What is scalp pain?
Scalp pain is a common symptom of head injury, headaches, and skin conditions. It may result from trauma to the head region, including the brain, skull or scalp. It can occur in conditions that cause headaches or skin irritation, or in more generalized conditions, such as cancer.
Trauma to the head is a common cause of scalp pain. It includes brain injury, skull fracture, or concussion, all of which may occur immediately after the traumatic episode or up to several hours or days afterward. A brain contusion (bruising) from trauma may also result in scalp pain and may indicate bleeding or swelling inside the skull.
Headaches can lead to scalp pain and to pain in any area of the face, neck or head. Several types of headaches may cause scalp pain, such as migraine, sinus headache, tension headache, and those caused by nerve involvement such as occipital neuralgia. Other conditions can result in pain, infection or irritation to the scalp, such as contact dermatitis, lesions from head lice, and basal cell carcinoma or other skin cancers.
Scalp pain can indicate a serious condition. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, experience scalp pain with any of the following symptoms: sudden blindness in one or both eyes, confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment; blood or fluid draining from your nose, mouth or ears; uncontrolled jerky movements; numbness following injury to the head, neck or back; sensory changes (vision, hearing, smelling); seizure; or unequal size of pupils.
If you are being treated for scalp pain and it is persistent or causes you concern, seek prompt medical care.
Scalp Pain - Symptoms
What other symptoms might occur with scalp pain?
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms, which vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect the head may also involve other body systems.
Headache symptoms that may occur with scalp pain
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms related to headache including:
Aura (sensory changes that may precede a migraine)
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea with or without vomiting
Neck pain
Increased sensitivity to light
Scalp tenderness to touch
Vice-like pain around the head
Trauma symptoms that may occur with scalp pain
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms related to trauma including:
Blurred or double vision
Drowsiness
Head laceration or wound
Headache
Local bleeding, bruising, redness or swelling
Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
Difficulty with memory
Nausea with or without vomiting
Neck stiffness
Other symptoms that may occur with scalp pain
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms including:
Fever
Itchy scalp
Lice in the hair
Pain in joints
Persistent skin sore that does not heal
Rash
Red bite marks on the scalp
White nits (lice eggs) in the hair or on the scalp
Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition
In some cases, scalp pain may be a symptom of a life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these symptoms including:
Abnormal pupil size or nonreactivity to light
Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
Fainting or change in level of consciousness or lethargy
Fluid draining from the nose, mouth or ears (clear or bloody)
Impaired balance and coordination
Loss of vision in one or both eyes
Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
Paresthesia following a head, neck or back injury
Seizure
Sensory changes (vision, hearing, smelling)
Unequal size of pupils
Scalp Pain - Causes
What causes scalp pain?
There are various causes of scalp pain, including trauma, headache or infection. Injuries to the head, neck, scalp, skull or brain are commonly associated with scalp pain. Headaches may cause scalp pain as the result of vascular swelling, muscular tension, or nerve pain. Scalp pain is also caused by any condition that infects or irritates the surface of the scalp itself, such as skin disorders and exposure to infectious agents. Scalp pain is also a feature of many types of headaches.
Traumatic causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by trauma including:
Concussion
Contusions
Head injury
Laceration
Scalp injury
Skull fractures
Sting or bite injuries
Headache causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by headaches including:
Cervical migraine
Cervicogenic headache
Occipital neuralgia
Migraine headache
Tension-type headache
Malignant causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by malignancies including:
Basal cell carcinoma
Brain tumor
Squamous cell carcinoma
Other causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by other causes including:
Cellulitis
Contact dermatitis
Folliculitis
Head lice
Herpes zoster
Osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)
Paget’s disease (abnormal bone tissue loss and reformation)
Temporal arteritis (inflammation of arteries in the forehead and side scalp)
Serious or life-threatening causes of scalp pain
In some cases, scalp pain may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These conditions include:
Brain contusion
Brain tumor
Concussion
Scalp wound
Skull fracture
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subdural hematoma
Traumatic brain injury
Questions for diagnosing the cause of scalp pain
To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your scalp pain including:
When did you first notice your scalp pain?
When do you feel scalp pain?
Do you have any other symptoms?
What medications are you taking?
Have you injured your head recently?
What are the potential complications of scalp pain?
Because scalp pain can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications including:
Blindness
Brain damage
Chronic or severe headaches
Disability
Paralysis
Spread of cancer
Spread of infection
Scalp pain is a common symptom of head injury, headaches, and skin conditions. It may result from trauma to the head region, including the brain, skull or scalp. It can occur in conditions that cause headaches or skin irritation, or in more generalized conditions, such as cancer.
