It Feels Like Bugs Are Crawling on My Scalp
My scalp consistently feels “weird” (i.e. like bugs are crawling around on it). I know this might sound strange, but I am always having to itch my head because it just never feels normal anymore. This has been going on for the past three years and sometimes I can deal with it, but most of the time its annoying me. Do you have an explanation on this?
Any response is greatly appreciated.
Maybe there are bugs crawling on your scalp. For example, head lice or mites can be small enough where you may not notice by just looking in the mirror. I would see a doctor for a good examination.
I just saw a show on Discovery Health called “Untold Stories of the ER” and featured a patient with the symptoms you have described above. It turned out that the patient actually did have bugs crawling underneath her scalp. The DR found two holes in her scalp and was able to get the bugs to pop their heads out of the hole, he then pulled them out with tweasers.
Hope this helps!
Thanks,
-Moe
That’s gross
thats the most horrible thing i’ve ever heard about the underneath bugs!!!!
I cant locate the episode about the bugs burrowed in the woman’s scalp. Are you sure it was Untold Stories of ER
Yes I saw the very same episode and googled it. It was indeed the most gross thing Ive seen in a while. Its Untold Stories of the ER and it comes on TLC.
“For example, head lice or mites can be small enough where you may not notice” – it’s true for mites, but absolutely NOT true for lice! Lice are very easy to find, and it should be the first thing you rule out. When I was a kid and had lice I remember my mom telling me to bend over a sink, then brushing my hair once, and the bugs just falling out like ripe fruit out of a tree. Besides, if you have lice, you’ll see nits, likely on the back of your head and behind your ears, close to the scalp.
I’ve been having the same symptoms for a year, I thought I had lice, but I’ve been checked for them and there’s nothing. I still don’t know what I have. My head is completely clean. Some days the itching is maddening, other days it doesn’t come at all. I did notice that it was better after I vacuumed my house, so I think it may be dustmites.
Also, if you’re in your 40s, tingling/itching (formication )is a symptom of hormone withdrawal, i.e. onset of menopause. Just throwing it out there…
Sold my home an had to rent for a over a year..was a brick slab tiled flore unit,would see out the corner of my eye something jumping round the sink an kitchen bench,,as I quickly looked it was gone,,everytime I was in bathroom,laundry,or kitchen I could feel something crawling on my hands an lower legs an when I touched water id feel stings on my hands,,then watching TV in dark one night the light from it lit up the white tiles an I could see the little dark speckles jumping round.befor I new it they were hundreds of em in my loo,bath,all over sink an widow sills..an it got that bad I couldn’t sleep in my bed because my hole body would itch..no bed bugs. So started to sleep in lounge an my head was still itching like crazy. Not lice,,googled tiny black bugs that jump an flease an springtails (collembola) come up. Also called snow fleas AN OR AS THE HOSPITAL THOUGHT..I had a delusion mental health illness because I had bites marks on hands an lower legs AN TOLD EM THERE ALSO CALLED SNIW FLEAS WERE THERE ICE,,they thought as well that I mean ice fleas witch is wat people on ice do they pick at em selfs.,I started to loose my appetite loose wait become so sick..an was spraying my head with fly spray thru the night WHen it was worse because it felt like I had a bug party happening in my hair,scalp,it was driving me MAD…my Dr couldn’t see anything so went to a new doc for another opinion an they locked me up in the mental health unit for 3weeks..only for evidence my home was inspected by health department an they were discussed an in a letter classed the premises as unhealthy premises an that I did have a bug infestation,, they let me out. A Dr told me springtails are a type of mite..the reason that you think you see something tiny things jumping out the corner of your eye but is gon when you look is because springtails have a fercula spring underneath em say when this spring snaps it sends em backwards in a left to right motion..as well as STAILS,mites.cockroaches,flathead worms.white ants.i ended up with peritonitis..that was 2 an half years ago an now have serious health issues.if u have to much moisture or home is on brick slab..look out for em coz there mainly a prob in spring an summer.so GOOGLE SPRINGTAILS INFESTATION..hope this helps
I am soooo happy to have read your response! Yes headlice were found on my sons head in school the first week of November this year. He had got them a few years ago and I never picked them up even though he was young and sleeping in my bed. I was told it was because I highlight my hair and lice stay away from people who color or highlight their hair! Well not this time! I noticed I had a feeling of crawling in my scalp and sure enough it was a mild case of headlice, that was 3 weeks ago! Since two weeks ago I started having multiplying insects in my scalp everyday for the last 2 weeks! I have already thrown away beds, spent the last 15 days all day everyday picking what I don’t even know if they are eggs. What mainly comes off my scalp are Timmy black bugs that DO jump! They say lice does not jump and I can’t seem to find a site that describes this little black. If. A few days ago I started feeling bites on my back , especially if I was doing a lice treatment or a home remedy (trust me I have tried all! Mayonnaise, olive oil, tee tree, everything so I sprayed alcohol on a long handled bath brush and ran it all over my back and sure enough I was tiny tiny black bugs! I had pallets I had planned on sanding and painting to put under my bed but being I was not going to be able to paint and sands til after Christmas I put them under my bed with just a rinse off from hose! I just threw them all outside thinking maybe they were coming from the pallets! I also have to holes, I have been picking at them thinking it’s LICE eggs but I can’t get out. They are not sores and they don’t hurt. Don’t know what to do! Totally ruined my holidays!!
