Scalp Acne Treatments

Scalp acne might not be visible to the rest of the world, but it can be painful and aggravating. Simple daily routines like running a comb or brush through your hair can cause you to wince with discomfort. Luckily, you don’t have to live with scalp acne just because it’s an uncommon type of acne. Choosing an effective scalp acne treatment will help prevent future pimples while getting rid of the acne you already have.

Causes of Scalp Acne

Scalp acne is usually caused by the same factors that cause other types of acne: excessive sebum (the technical name for skin oil), dead skin cells, and bacteria. All these factors can collect in the hair follicle. The bacteria, of course, irritate the pore and can even cause small infections, resulting in scalp acne. This problem can often be exacerbated by greasy hair.

Treatments for Scalp Acne

Scalp acne isn’t really the same as the outbreaks you find on your face, so the treatments will obviously differ. You wouldn’t want to apply a typical acne cleanser to your scalp, unless you are bald. If you don’t have any hair on your scalp, then technically you could consider choosing over-the-counter acne treatments designed for faces. Otherwise you’ll have to look into acne treatment shampoo.

It’s important to choose a shampoo that eliminates excess grease while also killing bacteria. Your typical shampoo might promise to wash away oil, but it doesn’t have the bacteria-fighting properties that you need to eliminate acne. Instead, you will have to choose a shampoo that is specifically designed for treating scalp acne.

Choosing a Scalp Acne

Proactiv offers a shampoo that effectively prevents scalp acne and dandruff. These two conditions often occur simultaneously because they are caused by the same factors (oil and bacteria). The scalp acne shampoo contains a 1 percent concentration of zinc pyrithione. This active ingredient is noted as one of the most effective dandruff treatments on the market. This shampoo doesn’t stop there. It also contains a variety of botanical extracts that will enrich your hair without causing excessive oil. These extracts include rosemary, chamomile, Echinacea, and calendula, which are all natural ingredients that have been used for centuries to improve health.

If you’re worried that your scalp treatment could leave your hair damaged, play it safe by using the Proactiv Herbal Treatment Antidandruff Conditioner as well. This product contains a very small concentration of zinc pyrithione (.3 percent) in addition to botanicals such as calendula, chamomile, and even aloe.

Using these two products simultaneously can help fend off scalp acne and dandruff so that you can look and feel your best.

Treating Forehead Acne

Those with scalp acne usually also have problems with forehead acne. You can treat acne in this area by choosing a benzoyl peroxide cleanser or spot treatment that contains either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Spot treatments are especially helpful for those who only have a couple pimples along the hairline. Those with a more severe outbreak should consider choosing a full cleansing system that will eliminate acne while preventing future outbreaks.