Scalp

For other uses of the word, see Scalp (disambiguation)

Diagrammatic section of scalp.

The scalp is the anatomical area between the face and the neck.

Layers

It is usually described as having five layers, which can be remembered with the mnemonic "SCALP":

• S: The skin on the head from which head hair grows. It is richly supplied with blood vessels.
• C: Connective tissue. a thin layer of fat and fibrous tissue lies beneath the skin
• A: The aponeurosis (or Epicranial aponeurosis) is the next layer. It is a tough layer of dense fibrous tissue
• L: The loose areolar connective tissue layer provides an easy plane of separation between the upper three layers and the pericranium. In scalping the scalp is torn off through this layer.
• P: The pericranium is the periosteum of the skull bones and provides nutrition to the bone and the capacity for repair. It may be lifted from the bone to allow removal of bone windows (craniotomy).