With doctors not just once tell me I am having Delusions of Parasites or Morgellon’s Disease, I figured when I saw the episode on Untold Stories of the ER (TLC) it was just another hallucination (I have not been taken seriously by the medical community). The next day at my therapist, I mentioned it, and he said he saw it! But, was eating so he turned it off. All I can say to my fellow people who suffer in the different ways wtih this “whatever “it” is,” I believe you. It is entirely enigmatic. I feel like I see black dots, probably what “bugs” me the most is the swaying or jerking strands of hair when there is absolutely no breeze. Sometimes I feel like it is like the Predator in that movie. Where it is definitely there but adapts to be invisible. Sometimes I feel like it is dust collecting in my hair, though I have been known to wash it three times a day. Using all kinds of products….white vinegar. I do not really itch, but what is worse is that my hair on when it lays on the back of my neck, makes my neck ache. They/it are definitely stinging me at times. I hate it. The dermatologist is so condescending and flippant saying I just need to ignore it. With all due respect to them, I feel because they have no clue….they do not want us seeking answers from they who are supposed to be experts. Anyway, the episode on TLC granted some restitution. Yes, gross. They wrote it off as something she picked up in Costa Rica. Maybe so. But, still, and I know the episode is limited to subject matter and time, but it would be nice for someone to follow up on how and why they got there. They checked that one area of her head, but were there other areas? Anyway, hopefully somebody will take it seriously and have the means to study it.
its Defenalty lice. no dought.
i had lice once but all i felt was itching.
it should have been asked about a long time ago. 3 years is too long.
Beleive you me, I know exactly what you mean. It’s been 2 1/2 years for me. Been to Doctor that I’ve seen for 15 years, nothing..been twice to emergency room and they act as though you are crazy and tell you you need to see a psychiast. I went to see a dermatologist on 10/13/2011 and just knew he’d say the same thing. BUT he did’nt. It appears that I have a parasite inside me that’s making these bugs come onto my head and live off of me (their host). Dermotologist gave me a script for (4) pills which you take all at the same time on empty stomach and with 8oz of water. Don’t eat for an hour. Today is Sunday, Sept 25/2011 and lordy, at least 40-50 bugs have come off my washcloth this morning. Please go see a dermotoligist, it will change your life. I may have to take a 2nd dose because there is no way to tell how long I’ve had this parasite OR how I got it. Good Luck and Bless You. This has nothing to do with balding
Beleive you me, I know exactly what you mean. It’s been 2 1/2 years for me. Been to Doctor that I’ve seen for 15 years, nothing..been twice to emergency room and they act as though you are crazy and tell you you need to see a psychiast. I went to see a dermatologist on 9/13/2011 and just knew he’d say the same thing. BUT he did’nt. It appears that I have a parasite inside me that’s making these bugs come onto my head and live off of me (their host). Dermotologist gave me a script for (4) pills which you take all at the same time on empty stomach and with 8oz of water. Don’t eat for an hour. Today is Sunday, Sept 25/2011 and lordy, at least 40-50 bugs have come off my washcloth this morning. Please go see a dermotoligist, it will change your life. I may have to take a 2nd dose because there is no way to tell how long I’ve had this parasite OR how I got it. Good Luck and Bless You. This has nothing to do with balding …Sorry, I got the date wrong
Just out of interest Maggie-what medication did you get, Im going to have to go doctors, I have to take constant anti-histamine as i am forever itching from allergies as i have leaky gut syndrome but now i have sensations of something crawling under the skin in my scalp-its driving me round the twist. I have just had threadworms which i know are gone from my digestive system-caught them from my 3 year old who got the lovely buggers at nursery, am just afraid in case they have got out of the digestive system into my blood stream through the leaky gut. I had never heard of this until i looked up thread worms on the net and seen blogs of others who were coughing up the worms, its just so gross.
