vinegar on your scalp and wash it off. Also, wash your towel, comb and pillow cover using a mild detergent, then dip them in antiseptic solution, rinse and dry under the sun after every hairwash to do away with infections,” advises beauty expert Ishika Taneja. Mangal suggests, “Include certain ingredients in your hair packs. Aloe vera is anti-inflammatory. Lemon is also useful, as it has citric and acetic acids that have great antiseptic, anti-inflammatory properties. Lohia adds, “Dilute a few drops of tea tree oil in castor oil and apply it to the scalp once or twice a week.”