Dandruff - causes & remedies

Dandruff - causes & remedies

What is dandruff

It is the dead skin cells, which develop on the scalp, and cause itching and hair fall. It's a white powder like substance, which is dry or oily and covers the scalp surface of the head. Dry dandruff falls on the shoulders from the head and troubles the skin of the face, as well as the back. People who suffer from dandruff problem are prone to acne, pimples and boils on the face and back due its fall on these parts.

Dandruff causes
As skin grows, epidermal cells are pushed outward where they eventually die and flake off the body. In most people, these flakes of skin are too small to be visible. However, certain conditions cause cell turnover to be unusually rapid, especially common in the scalp. In people with dandruff, skin cells may die and be replaced about once every two weeks, as opposed to around once a month in healthy people. The result is that dead skin cells are shed in large clumps, which appear as small, unsightly white or grayish patches on the scalp.

Dandruff is understood to be the result of a combination of factors. Some of these factors are well studied, whereas others have not been thoroughly investigated.

The most common cause of dandruff is probably the fungus Malassezia furfur. This fungus is found naturally on the skin surface of both healthy people and those with dandruff. The fungus likes fat, and is consequently found most on skin areas with many sebaceous glands: on the scalp, face and upper part of the body. Changes in the climate, diet, hormonal changes and stress can affect the production of oil in the skin. Oily skin provides an ideal growth medium for the fungus. When Malassezia furfur grows too rapidly, the natural renewal of cells is disturbed, accelerating the exfoliation of dead cells, resulting in dandruff and itching. Other fungi may have a similar role in causing dandruff, as may certain bacteria.

There is a common misconception that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp, or the drying effect of excessive shampooing. In fact, the opposite is true: people with oily scalps tend to suffer most from dandruff. This may be due to an oily scalp supporting the growth of yeast in the scalp, which is thought to be instrumental in the development of scaling and scalp irritation. On the whole, men are more likely to have dandruff than women, which may suggest some role of androgen hormones in dandruff.

Mild dandruff may be caused by overactive sebaceous glands. Other causative factors include family history, food allergies, excessive perspiration, 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. Symptoms of dandruff can also be aggravated by exposure to dust, UV light, harsh shampoos, and hair dyes.

Dandruff is sometimes the symptom of a more serious condition. If dandruff flakes are greasy and yellow, the probable cause is the skin condition known as seborrheic dermatitis. Redness and itching is actually seborrheic dermatitis, and it frequently occurs around the folds of the nose and the eyebrow areas, not just the scalp. Dry, thick lesions consisting of large, silvery scales may be traced to the less common psoriasis of the scalp.

Seasonal changes, stress, and certain diseases seem to affect seborrheic dermatitis. The cold, dry air of fall and winter often triggers a flare-up. Emotional stress can worsen the condition as well.
There is speculation that dandruff is linked with hair loss, as dandruff may indicate an unhealthy scalp.

Dandruff can in some cases be linked to poor nutrition particularly deficiencies in the mineral zinc.

What to do if you have dandruff

Dandruff can spread from one person to another if comes in contact so one who suffers from dandruff should keep his towel, hair brush and comb and pillow cover separate from others and they should be cleaned everyday for better hygiene and protection from it. Most of the people face the dandruff problem in their head as its one of the commonest hair problem. At times it takes place in the head due to some vitamin deficiency or insufficient zinc. Using Anti dandruff shampoo is the easiest way to tackle dandruff. If there is no help with them, you should use medicated anti dandruff shampoos as NIZORAL, SCALP, and SELSUN. Follow the instruction written on the shampoo bottle for better results.

Dandruff causes bad itching on the scalp and looks dirty on the hair. When severe it weakens the roots of the hair because the roots cannot breathe with the coverage of scalp with this so give hot oil massage to your hair with good moving circulations. You can put hot oil (bearable) on the scalp with a cotton dab. Now use your fingertips to give circulating motions to your head. It reduces the dandruff because it increases the blood circulation and prevents hair from the fall. Dandruff can be a cause of premature graying of hair so take it seriously and don't ignore. For better results you can take anti dandruff oil easily available in the market to use on your hair.

Hormonal imbalance and stress can cause dandruff at times so one should always keep a check out for them. Seek a professional advice if you are suffering from the hormonal imbalance. Eat healthy food to fulfill the deficiency in your body.

Excessive usage of chemicals on the hair in forms of hair dyes, hair sprays, gels and creams are harmful for the hair. Even if a little trace of them is left on the hair, they can create problem and even dandruff. So use such things on hair occasionally and wash the hair off after the usage.

If your hair is oily and then you might have oil traces left on your scalp, which causes dandruff, so wash your hair more often if they are oily for the protection from dandruff. Rubbing lemon peel on the scalp helps a lot when reducing dandruff. You can even add lemon juice to your hair oil, which you are going to massage on your hair.

Avoid intake of oily food in your diet and cut off the consumption of tea and coffee. Vitamin E, vitamin B- Complex and zinc supplement helps in case of severe dandruff but one should take medical advice before starting consuming these vitamins. They can be taken in natural forms in any way without any harm to the body.

Homemade solutions

For home made solutions you can apply henna on the scalp by aiding lots of curd and lemon juice to it. You can even mix some tea water in the mixture when making the paste. Eggs if added to the henna paste and applied on the scalp, helps in reducing the dandruff.
Soak fenugreek seeds in the water overnight, make a paste of it in the morning and apply it on the hair with curd. Leave this mixture on head for at least half an hour. It helps in getting rid of the dandruff.

In hot coconut oil, squeeze one lemon juice and two cubes of menthol. Massage it into your hair and scalp to reduce the dandruff and add shine to the hair.

Water of boiled neem leaves can also help in getting rid of dandruff.

Always wash your comb, hairbrush and towel with medicated solution in hot water when you have dandruff and never share them with others. Clean your pillow cover or change it everyday, or put a towel on it to cover it while sleeping. Otherwise you could spread dandruff to your family members.

Tea tree oil, rosemary oil and geranium are very helpful in reducing dandruff. You can add few drops of them into your massage oil and apply this mixture on your head; it will reduce your dandruff problem.

Always brush and tie your hair properly but only when completely dry. If you tie wet hair, the moister and sweat left inside will give rise to problems, such as, lice and dandruff.

So a little awareness, better prevention and some protection can help you to get rid of the dandruff problem