"They appear as small, red, painful or itchy bumps that can develop pus-filled heads," says the expert. This scalp condition is typically benign, according to research published in StatPearls in 2023.

While scalp acne might just seem like an inconvenient condition to manage, it could be key to preventing future hair loss.

It may cause burning pain, itching, and clusters of painful blisters ... to develop on one side of the scalp. You may first experience skin discoloration and bumps that progress into clusters ...