Dandruff - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Dandruff is due to the excessive shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp. The skin itself sheds every twenty-four days. Dandruff can happen at any age but is most commonly found in people between the ages of 12 and 80. Mild cases may need nothing more than daily shampooing with a gentle cleanser. And stubborn flakes often respond to medicated shampoos. A yeast-like fungus that may cause or aggravate dandruff, a discovery that may lead to better treatments and even to a whole new wardrobe. Dandruff is an itchy, annoying and persistent skin disorder of the scalp. Some people, however, either chronically or as a result of certain triggers, experience an unusually large amount of flaking, which can also be accompanied by redness and irritation. In the past ten years dandruff problems in the United States have become more serious and more frequent. As it is normal for skin cells to die and flake off, a small amount of flaking is normal and in fact quite common. Most cases of dandruff can be treated with specialized shampoos or common household remedies.

Dandruff is a shedding of the skin on the scalp that leads to white flakes on the head, neck, and shoulders. It is a natural and harmless scalp condition in which the shedding of dead skin cells occurs at an unusually fast rate. Because of the oily skin often associated with this condition, these cells clump together and flake off as dandruff. The skin of the scalp has many layers. Dandruff and dark color shirt can never find a place together, because it looks really bad when someone brushes off the white flakes off your attire. At the initial level, dandruff might not seem like a big problem but at later stages it can become troublesome, when you'll find that your skin is getting affected. Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin disorder that can be easily treated. Dandruff appears as scaling on the scalp without redness. Seborrhea is oiliness of the skin, especially of the scalp and face, without redness or scaling. Patients with seborrhea may later get seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis has both redness and scaling.

Causes of Dandruff

Common Causes of Dandruff :

• Constipation.
• Exposure to cold.
• Emotional tension.
• Usage of harsh shampoos.
• Stress, anxiety and tension.
• Cold weather and dry indoor heating.
• Heredity predisposition.
• Allergic hypersensitive.
• Poor health or hygiene.
• Excessive use of hair sprays and gels.

Symptoms of Dandruff

Some common Symptoms of Dandruff :

• Itching.
• Scalp may turn red resulting from scratching.
• Flakes of skin that range from small and white to large, greasy, and yellow.

Treatment of Dandruff

There are many ways and means of treating dandruf. The best treatment for dandruf is to wash hair regularly with a mild shampoo. Some doctors also recommend the use of anti-fungal agents for the treatment of dandruf, but this remedy is quite controversial. dandruf, is best treated with a specific anti-dandruf shampoo. To reduce flaking, gently shampoo your hair using the pads of your finger and try not to starch. Some are -

• You can also take a spoon full of lemon juice . Mix it with two spoon full of vinegar and massage the mixture on the scalp. Wash your hair with an egg shampoo.
• Oil hair well before going to bed. Next morning mix 1 tspn  of limejuice with ½ tspn salt. Rub the mixture on the scalp with the peel of a lime turned inside out. Leave for 1 hour before shampooing.
• Use of antiseptic lotion.
• Scalp treatment (ozone treatment).
• Avoid using shampoos with harsh chemicals if you have a bruised scalp. Applying shampoos containing such chemicals on broken skin may cause irritation.
• You can also mix one egg yolk with a squirt of lime juice and a few drops of camphor and apply to your scalp for ten minutes. This will reintroduce missing protein to your scalp. Rinse with warm water.
• Washing your hair regularly is important. If you find washing your hair gives you frizzy or dry ends, the little secret to handle that is to take some conditioner and add it to the ends of your hair before washing it normally. Then condition it after shampooing, if you like to use conditioner.

Home | Blog | Contact Us
Copyright © TheSkinDisorders.com All Rights Reserved.