Dandruff is a chronic scalp condition that manifests as your scalp flaking and itchiness. While dandruff by itself isn’t particularly bad, it can be a sign that something is wrong with your scalp and it’s not very pleasant to have flakes dropping out of your hair either.
What causes it
While flakes and an itchy scalp are the main symptoms of dandruff. It is caused by the excessive growth of dead skin cells before they can shed off. However, this can be worsened by various factors like the ones listed below.
irritated and oily skin
It’s a skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis which is marked by red, greasy skin with white or yellow flakes. Seborrheic dermatitis may affect other places rich in oil glands such as your scalp, eyebrows, or the side of your nose.
sensitivity to hair products
Your skin may be sensitive to certain hair care products and thus cause a reaction, resulting in a red and itchy scalp.
Fungi called Malassezia
Malassezia is a fungus that lives in our scalp normally and a lot of people are sensitive to the acidic byproduct that it creates, causing the scalp to be inflamed, red and itchy. The body tries to solve this by shedding more skin cells to get rid of it, resulting in dandruff.
How do I treat it
Anti-dandruff shampoo
As you may know, not all shampoos are the same, some may contain additional ingredients or leave certain ones out, and anti-dandruff shampoo contains ingredients that either help to slow down yeast growth, or are anti-fungal. Like any shampoo, you’ll have to try out anti-dandruff shampoo until you find one that works for you.
Manage your stress
Stress is a major factor when it comes to your health as if you’re stressed out, you become more susceptible to various diseases and conditions, it can even trigger them like dandruff.
Shampoo more
As dandruff can be a result of having an oily scalp, washing your head more often will help to prevent dandruff if your scalp is oily. Shampoo removes oil from your scalp, so if your scalp is especially oily, the shampoo will remove the excess oil and help to prevent dandruff.
