21 Twitchy, Itchy Explanations for Why Your Scalp Itches

The itching is a symptom, not a condition

There it is again—that tingling feeling up top. How good would it feel to just reach up and rake your fingernails across that scalp of yours a few times? But you don’t dare because once you start, it’s so hard to stop. As Harvard-trained dermatologist, Khalil A. Khatri, MD admits, “Once you get into the “itch-scratch-itch cycle, it’s difficult to get out of it.” It’s vexing when your head itches not only because it’s so hard not to scratch, but also because it’s usually a symptom of something else. So what does it mean when your head itches? Fear not. There are many reasons why your head itches, we were assured by Dana R. Brewer, PA, a physician’s assistant with a specialty in dermatology, and most of them are a cinch to treat. (And here are eight other things your hair is trying to tell you about your health.)