For children and infants, dry scalp is a very common condition. There are several causes of a dry and flaky scalp, such as atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Here are some explanations concerning those causes:
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is a reactive type, stimulant skin situation that often affects children and the symptoms can be seen as asthma, seasonal allergies or hay fever. This dry scalp type also happens more to children who suffer from asthma or allergies. Atopic dermatitis causes itchy sensation, scaling plaques, and red skin which are mostly found on the spine. Apart from that, legs and arms are usually involved to clarify the diagnosis.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis is typified by oily scales and skin redness or erythema. This situation is a general cause of oily dandruff in adults and children. It takes place frequently on the scalp, but also occurs on the ears, face, neck, and in the diaper area.
Seborrheic dermatitis is typified by oily scales and skin redness or erythema. This situation is a general cause of oily dandruff in adults and children. It takes place frequently on the scalp, but also occurs on the ears, face, neck, and in the diaper area.
Cradle Cap
Cradle cap commonly happens in the first three months of an infant's life. Newborn babies have a big possibility to get a scaly, oily and flaky scalp. Cradle cap is considered as a form of seborrheic dermatitis, identical to dandruff in adults, and sometimes it is also known as pityriasis capitis. Cradle cap is an unsightly situation but not contagious to the baby.
Nevertheless, there is a condition which is similar to cradle cap that happens in a scarce disease known as Langerhans cell histiocytosis or Letterer-Siwe. Most of the children will have oily dandruff-like on the scalp area, groin and face. Different with common seborrheic dermatitis, most of the infected areas of the skin have tiny red dots or petechial. Infected children get fevers, enlarged livers, swollen lymph nodes and spleens as well.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a regular chronic skin disease which is usually typified by red bumps or erythematous papules and skin plaques covered with silver scales, even though other presentations develop. Most psoriasis cases are not that extreme and can be handled by appropriate treatment such as outpatient setting. However, an extreme life-threatening disease requires hospital’s management or treatment.
A family history is included as a feature that is able to suggest a psoriasis diagnosis. Apart from that, skin findings with no or even mild itching is also included, as well as the lesions localization to the knees, elbows, and lower back. Psoriasis often takes place at sites of serious wound and in skin folds. At the time psoriasis infects the scalp, it is regularly formed in different patches rather than spreading across the scalp.
There are variant causes of non-contagious dry scalp in infants and children. It is quite difficult to tell whether it is a kind of contagious one (which requires treatment) or non-contagious (which will resolve with time). Children with extreme flaking or scaling scalp rashes should be treated by an experienced medical professional to demand an accurate diagnosis.