I HAVE SOME KIND OF PARASITE ON MY HEAD. I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH PLAQE PSORIASIS. THE PARASITES STARTED WHEN THE SKIN STARTED COMING OUT. I CAN FEEL A SLIGHT CRAWLING AND IF I TOUCH IT THE PARASITE STICKS A PAINFUL OBJECT DOWN IN MY SCALP IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES. I CANNOT GET THEM OFF,NOR CAN I GET THE STAPLES OUT IT IS PAINFUL. I KNOW SOMETHING IS THERE. THIS MORNING I WENT TO THE DETERMAGOLIST AND HE COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING HE SAID BUT A SCAB. THAT IS NOT A SCAB IT IS THE DEAD PARASITE. I KILLED IT WITH BABY OIL. WHAT TO DO NEXT??
Dear Maggie. Can you let us know what 4 pill script that you used so we can talk to our doctor and maybe get cured of our problems.
I have the same problem 3 months know driving me crazy. I went to my regular doc and showed them that I have like some nits on my hair. The regular doc said no its dandruff, but hair loss continues and itch itch, bite bite feelings and like tiny pimples on scalp oh my. I have gone to the urgent care and have seen various docs had everything from invermectin pills 12 mg, permethrin 5%, malathion 5%, ketoconazole antifungal shampoo, selsum blue shampoo, Neutrogena T/Gel, and a whole host of steroid tropical treatment from clobesterol to an topical antibiotic called clamycin with no help. Finally got a scalp biospsy from the dermatologist after endless visits I think he was just miky me to keep coming waiting on the result and hope I find out so I can post and help you guys to help your docs. my email is lhcagents@gmail.com I will let you people know what if find out, because this feeling of insects crawling, biting, and pinging me is driving me up the wall.
It’s “Monsters inside me” on animal planet. She had botfly larva in her scalp.
It feels like something because there is something, I have experienced this for about 4-5 months. It gets better and then starts over again always in my hair.
The first time I thought it was a reaction from a new shampoo because that was the only thing that had changed but I was scratching for a month with no relief. My daughter finally looked my hair and said it was live I was so relieved I could buy licenses shampoo but when I did my hair I combed it for hours and there was no love just hundreds of little fuzzy a cacoons filled with this thing thread like fiber and some were little black fluke looking things but none itched me anymore after leaving the shampoo on my hair for at least 2 hours. It took me a week of combing to feel confident they were gone. Now my feet constantly felt little stinging sensations and I know they lived in my carpet, my mattress on my bed, my living room furniture and every blanket and sheet set I own has to be washed before I sleep on it and within a week during my infestation the bed linens are infested again. What ever it is it comes from cloth or cotton,wool material. It’s alive I just don’t know how to kill it before I go bald. I know the shampoo on my head didn’t help but these things are eating my hair. What is it in the hair that they crave? My hair will move like a breeze is blowing inside my bedroom where no air is moving at all. It’s those little ghost buggers playing in my hair. Thanks for letting me share I am 48 years old and I live in South East Texas.
Hello,
I have beendealing with these wierd black bugs. I comb for hrs and recently my hair feel out. I have very sort hair.
I NOTICE the lumps on my head if I press vinegar on that lump the black bugs start falling off. They hate steam!
So o if anyone has any kind if help before me; please email me. I was in the Army and Deployed twice. I wonder if that’s how I got them.
Please email me: Teresaward38@gmail.com
Thank You!
hi Teresa. same problem. itching with things crawling “on scalp” and hair thinning (big time) and loss. I have bought so many products, and DERMATOLOGIST – condescending *%)#!! did you ever resolve this? please let me know. thanks.
I have the same creepy crawly feeling on my scalp, not crawling under, on my scalp, & lots of itching, but I’m also losing hair soooo rapidly for the last 2yrs now. I saw an endocrinologist for my hair loss & he put me on minoxidil & spiranolactone, but I actually didn’t tell him about the crawlibg, only the itching. I thought I was crazy or just imagining till I read all these comments. Not sure my treatment is working yet, it’s only been a few days.
Maybe for you it was like you said but for me never stopped for almost 8 mo. How i know i still have them is because my scalp is itching and i feel them crawling on my scalp and my back. I went in the bathroom and i shook my hair above the toilet and i so very tiny transparent worms, that is hoe you can tell if you still have them. I took all the medications like Reese’s PinX and Albenza and combantrin and i still have them. I found out if you have week immune system it will be hard to get ready of this boogers.I ghes we jast have to take it until they are gone, i was talking with one person and she said that her sister had them for almost a year.So don’t give up keep taking everything you can take to get ready of this boogers.