That Time I Made My Scalp Bleed

Most of the time, dermatitis seems like more of an annoyance to me than a serious medical issue (disclaimer: I know this isn't true for everyone but that is my experience), but there are occasions when it becomes more frightening.

The out of control itch

One of those occasions happened recently during a particularly intense period with my itchiness when I was out of cream and hadn't yet seen the dermatologist. To be honest, I was putting it off because of laziness and I hadn't even called the doctor yet, but that's neither here nor there.

Nighttime scratching frenzy

I took my nightly shower and though clean, was extra itchy after. I lotioned but wasn't especially thorough and then I went to sleep for the night. Seems like a fairly normal evening, doesn't it?

Well, I woke up a few hours into the night and realized I had been scratching my scalp in my sleep. I got up to use the bathroom and then noticed that there was blood on my fingers and under my nails and that my scalp hurt. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a ton of blood and it wasn't even actively bleeding anymore, but it was definitely startling.

Taking extra evening precautions

Anytime something happens to my body that I don't feel in control of, it's an uncomfortable feeling. I hadn't even made a choice to scratch my scalp and I had still scratched through the skin.

It has made me more aware of how I feel before bed and to do some extra moisturizing when I am itchy but sometimes, I still worry about it. What if I scratch too much? What if I hurt myself? What if I break the skin and get an infection? I know that most of those concerns are a bit hypochondriac but the fear is real and present.