Steroids (short for corticosteroids) are synthetic drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone that your body produces naturally. Steroids work by decreasing inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system.teroids (short for corticosteroids) are synthetic drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone that your body produces naturally. Steroids work by decreasing inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system.
A wide variety of chemicals have the potential to irritate the scalp and cause pain and sensitivity. Although virtually any chemical can potentially cause scalp sensitivity, harsh chemicals such as hair dye, permanent wave solution and hair straighteners are more likely to cause pain and sensitivity than shampoos, conditioners and other everyday hair products.
Causes of Scalp tenderness that are uncommon. The following causes of Scalp tenderness are diseases or conditions that affect more than 200,000 people, but less than 1 million people in the USA: 1  Giant cell arteritis. 2  Herpes zoster. 3  Temporal arteritis-scalp tenderness.