Trauma to the head is a common cause of scalp pain. It includes brain injury, skull fracture, or concussion, all of which may occur immediately after the traumatic episode or up to several hours or days afterward. A brain contusion (bruising) from trauma may also result in scalp pain and may indicate bleeding or swelling inside the skull.
Headaches can lead to scalp pain and to pain in any area of the face, neck or head. Several types of headaches may cause scalp pain, such as migraine, sinus headache, tension headache, and those caused by nerve involvement such as occipital neuralgia. Other conditions can result in pain, infection or irritation to the scalp, such as contact dermatitis, lesions from head lice, and basal cell carcinoma or other skin cancers.
Scalp pain can indicate a serious condition. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, experience scalp pain with any of the following symptoms: sudden blindness in one or both eyes, confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment; blood or fluid draining from your nose, mouth or ears; uncontrolled jerky movements; numbness following injury to the head, neck or back; sensory changes (vision, hearing, smelling); seizure; or unequal size of pupils.
If you are being treated for scalp pain and it is persistent or causes you concern, seek prompt medical care.
Scalp Pain - Symptoms
What other symptoms might occur with scalp pain?
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms, which vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect the head may also involve other body systems.
Headache symptoms that may occur with scalp pain
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms related to headache including:
Aura (sensory changes that may precede a migraine)
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea with or without vomiting
Neck pain
Increased sensitivity to light
Scalp tenderness to touch
Vice-like pain around the head
Trauma symptoms that may occur with scalp pain
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms related to trauma including:
Blurred or double vision
Drowsiness
Head laceration or wound
Headache
Local bleeding, bruising, redness or swelling
Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
Difficulty with memory
Nausea with or without vomiting
Neck stiffness
Other symptoms that may occur with scalp pain
Scalp pain may accompany other symptoms including:
Fever
Itchy scalp
Lice in the hair
Pain in joints
Persistent skin sore that does not heal
Rash
Red bite marks on the scalp
White nits (lice eggs) in the hair or on the scalp
Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition
In some cases, scalp pain may be a symptom of a life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these symptoms including:
Abnormal pupil size or nonreactivity to light
Confusion or loss of consciousness for even a brief moment
Fainting or change in level of consciousness or lethargy
Fluid draining from the nose, mouth or ears (clear or bloody)
Impaired balance and coordination
Loss of vision in one or both eyes
Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
Paresthesia following a head, neck or back injury
Seizure
Sensory changes (vision, hearing, smelling)
Unequal size of pupils
Scalp Pain - Causes
What causes scalp pain?
There are various causes of scalp pain, including trauma, headache or infection. Injuries to the head, neck, scalp, skull or brain are commonly associated with scalp pain. Headaches may cause scalp pain as the result of vascular swelling, muscular tension, or nerve pain. Scalp pain is also caused by any condition that infects or irritates the surface of the scalp itself, such as skin disorders and exposure to infectious agents. Scalp pain is also a feature of many types of headaches.
Traumatic causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by trauma including:
Concussion
Contusions
Head injury
Laceration
Scalp injury
Skull fractures
Sting or bite injuries
Headache causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by headaches including:
Cervical migraine
Cervicogenic headache
Occipital neuralgia
Migraine headache
Tension-type headache
Malignant causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by malignancies including:
Basal cell carcinoma
Brain tumor
Squamous cell carcinoma
Other causes of scalp pain
Scalp pain may be caused by other causes including:
Cellulitis
Contact dermatitis
Folliculitis
Head lice
Herpes zoster
Osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)
Paget’s disease (abnormal bone tissue loss and reformation)
Temporal arteritis (inflammation of arteries in the forehead and side scalp)
Serious or life-threatening causes of scalp pain
In some cases, scalp pain may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These conditions include:
Brain contusion
Brain tumor
Concussion
Scalp wound
Skull fracture
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subdural hematoma
Traumatic brain injury
Questions for diagnosing the cause of scalp pain
To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your scalp pain including:
When did you first notice your scalp pain?
When do you feel scalp pain?
Do you have any other symptoms?
What medications are you taking?
Have you injured your head recently?
What are the potential complications of scalp pain?
Because scalp pain can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications including:
Blindness
Brain damage
Chronic or severe headaches
Disability
Paralysis
Spread of cancer
Spread of infection
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