Dandruff: Causes and Treatments

Dandruff is a common scalp disorder which is not a dangerous one. But this can be chronic, ugly and uncomfortable. In more severe condition it can cause hair loss. Come winters and your scalp gets full with white flakes. If you have dandruff, skin of scalp becomes dry, scaly, chaffed and itchy.

Dandruff is not a contagious condition but it is embarrassing condition. It is rather persistent condition but can be controlled successfully following some measures. Mild dandruff can be controlled by washing hair everyday and medicated shampoo can be used for controlling stubborn dandruff.

What is Dandruff?

Dandruff is produced when excess of skin cells start producing on the scalp. These dead skin cells turn in the form of flakes and it is called dandruff. Scalp skin gets filled with white flakes. Whenever you wear any black outfit, these dandruff flakes start falling on it on your shoulders and you feel embarrassed.

Signs and Symptoms

 There are some basic signs and symptoms which determine dandruff. Your head is marked by greasy or dry white flakes of dead skin. Scalp becomes scaly and itchy. But there are some other conditions which cause scaling of skin excessively. These conditions include dry skin, seborrheic dermatitis, Cradle Cap, contact dermatitis and psoriasis. While checking for dandruff, you should differentiate between all skin conditions and treat the accordingly.

What Are The Causes of Dandruff?

Normally, during the process of skin growth, optimum flaking of skin cells happens. But when you have dandruff condition, skin cells are produced at excessive rate and skin sheds older cells before getting them dead. There are some internal and external causes for getting dandruff.

It can be due to some kind of skin allergy. Internal cause for dandruff may be hormonal imbalance, poor health, lack of proper scalp hygiene, poor diet, lack of rest, mental stress. It is also observed that some people get dandruff due to excessive intake of sugar and starch. Dandruff may also be caused by deficiencies of vitamin B-Complex, omega 3 fatty acids.

Dandruff-causing external factors include weather conditions especially cold and dry, excessive use of styling tools like hair gels and sprays, curling iron, hot blowers and hot hair curlers. If you use hair colorants in improper way and do not adequately rinse your hair with clean water after shampoo or conditioning. Heredity also plays a major role in dandruff condition.

All these factors cited above may cause or increase the dandruff but the fat-eating, yeast-like fungus called malassezia, present on the scalp of most of the people, is the real culprit for causing dandruff.

When it grows uncontrollably, it starts feeding on oil produced by hair follicles and results in large number of dead cells. Then these dead cells get clumped with oil and produce flakes.

Who can get dandruff?

Anyone can get dandruff but there are certain conditions which make you more susceptible to dandruff. Generally children do not get it; it starts in young adults and continues into middle age. Older persons may also get it but in lesser proportion. Men are at more risk. More oily skin and hair can aggravate dandruff. People with certain diseases can get dandruff.

Treatments for dandruff:

 Dandruff can be controlled with treatment but it takes little patience. For treatment of dandruff, you will have to treat it externally and internally. Shampoo your hair as often and rinse it with clean water properly. When regular shampoos do not work, use medicated shampoos like tar-based shampoos, Salicylic acid shampoos, selenium sulfide shampoos or Ketoconazole shampoos.

Before washing hair, massage with warm oil. Avoid excessive use of styling products. Take proper diet containing fruits and vegetables. Get a proper sleep of 7-8 hours and avoid excessive intake of sugar and fat diet.

Home Remedies for Dandruff:

 You can get very good results by following these effective home remedies.

Take one cup sour curd and mix juice of half lemon to it. Quantity of curd should be enough to cover your scalp and hair. Apply this mixture on your hair and scalp and leave it for 30 minutes. Then wash it with mild shampoo. You will start having good results after few applications and quality of your hair will also improve.

• Take 2 tsp of powder of ground fenugreek seeds. Soak it overnight and apply this paste in your scalp for 1/2 an hour. The wash it with warm water. This remedy not only controls dandruff but also controls hair loss.