Despite a good wash, many people tend to have an itchy scalp — something which gets aggravated during the summer months. While it may seem harmless, experts warn against neglecting it (which could lead to scarring and permanent hair loss), and instead suggest getting it examined along with reassessing one’s hair care routine.
Hot, sweaty conditions, frequent scratching, tugging-twisting of hair, tight pulling hairstyles like ponytails, braids, use of tight hugging hats and helmets, frequent oil massages, head shaving practice, use of oils, comedogenic hair sprays and applications can all cause scalp folliculitis, which is a bacterial or fungal infection of damaged follicles.
Some other kinds of scalp folliculitis, such as bacterial folliculitis, can erupt when the yeast that is present in the follicles is exasperated due to changes in the season or excess oil secretion.
It can be associated with seborrheic dermatitis (overgrowth of a type of yeast called Malassezia which leaves white flakes on the scalp) which is seen commonly in people from 18 to 50 years of age, in both males and females.