Head acne, or scalp acne, has the same appearance as other types of acne.
The only difference is that it is usually covered by hair which makes it harder to see.
Although in many ways this is a good thing, having acne underneath your hair also makes it much more difficult to treat and it may worsen with time.
The skin on your scalp is just the same as the rest of the skin of your body; the only difference is that it is usually covered with hair.
Hair is usually a main cause of acne on the head areas.
Most hair follicles have small sebaceous glands underneath the skin, the sacks produce oils which is necessary to protect and moisturize the hair and skin.
This oil is also excreted to the surface through small openings near the hair shaft.
If the area is clogged or blocked the oils are no longer able to reach the surface, this will cause the oil to accumulate in the surrounding area and swell which will then lead to a pimple.
If the oils still cannot exit the body they will become infected by bacteria which will allow the pimples to multiply quickly.
Because the area now contains a large amount of bacteria, the body will send white cells to combat it and the result will be a lot of dead germs and white blood cells, this wall cause further inflammation to the pimple and cause pus to form underneath your skin.
A number of things can cause this condition.
A bad diet or stress can cause your sebum glands to excrete more oil than usual.
Puberty is also a common cause because the hormones accelerate which causes the oil glands in your body to become more active.
Certain hair products can also produce acne, many commercial products contain synthesized oils and other various chemicals which can build up debris and oil on the scalp, if not taken care of these pollutants can block the pore openings triggering the sebum gland reaction.
By washing your hair regularly you'll be able to prevent acne on your head.