What is dandruff – Causes, Remedies & Prevention
Dandruff is a shameful mark on your visual resume, but you’re not alone.
Today there are many treatments you can use to take care of this genetic or environmental beauty problem.
It’s high time you put an end to avoiding black clothes and embrace what is dandruff – causes, remedies and prevention.
Almost half of the adult population gets dandruff during their lives.
Some learn to keep this dry skin at bay using only a few products. Others are always battling it off testing everything on the market and most failed and learned to live with it.
But there’s more to dandruff and there’s a solution for every type – psoriasis, eczema and fungi get misdiagnosed as dandruff.
What is dandruff?
To know how to get rid of dandruff, you have to know what it is.
Seborrhea dermatitis is dead skin that gets stuck on the scalp. It doesn’t exfoliate on its own. It’s a skin condition, so it doesn’t mean that you’re not showering.
Scalp dermatitis appears when there’s an imbalance in your body. It can be because you’re tired and have dry skin or too oily epidermis. It can appear because you’ve been using too many hair styling products and it can even show its nasty shape if your hormones are going bananas.
Some dandruff types need serious treatment, while others also need you to check your lifestyle.
- Are you stressed?
- Are you getting enough sleep?
- Are you eating right?
Pollution and a hectic schedule can wreak havoc on your scalp. Yeast present on oily areas can cause inflammation and this translates into red spots, itchiness and dead skin.
How to get rid of dandruff
You can’t get rid of dandruff for good. You might have it now, get rid of it and it will pop back again if your body is going through an imbalance.
If you’re thinking “then, why bother washing it off?!”, the main reason is that it will lead to thin hair as it will suffocate the scalp and new hair follicles can’t regenerate.
There are so many products on the market that are popular for treating dandruff, like Head & Shoulders, Nizoral and Alpecin that it’s hard to recommend something.
You have to try different formulas and find one that suits your scalp.
Other popular names on the market are:
- Selsun Blue
- Neutrogena T/Gel
- Dove
- Nivea
Aveda and Hymalaya have a range to treat this issue. You can find most at the market, but a lot are in a dedicated section at the local pharmacy.
The important part is the ingredients:
- zinc pyrithione
- selenium disulfide
- sulfur, salicylic acid
- ketoconazole
- tar
For the itchiness they might also contain tea tree oil, which is a natural antibacterial ingredient, ginger, peppermint or eucalyptus.
Natural Remedies anti-dandruff
If nothing helps, washing often will relieve the scalp of flaky skin, but this isn’t a long term solution. And when nothing works, go back to natural remedies.
Invest in turmeric supplements avoid inflammation in your body, wash your hair with bicarbonate and then rinse with a mix of vinegar and water.
If you’re feeling like it, apply coconut oil on your scalp from time to time, as this natural oil is both antibacterial and anti-fungal.
Helping your scalp with ph-neutralizing substances like apple cider vinegar and even lemon are another two options.
Some even say that using raw honey hair masks can help with dandruff, while other say that walnut tree leaves tea can make your hair shiny and new.
Again, you have to test things out and see which treatment course works for you.
When you’ve tried on your own for a few months and you’re feeling itchy and miserable, don’t feel ashamed to ask help from the local pharmacist or even a professional dermatologist.
And if you’ve gotten rid of it, see next some ideas of how to prevent it.
How to Prevent dandruff
If you have a puppy, you know the vet always nags you to brush his hair, otherwise it won’t get aired and the dog will be itchy all over.
This also applies to humans. Daily brushing is a must, especially if you have thick and curly hair. Start from the roots and go up to the scalp.
Washing is imperative. This means not too often, so to let the natural oils do their thing, but 2-3 times per week to clean oils and let the skin breathe.
Massage your scalp, but avoid using your nails to scratch it, and use conditioner only on the tips.
In the end, it’s also important to look inside. Are you happy, are you picking at your hair because it’s itchy or because you’re stressed? Are you eating right, getting enough protein for your skin to shine and drinking lots and lots of water to let toxins out of the body?
Take all these into consideration before you feel defeated. And remember to relax!
