Sometimes when we touch our scalp with fingertips, especially in case of oily skin and if we are particularly careful, we might feel some very small sand grains. These are nothing but sebum leftovers, dandruff or “pollution” which lie on the scalp and prevent it from breathing properly.
Scalp buildup can occur when an oily secretion called sebum accumulates alongside sweat, hair products, and dead skin cells on the scalp.
What causes sand-like particles on my scalp? Scratching your scalp. Using dry shampoo. Using products on wet hair without dispersing them correctly. Adding heat to your hair. Using a curling iron or straightener.
Bumps on the scalp can result from various health issues, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, pilar cysts, hives, or ringworm. Some causes of bumps, such as skin cancer, require urgent medical attention. But often, a person can address the issue at home.
Piedra is the Spanish word for 'stone' and that is reflected in the appearance of this ailment. You'll find white, grey, or tan, pearly nodules surrounding your hair shaft. These are soft and loosely clump together on your hair. You'll find white Piedra on scalp hair, facial hair, and body hair.
Use a clarifying shampoo: Clarifying shampoos are designed to deep-clean your hair and scalp, removing buildup and impurities. Look for a clarifying shampoo that contains salicylic acid, which helps to break down sebum plugs.
Hair casts or pseudonits are 2-7 mm long, discrete, firm, shiny, white, freely movable tubular accretions that encircle the hair shafts of the scalp.
The presence of lice on your scalp, body, clothing, or pubic or other body hair. Adult lice may be about the size of a sesame seed or slightly larger. Lice eggs (nits) on hair shafts. Nits may be difficult to see because they're very tiny.
A seborrheic keratosis is a noncancerous (benign) growth on the skin. Its color can range from white, tan, brown, or black. Most are raised and appear "stuck on" to the skin. They may look like warts.
Sebaceous filaments are thin, threadlike appendages that line your sebaceous (oil) glands. They help move an oily lubricant called sebum from the glands to the surface of your skin.
You've probably heard that squeezing or picking at a pimple is not a great idea, and the same goes for sebum plugs. By squeezing, you can push the contents deeper into the skin or break the pimple open, which allows the bacteria inside the pimple to spread and any bacteria on your hands to enter the pore.
White piedra is a rare superficial fungal infection of the hair shaft. It can affect people of any age and tends to occur in temperate regions of the world. Shaving the affected area and completing a short course of a topical antifungal can treat white piedra.
Sometimes when we touch our scalp with fingertips, especially in case of oily skin and if we are particularly careful, we might feel some very small sand grains. These are nothing but sebum leftovers, dandruff or “pollution” which lie on the scalp and prevent it from breathing properly.
Favus (Latin – honeycomb)
Favus is a chronic inflammatory skin infection. Tends to affect the scalp, but may cause nail pitting or deterioration and affects glaborous skin.
If the person has adult lice or nits, you will see the following: Adult lice: These look like one or more light-brown objects that resemble sesame seeds, often moving quickly. You can find these on the scalp or the hair.
Pilar cysts grow around hair follicles and usually appear on the scalp. They are small yellow, white, or discolored bumps that may be round or dome-shaped. They grow slowly and may disappear on their own, or a doctor can remove them. A cyst is a small fluid-filled lump that forms under the skin.
Chia seeds are bursting with essential amino acids and they do some great work from inside the scalp. They inhibit hair fall and give a boost to new hair growth. They also help fight inflammation. Zinc and copper prevent thinning of hair, thus helping hair growth.
hair stone (countable and uncountable, plural hair stones) (mineralogy) Clear quartz crystal containing coloured filaments caused by impurities. Particular kinds are sometimes known as Venus's hair stone or Thetis's hair stone.
White piedra is a superficial fungal infection of hair caused by Trichosporon species. It presents clinically as white nodules encasing the hair shafts and may lead to increased fragility. It can usually be differentiated easily from clinically similar conditions based on clinical and microbiologic features.
These threads appear as thin filamentous fibers that can be red, blue, white, or black. If present in clusters, they can be seen with the naked eye.
The overproduction of sebum can cause scalp buildup. If left untreated, it can lead to symptoms and complications. Home remedies like regular hair washing, exfoliating, and avoiding harsh chemicals are key to preventing scalp buildup. If you have scalp buildup that won't go away, see your healthcare provider.
Microcomedones are the smallest of all acne blemishes. These comedones are invisible to the naked eye and are the “seeds” from which larger comedones form.