WHAT is dandruff ? Dandruff, or seborrheic dermatitis, is common and can be a red scaly rash that is most commonly seen on the scalp.
The central face around the sides of the nose and eyebrows are often affected and upper body, particularly on the central front of the chest. These patches can be red to salmon pink with greasy looking scales and occur on parts of the skin that are rich in oil glands. This could be thought of as an inflamed type of dandruff. The dandruff on the scalp is most often not inflamed.
What are the causes of Dandruff ?
Contrary to what people think, dandruff is not caused by too much shampooing or dry skin.
It is triggered by overactive oil glands, food allergies, stress, excessive perspiration, or harsh shampoos.
There is a common misconception that dandruff is caused by scalp skin being too dry. Hence some people avoid washing their hair, believing that the drying effect of shampoo will worsen their dandruff. Their scalp is probably not being cleansed enough; the scale is building up into larger, more noticeable flakes before it falls off the skin.
Dandruff problems tend to occur more frequently in people with oily skin and hair.
Dandruff is caused by micro-organism called pityrosporum-ovle, which are present in every body’s scalp. Symptoms of dandruff get aggravated when exposed to dust, UV light, harsh chemical based shampoo, hair dyes etc which then results in increase in number of microbes which causes unhealthy residue over the scalp which leads to dandruff, which is the cause of unhealthy scalp resulting in unhealthy, lifeless hair and may result in excessive loss of hair too in the long run.
Contrary to popular notions, dandruff is usually a result of too much oiliness of the skin and scalp rather than dryness. While mild dandruff may be caused by overactive oil glands, recent evidence suggests that the more severe dandruff associated with seborrheic dermatitis may be caused by an overabundance of Pityrosporum ovale, a yeast-like organism found on healthy scalp in low numbers. With the increased scaling and oiliness of seborrheic dermatitis, these yeast organisms thrive and multiply, aggravating inflammation and scaling.
The cold, dry air of fall and winter often triggers a flare-up. Emotional stress can worsen the condition as well.
Skin cells that grow and die off too fast are the cause of dandruff, but doctors do not know why this happens. Some people with severe flaking have overactive sebaceous glands (whose task is to lubricate the skin with oils); others have an elevated level of the fungus Pityrosporum ovale, which is present in most people but in excess in dandruff sufferers. Other causative factors include family history, food allergies, excessive sweating, use of alkaline soaps, yeast infections, and stress. Even the season of the year can contribute to the problem: Cold, dry winters are notorious for bringing on dandruff or making it worse.
If dandruff flakes are greasy and yellow, the probable cause is the skin condition known as seborrheic dermatitis; dry, thick lesions consisting of large, silvery scales may be traced to the less common psoriasis of the scalp. These forms of dandruff as well as the run-ofthe- mill variety become a hazard only if you scratch to the point of causing breaks in the skin, which can place you at greater risk for infections, particularly from staph and strep bacteria.
Additional Causes Of Dandruff Dandruff is usually seasonal. It is most severe during the winter and mildest during the summer. Dandruff scales usually occur as small, round, white-togray patches on top of the head. Scaling can occur anywhere on the scalp, in the hair, on the eyebrows, the beard and can spread to the neck and shoulders. Dandruff is often known as “dry scalp”, but people with oily scalps tend to suffer the most. An oily scalp also supports the growth of P. ovale. Since dandruff is a natural process, it cannot be eliminated.
It can only be managed and controlled.
Home remedies to control dandruff
Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water overnight and prepare a fine paste of it in the morning and apply it on the scalp thoroughly.
Wash the hair thoroughly with soapnut (ritha) solution or shikakai.
Massage your scalp properly with neem oil. It gives the best scalp treatment and is very beneficial for dry itchy scalp.
Apply a paste of two egg whites mixed with fresh juice of one lime and leave for half an hour. Then wash the hair with neem soap. It controls dandruff and gives relief to itchy scalp.
Mix olive oil with almond oil and apply it on the scalp. Leave it for 5 minutes.
Wash thoroughly. Results in either complete or reduced dandruff within a few weeks.
Boil both the top and root of beet (preferably white beet) and massage properly on the scalp with fingertips every night.
Herbal Remedies for Dandruff
Apply coconut oil on scalp. It is a very common treatment for dandruff.
Immerse amla and bhringraj powder in water and make a paste and keep it over night. Apply the paste on the scalp next morning.
Add some lemon juice in Luke warm water and apply it daily. It is also a common dandruff remedy Prepare a paste of fresh neem leaves and apply it to the scalp.
Boil 100 g each of amla (goose berry), reetha and shikakai in two litre of water until the liquid reduces to half. Use this shampoo for one month. It is the best anti dandruff shampoo and is very beneficial in scalp care and thickening of hair.
Dandruff Treatment and Advice Include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet Properly clean your hair and scalp to avoid accumulation of dead cells
Avoid fried foods Properly brush your hair daily to improve the blood circulation and remove any flakiness Avoid hair sprays, gels, irritating shampoo or soaps and dyes, which may increase irritation and make dandruff worse Avoid stress and tension Anuradha Ch, Director, Anoo’s Beauty Salon and clinic for men and women.