Beginner’s Guide: 5 Ways to Treat Itchy Scalp After Hair Dye
New hair color not agreeing with your scalp? We can help.
Having an itchy scalp after hair dye is a fairly common issue. Many hair dyes contain chemicals that can cause your scalp to react and feel itchy, especially when the hair dye is sitting on your scalp for an extended period of time. You’ll need to be careful with your extra tender scalp for a few days while you recover, but then you get to enjoy your new hue in all its vibrant glory.
Keep scrolling to find five ways you can treat an itchy scalp after dyeing your hair.
How To Treat an Itchy Scalp After Hair Dye
Click on the below to find the easiest treatment for you.
1. Always do a patch test.
Most hair dye in the salon and box dye you can pick up at the store have a common ingredient that can cause an allergic reaction. Para-phenylenediamine (PPD) is found in both permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes that can cause dermatitis on the scalp. Having dryness on the scalp from bleaching is also common when lightening roots. To make sure you aren’t allergic to your hair dye, always perform a patch test a day or two before dyeing your hair. This will give you enough time to see how your skin will react to the dye before applying it to your whole scalp.
2. Gently wash your hair and avoid harsh products.
Nexxus
Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo
If you do have an itchy scalp after hair dye, make sure you wash your hair and scalp gently but thoroughly. It’s possible you can have dye residue that wasn’t fully washed away that’s causing your scalp to be irritated. Try out Nexxus Color Assure Rebalancing Shampoo, an extra-gentle shampoo that’s made for color-treated hair.
You’ll also want to avoid any harsh products, like hair sprays or dry shampoos, while your scalp is healing. This is important to do because these products can cause build-up on your scalp and further irritate it, which will make the situation worse.
3. Hydrate your hair.
To combat dryness from the dying process, make sure you always follow up your shampoo with some conditioner. Use Nexxus Color Assure Restoring Conditioner to hydrate your hair and your scalp.
Love Beauty and Planet
Love Beauty and Planet Hemp Seed Oil and Nana Leaf Soothe & Nourish Scalp Serum
If you have dryness on your scalp (which isn’t an allergic reaction), a hair oil treatment can also help. Use coconut oil or Moroccan oil as a scalp treatment by massaging a few tablespoons of the oil onto your scalp. Let your hair and scalp soak up the moisture from the oil for a few hours before washing it out. You can also use a hair serum specific to your scalp, which will help hydrate your scalp. Love Beauty and Planet Hemp Seed Oil and Nana Leaf Soothe & Nourish Scalp Serum are some of our favorites because they nourish and help balance your scalp.
4. Lay off the heat.
With an irritated and sore scalp, you should avoid heat styling, especially by applying direct heat via a flat iron or blow dryer. During the winter months, this can be challenging to leave with a wet head. Where you can, rough blow-dry your roots when your hair is at 80 percent dry. Avoiding or using less heat on your strands is also a good idea after a major color change to help prevent further damage to the hair.
If you do use heat on your hair, make sure to protect your strands with a heat protection spray. We love TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray.
5. Give it time.
It can take a few days for your scalp to heal after you dye your hair. If you are still experiencing significant irritation after five to seven days, it’s time to check in with your doctor. You could be allergic to your hair dye, or you could have gotten dermatitis on your scalp.
Your doctor can determine the cause of your scalp itchiness and prescribe the best treatment and treatment plan. Good luck!
