Let’s talk about dandruff, a topic most of my patients are embarrassed to bring up. Nobody likes to mention it but dandruff happens to many people at sometime in their lives. You know what I mean, an itchy, flaky scalp which sheds constantly, causing white flakes in your hair and on your shoulders. You might have experienced dandruff or noticed it on somebody else and wondered what to do about it.
What to do?
Nine times out of ten, if you have dandruff, you run out to get a medicated shampoo to look after the problem. Unfortunately, some cases do not always respond to shampoos and won’t go away. This is generally the time when you get fed up and decide to call a dermatologist. The truth is that when dandruff persists for a long time period, it might be a red flag that something else is wrong so seeking advice isn’t a bad idea.
But, what is dandruff?
It’s normal for your skin to constantly shed layers and your scalp sheds over any other part of the body. Dandruff is not anything more than shedding an inordinate quantity of large flakes usually accompanied by itching. Dandruff can also influence your ears, forehead and eyebrows. When dandruff is persistent, together with inflammation and itching, it means you might have another skin condition like seborrhea, eczema, or psoriasis. In which case the treatment could be different than for a frequent case of dandruff.
Why Do You Have Dandruff?
Another word for dandruff is pityriasis, which is characterized by inflammation and the formation of fine scales which flake easily. A microscopic fungus, pityrosporum, is normally found on fatty areas of the skin and dandruff sufferers appear to have more than their share. Yeast called, Pityrosporum ovale, is thought to be the primary cause of dandruff along with other factors such as:
- Oil glands – too active
- Stress – a trigger or may make it worse
- Sugar -sugar needs B vitamins so as to metabolize and can result in a lack in your body that can cause dandruff
- Shampooing – if you use hot water then it may strip natural oils and dry the scalp
- Low or no fat diets – can create a lack in essential fats, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
- Blow- drying hair – can dry out your scalp
Make It Go Away!
If you have an extreme case of dandruff or it’s persistent, the first thing to do is rule out other skin ailments. Once you know for certain that you’ve got traditional dandruff, there are numerous things you can do to care for your condition.
- Reduce your sugar intake by selecting sweetening agents such as sucrose, fructose, glucose, etc.
- Eliminate foods containing yeast, including baked goods, wines, cheeses, and fermented condiments.
- Shampoo hair with lukewarm water and rinse with cold. Use a gentle shampoo or an anti-dandruff shampoo with zinc pyrithione or selenium sulfide. Switch to coal-tar or people with salicylic acid if a person loses effectiveness. It might take as long as six weeks to notice improvement.
- Avoid any alcohol-based styling products as they can build up in your scalp and dry it out.
Natural ways
There are numerous organic remedies for dandruff which were proven to be effective that can be found in supplement form or in some instances right in your kitchen pantry.
- Add black present or evening primrose oil to your diet because they contain gamma linolelnic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid which helps hair, nails and skin look healthy. Rub vitamin E into your scalp to relieve itching and reduce scaling
- Apply apple cider vinegar diluted 50% with water into the scalp and let dry. There’s absolutely no need to rinse. Lemon juice may also be used to deliver the correct acid/alkaline equilibrium back to the scalp.
- Rub pure coconut oil on your hair daily
- Combine olive oil and ginger root and apply to your scalp before shampooing.
- Rub rosemary oil into your scalp and leave on for 15 minutes
- Oil from thyme has antiseptic qualities. Make a rinse by boiling four teaspoons of dried thyme in 2 cups of water for ten minutes, strain and cool. Massage into clean, damp hair, don’t rinse out.
Conclusion
Remember to see your health care provider if your dandruff persists for months after you have tried a few of these simple suggestions to fix it. It might be an indication of some other skin condition that needs to be treated by an expert.
There’s absolutely no reason to be embarrassed with a dandruff problem. It can be unsightly and uncomfortable but you can take the necessary self-care measures and over-the -counter drugs to get your dandruff move away the easy way.
