What Causes Itchy And Dry Scalp In An 8 Year Old Child?

Posted on Mon, 1 Aug 2016

Question: Dear Sir
My daughter is 8 years old and she has a very dry scalp.
She used to scratch a lot complaining it is itchy and I noticed flakes in her back near neck few days ago. She also had small bumps twice and they were gone, today I am seeing a lump and it is bleeding too.
I am so worried now that if it is a very serious condition. Could you let me know if this is a condition to be worried please? Thank you in advance for helping me with my question.

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Seems to be due to a fungal infection.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.

I have gone through your query and understand your concerns. Your daughter could be having seborrheic dermatitis which is a fungal infection of the scalp. Application of ketoconazole shampoo (available in brands like Nizoral) twice or thrice weekly should help in resolving the problem. As such it is not a serious problem but nevertheless it needs to be treated. You need not worry. Just follow the steps and things would be fine.

Regards

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar