Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Autumnlady on February 06, 2017, 02:40:42 PM
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Hi
does anyone suffer from a sore, tender scalp? I have had this on and off for several years. I don't feel it unless I touch my hair and lift it up. My scalp is very dry but the hairdresser says I don't have dandruff. If I touch play about with my hair the skin flushes easily. It's on the top of my scalp and not round the sides or back. My hair is quite thick.
I am wondering if it's due to hormones or lack of one?
I have switched to using Simple Shampoo and conditioner and still waiting to see if I get results.
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My scalp becomes sore if I don't wash my hair often enough ::)
Have you tried drying your hair with a warm towel wrapped round rather than rubbing?
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Hi Autumnlady, hope you're well!
I don't know whether this is a constant with you at the moment BUT this is another prodrome and postdrome symptom for me in migraine. My scalp feels tender, just like how it feels if your parting had been put in the wrong place, a sort of aching tugging feeling. If it's not constant could it be a symptom of your silent migraine? x
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Hi CLKD
99% of the time I wash my hair every other day so I had wondered if I was over washing it, but I found the same as you in that if I left it longer the scalp pain was worse. It's a bit of a mystery and I have tried several things to remedy it. I blow dry on a medium heat and also use hair straighteners. These are very hot but I don't feel my hair is burning my scalp at the time.
I am careful when patting with the towel. I suppose this is something to ask my doctor about when I next go as it is here more often than not.
Hi Elizabethrose
I am not too bad thank you. How are you?
The tenderness is there more often than not to be honest so it's probably not to do with the migraine. Incidentally, only last week I found out my older brother has those aura migraines and has done since he was a child. I new he had migraines but not the aura. Then I found out from a cousin that she too has the aura without a headache and hers started after menopause like mine have. I remember my mum saying her mum had terrible migraines which put her out for days, but I don't know if this was the aura type and there's nobody to ask now. So it looks like it is something from mum's side of the family. I am trying not to be so scared if I get another but it has really frightened me and even made me a little agoraphobic in case it happens whilst I am out and far from home. Are you managing okay with yours?
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Get rid of extra heat; ditch the straighteners for 6 weeks to see if there is a difference?!? Any pulling will make the scalp sore. I now wash my hair prior to a hairdresser visit as I can't bear the wafting of heat from the dryer ...... and haven't used one at home for 20 years. Warm towel, gentle rub to remove excess drips and it's dry within 10 mins..
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I get this randomly. It feels like when you tie hair in a ponytail and then when you take it out it feels all pulled. It is usually gone the following day. In my case it could be related to stress/tension
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Oh Autumnlady, I'm really sorry that the silent migraine has floored you like this. Given that you know that they won't harm you, is it general anxiety that you're experiencing? Have you chatted this through with your docs? It's certainly hugely common at this stage in our lives.
I don't get the visual aura frequently, in fact only rarely, but when I do I just sit down and wait it out. I had one a few months ago when I was out driving and I just pulled over to the side of the road and switched off my engine. I was in central London and a traffic warden approached me and I was forced to explain what was happening and that it would be gone very quickly. Lovely chap, he waited there with me until it diminished which was about 30 mins later.
Whilst very little is still known about the migraine mechanism, it's now been proven that it is a genetic condition. It was very common in my father's family and sadly I've passed it onto my kids, though saying that, it's also prevalent in my husband's family so the kids had a double boost of the dodgy genes to inherit.
It may be that these will leave you completely, in fact you may never get another again. My mother suffered with them infrequently for a couple of years at meno and then they disappeared completely.
I wish you well xx
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i can get very tender patch on scalp but for me this is nothing to do with my skin at all but due to pressure on nerves in my neck ::) I have a collapsed disc in my neck and one of the million symptoms is that I can get crawling or prickling sensation all over my head/face and random intensely tender patches that i cannot bear to touch lightly or move my hair. Generally they only last a couple of days with me and I can go months without then get it alot depending on which neck nerves are being annoyed!
So probably not much help sorry but just to let you know that tenderness can be neuro in origin rather than skin.
Have you had anyone look at the area when it is tender to see if any change in appearance?
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I have the same during a migraine attack and also if I go outside and have plenty of sunshine on my white scalp without the protection of my hair that is very thin and scarce on top thanks to perimenopause. Time to wear hats, I guess ::)
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sparkle, in my case it coincides with tension in my neck and shoulders so I think it could be connected.
another thing we share ;)
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Change your shampoo too - SLS is in the one I currently use ::)
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Thank you everyone for your helpful replies. The different opinions and experiences help me rule out what I think mine could be the reason for my problem. I have recently bought the oatmeal conditioner to try so will see how that goes too. It's all a bit trial and error. If all fails after this I will have to see the doctor and see what she thinks. At the moment I'd rather not lols.
Elizabethrose, I did mention to my doctor about the effect having a aura migraine was having on me but it was a busy clinic and I had gone for another reason. I felt rushed as she didn't have the time to listen properly. If I keep feeling like this I will have to go back. It did help knowing what it is from you and others here, and from knowing my brother and cousin get it too. It's just those few times I have had it it has frightened me so much I have had to rush to the loo, so I get worried this will also happen when I am out. Especially as I hate using public toilets. I will avoid them at all costs. Reading back about myself I am a right wreck lols. Got to laugh. I wish I could relax and stop feeling frightened of everything. It is ruling my life when I think about it. There are so many things I have not done or won't do because I am 'frightened'. It's not a good way to be, as I am sure some on here know how that feels. I live in hope! lols.
Thanks again everyone x
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How does the fear affect you?
Use 'baby' shampoo. No conditioner. Tepid water. No rubbing ........ no heated drying.
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some baby shampoos contain SLS, I was horrified to learn this :o
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:thankyou: Have never looked, will do when I get to the bathroom - if I remember ::)
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Hi CLKD
the fear makes me feel shaky, off balance, dizzy and my stomach churns. Depending on how bad it is. Sometimes it's mild and I can get through it. Sometimes I fear I will go into a panic. Imagine something you are terrified of and that is how it feels. A few years ago I felt like that most of every day for near on 8 weeks. It was hell.
I don't know what SLS is? But I did use Baby shampoo last year and my hairdresser said it was really harsh and took the colour off dyes more than anything else. Apparently it is non stinging to eyes but not much good otherwise. You wouldn't have thought it! It just shows that baby and childrens products aren't always the purest.
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SLS stands for Sodium Lauryl (or Laureth) Sulphate and it is a sulphate that is in household detergents. It is a foamer which makes a lot of lovely lather but it is very harsh on the skin.
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I know that there is 1 shampoo that can't be used if someone wants a hair dye as it won't take. Of course I can't remember which shampoo it is ::)
Autumnlady - I have a phobia and have lived in fear for most of my Life: no relieve at night due to nightmares :'(. Hence the need to take medication to keep it at bay as well as having an emergency pill to hand. 4 me it starts in my gut, straight into my thighs which go weak, into my calves and my brain starts ........
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Thank you for the information Babyjane. I shall keep a look out for that. I do have very sensitive skin anyway so that ingredient wouldn't help.
CLKD - I am sorry to hear you suffer so much. Fear is the most horrible feeling. I do get the weakness all over when I go into full panic and it does start in the stomach area or jellied legs.
Your nightmares must be awful too. There's no let up sometimes. I had an odd dream last night. It was about very large spiders in the house. The dream went on for a while with these spiders coming and going. I am terrified of spiders but by the end of the dream I wasn't so frightened. Pity I didn't feel like that in real life as I would have heart failure seeing them that size lols. I do think I had the dream because on Sunday morning I woke up and on the ceiling above my hubby's side of the bed was a large black spider. Needless to say I got out of bed very quick lols. I hate the things!
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Autumn Lady , I just lifted my hair up away from my scalp at the top/crown of my head and it was quite painful. As someone else said, like releasing your hair after its been in a tight ponytail. I suffer from migraines though they are only occasional now compared to when I was younger, the last one I had was just last week but I had forgotten how strange they make you feel. I too get the aura's but also find difficulty with words, for instance I couldnt remember the name of lasagne, and said to my daughter, " you know the mince stuff with pasta sheets in between" :o or, for sweetcorn, " yellow peas" Its a bit disconcerting but once I got home and had an early night I was ok next day just a bit washed out. I also get extremely anxious with them, en route home from my daughters I felt every other car on the road was out to get me and I was convinced I would never make it home in one piece. Luckily my husband is an excellent driver and kept telling me everything was ok but I felt embarrassed I was so uptight .
CKLD, I know you cant use the Philip Kinglsey Elasticiser before or immediately after colouring your hair as it interferes some way or other with the process.
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I had my first panic attack at the age of 3 :'(
Johnsons baby shampoo has SLS in >:( fortunately I don't react :).
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Evelyn. thank you for your reply and how it has affected you. I often struggle with remembering words and have to explain the long way round like you did with the lasagne. I have been like that for years. But I think I get like that when I am anxious about something. So am not sure why I get my sensitive scalp.
However, I have this to report as I had not tried it before and it might be an idea for other to try who have the same scalp problem. I washed my hair yesterday using just conditioner. I used the oatmeal conditioner I mentioned in a previous post (see, I can't remember the brand name now ::) I dried with the blow drier on medium heat and then straightened it. My head has not been sore since and my hair feels lovely and soft. It doesn't feel greasy as I had thought it might with not having used shampoo. I will do this again tomorrow and see if I get the same result. I'll let you know. What made me try this is that I was looking on the net for shampoos for grey hair as I am reluctant to put colours on when I am like this. It advised that for grey hair to condition every day but not to shampoo every day. I will be doing this every two days and just using the conditioner until or if my hair looks unwashed. I'll keep you informed.
CLDK - how awful to have suffered a panic attack at the age of three! How did you cope with that? I have always been a worrier but I didn't have my first panic attack until I was in my mid to late 20s. I think all my worrying escalated over the years. To start with it was all my mind and some butterflies in the tummy. But it eventually went past that and affected my physically. I just got more and more symptoms to cope with. Oh to not be a worrier. It would be marvellous!
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I obviously didn't cope or I wouldn't have had other attacks :'(
Have you looked at the bottle of conditioner/shampoo to see what the difference is in the product? What type of hair have you been gifted with? Mine is now short and fine, having been long and fine until the mid-1980s.
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Yes, a bit of a daft question to have asked you there CLKD x It must be awful to have been so young and have to endure it.
I haven't looked at the conditioner label. It's the Garnier oatmeal for sensitive scalp. I must take a look. I have done just the conditioning again today and so far so good. Hair does not look greasy but I will shampoo as well as condition next time. Maybe shampoo every second or third time.
My hair is short but quite thick. The hairdresser often has to thin it out in places. So I am lucky in that respect - so far!!
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Not daft at all, perfectly logical question. No one thought to discuss why and how to deal with anxiety attacks ....... :sigh: - no therapy suggested, told that I would 'grow out of it' :-\ at age 32 I was still waiting then I went into therapy which did help.
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Check out GCA, just watched Trust me I'm a doctor and one of the symptoms was painful scalp and headaches .
http://www.pmrgca.co.uk/content/gca
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:thankyou:
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OMG that GCA is not a good thing to be reading when suffering Health Alert. I have been like a wreck the past few days with anxiety and feeling panicky lols. Thankfully I have not had the main symptoms on the list. Fingers crossed I don't!
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OMG that GCA is not a good thing to be reading when suffering Health Alert. I have been like a wreck the past few days with anxiety and feeling panicky lols. Thankfully I have not had the main symptoms on the list. Fingers crossed I don't!
Sorry Autumn lady for upsetting you, It was just when he mentioned painful scalp i thought of you , and myself ;) It does us worriers no good reading this type of thing !
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Has there been any improvement?
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No problem Evelyn, I know you had the best intentions :) It's just when I have such anxiety reading negative things can have a bad effect on me. It's like when I read that I was relieved I don't have those other main symptoms but now when I get a bit of a twinge or symptom in that area I am double questioning myself. It's awful to be in such a frame of mind but we are what we are and have to get on with it.
Pretty much the same thank you CLKD. Saturday I dried my hair with the towel without any sore or tenderness. Yesterday it felt tender on top again and I suppose it is a little less today thinking about it. Just moved my hair lols. I have had this for several years. Maybe straight after the menopause. Could be just everything drying up both inside and out ::) I have always had pale and sensitive skin and blushed easily.
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I don't rub my hair/head, I rub the ends and gently move the warmed towel across my head ..... then it's left to dry in the air. When I had waist length hair I would sit in front of the open fire in the Winter and flick it until dry.
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After all my posts regarding my headaches, I think I have realised that it is the tenderness that is causing the ache rather than actually inside my head. Finding this thread has helped me no end. My scalp is SO tender to touch, but there is nothing there. I have stopped actually worrying about it, but it is intensely painful and very frustrating none the less. Has anyone found anything that helps? One has no relation to my cycle, but it could well be to do with nerves.