Dandruff is a common chronic scalp condition caused by flaking of the skin found in the scalp. Dandruff is not contagious and sometimes difficult to treat.
Mild cases of dandruff needs nothing but daily shampooing with a mild cleanser, but for stubborn cases of dandruff, they can be treated using medicated shampoos. If you want to learn more about this condition, click here to learn more.
Symptoms of dandruff
A symptom of dandruff includes white, oil looking flakes of dead skin that are usually found in the hair and shoulders. The scalp is itchy, and scaly. It becomes worse during fall and winter due to the indoor heating which causes dry skin and tends to improve during the summer.
A type of dandruff that affects babies is called cradle cap. This condition causes scaly, crusty scalp and is common in newborn babies, but it can happen anytime during the infancy period. Cradle cap disappears on its own by the time the baby is three years old.
Causes of dandruff
- A simple skin that is dry is the common cause of dandruff and flakes from dry skin are smaller and less oily from other causes of dandruff. The legs and arms can also experience dry skin.
- Not regularly washing the hair can cause building up of oil and skin cells from the scalp and will cause dandruff.
- An oily and irritated skin is the most frequent causes of dandruff, where there is a presence of red, greasy skin that is covered with flaky white or yellow scales which is known as seborrheic dermatitis. This condition affects the scalp and areas that are rich in oil glands like the eyebrows, sides of the nose, back of the ears, breastbone, groin areas and the armpits.
- Other skin conditions like eczema which is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition as well as psoriasis which is a skin condition where there is a rapid build-up of rough, dry and dead skin cells and forms thick scales.
Treatment of dandruff
- Brush the hair every day in order to improve circulation and remove dandruff flakes. Massage the head using the fingertips before or immediately after brushing to further improve circulation.
- There are ways of minimizing the build-up of dandruff. One way is diluting cider vinegar with equal amounts of water and dab into the scalp with a cotton ball. Cider vinegar will kill any fungus that are present and helps in restoring proper acid and alkaline balance of the scalp as well as add shine to the hair. For best result, treat the dandruff with cider vinegar at least once a week. Another way is using unadulterated coconut oil. Rub the coconut oil on the scalp using the a brush or fingertips, then wash the scalp using warm that can be tolerated for at least 15 minutes. These methods will keep the person dandruff free for up to six months.
- Eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
- Rinse the hair using a mixture of water and one teaspoon of lime juice during the last rinse when shampooing the hair to make the hair shinny
- Apply baby oil to the entire scalp at night before going to bed, and then cover it with towel. Rinse it in the morning. Repeat this process every day until the dandruff is gone.