Coping with a yellow, oozing crust on the scalp can feel alarming, especially when healing seems slow. While waiting for a doctor, it helps to understand possible causes and remedies.

A yellow crust often “signals irritation or infection.” The leaking fluid hardens into a crust, and “the yellow tint often indicates pus,” pointing to inflammation or infection.

Common triggers include dermatitis with “red, flaky patches that may weep fluid,” folliculitis where inflamed follicles “lead to pustules that can break and form crusts,” and impetigo, a bacterial infection causing “red sores that rupture, ooze, and develop into yellow-brown crusts.” Impetigo, caused by Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes, spreads easily and creates “thick golden-yellow crusts.”

Warning signs needing attention include redness, swelling, pain, spreading lesions, or systemic symptoms like “fever, swollen lymph nodes, or fatigue,” which suggest the infection is advancing. Seek medical help if the crust “doesn’t improve after a week” or if swelling and pus worsen.

At home, relief may come from applying a warm cloth, gentle shampoo, diluted tea tree oil, or coconut oil. Over-the-counter options include “anti-dandruff shampoos with zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, or ketoconazole,” topical antibiotics, or hydrocortisone cream used carefully.