Dandruff - Causes, Symptions, Remedies and Preventions

Dandruff - Causes, Symptions, Remedies and Preventions

Dandruff is medically known as Seborrhoea. It is not just dryness of the skin. Actually, the word “Seborrhoea” means “too much oil.” Seborrhoea is also known as Seborrhoeic Dermatitis or common Dandruff. Skin has a natural mechanism that its cells flake off regularly.

Skin contains glands called Sebaceous glands. Function of these glands is to keep our skin moist. The function of these glands is to release oily material or discharge, which is known as Sebum. Dandruff is a mixture of flaked off skin cells and Sebum. Seborrhoea can present as a variety of conditions such as Dandruff, thick scales on the scalp, Redness on the face or in the armpits, or raw, Red patches below the breasts. Although some of these conditions may feel dry moisturizing only makes them Redder. In other cases the skin may seem oily or even oily and dry at the same time. Seborrhoea (Dandruff) is a skin disorder that results from neither too little moisture nor too much oil. It is a form of skin inflammation (Dermatitis), which has no known cause. This condition can appear at any time from infancy to old age, and can come and go more or less at random.

Causes of Dandruff

As the epidermal layer continually replaces itself, cells are pushed outward where they eventually die and flake off. In most people, these flakes of skin are too small to be visible. However, certain conditions cause cell turnover to be unusually rapid, especially in the scalp. For people with Dandruff, skin cells may mature and be shed in 2 - 7 days, as opposed to around a month in people without Dandruff. The result is that dead skin cells are shed in large, oily clumps, which appear as White or Grayish patches on the scalp and clothes.

Dandruff has been shown to be the result of three required factors:

1. Skin oil commonly referred to as Sebum or sebaceous secretions;
2. The metabolic by-products of skin micro-organisms (most specifically Malassezia yeasts);
3. An individual susceptibility.
4. Due to stress

Symptoms of Dandruff

For most people, the signs and symptoms of Dandruff are very clear sometimes elaborate enough to embarrass the patient in public. White, oily looking flakes of dead skin that dot your hair and shoulders and an Itchy, scaling scalp. But it’s not quite that simple — many conditions cause excessive skin scaling, including:
Dry Skin.

Simple dry skin — the kind you get in winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is by far the most common cause of Itchy, flaking skin. But flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those caused by Dandruff.

Seborrhoeic Dermatitis. This condition, a frequent cause of Dandruff, is marked by Red, Greasy skin covered with flaky White or Yellow scales. Seborrhoeic Dermatitis affects not only your scalp but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.

Cradle Cap (Seborrhoeic Dermatitis of the Scalp). This disorder, which causes a scaling, crusty scalp, is most common in newborns, but it can occur anytime during infancy. Although it can be alarming for parents, Cradle Cap isn’t dangerous and usually clears up on its own by the time a baby is a year old.

Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp.

Contact dermatitis. Sometimes sensitivities to certain hair-care products or hair dyes can cause a Red, Itchy, scaling scalp.

Dandruff Home remedies

Garlic and oil of oregano are also excellent for fighting dandruff. You can take it internally or externally depending on what seems to work best for your situation. Both are sold in health food stores as capsules or tablets.

Improving Circulation

Alternating hot and cold water on the head increases circulation to the scalp. Yoga headstands will also help with circulation. Exercising out in the fresh air will also help with circulation to the scalp. Brush your scalp carefully to loosen scales before shampooing. If you wash your hair daily use small amounts of baby shampoo. Harsh shampoos will just cause the sebaceous gland to overcompensate by producing more oil than necessary.

Sulfur Products Are Beneficial

Onions are high in sulfur. Cut a fresh onion in half and rub it on the scalp, I know it looks strange. Wash your hair once a week with a sulfur based soap. Avoid hair products that contain alcohol which dries out the scalp. Also avoid hair dryers which will also dry the scalp and add to the problem.

For good hair without dandruff, drink at least 2 liter water, eat lots of salads, green vegetables, and fresh fruits. Combs must be washed as frequently and hair should be brushed regularly. Dandruff is a scalp condition that can be controlled. Too little oil or too much oil can result in dandruff. Try the following:

Mix 2 teaspoons pure vinegar in 6 teaspoons water and apply it on the scalp before going to bed. Tie a towel around the head. Wash your head next morning. After shampooing, rinse again with vinegar water. Treat your hair like this once a week for at least three months.

Mix 1 teaspoons lemon juice with 2 teaspoons vinegar and massage on the scalp. Wash your hair with an egg shampoo.

Take 1 part almond oil, 1 part pure sulphur powder, 2 parts 'surgical spirit' and 4 parts distilled water or rose water and mix well. Rub on the scalp.

Take 2 cup water, add 4-5 tablespoons dried thyme and boil for 10 minutes. Cool, strain, and use the mixture to massage scalp. Keep for half an hour.

Dissolve 2 aspirins in any dandruff shampoo and wash your hair.

Massage the scalp with almond oil. Dip a towel in boiling water and wrap it around the hair. Repeat it thrice or four times when the towel gets cold.

Make a shampoo by mixing 100 g each of amla (Indian goose berry), reetha, and shikakai, and boil in two litre of water until the liquid reduces to half. Use this shampoo for one month. Dandruff will vanish and your hair will become thick.

Grind fenugreek (methi) seeds soaked in water overnight. Massage this paste on scalp and hair and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with a mild shampoo.

Wash your hair with warm apple cider vinegar. Then cover your head with a towel or a shower cap and leave for about 30-40 minutes. Rinse with plain water. Repeat 2 times a week until your dandruff goes away.

Mix 100 g witch hazel and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice in 200 ml water. Shampoo your hair and apply with cotton to the scalp when the hair are still wet. Repeat several times until the dandruff is treated.

Try a shampoo with selenium sulfide or salicylic acid.
Try Zest soap once a week. It may work for oily hair. It leaves your hair dry, so use conditioner to your hair only but try not to get it on your scalp. It has worked to get rid of dandruff for some people.

Dandruff Prevention

You can’t prevent Dandruff, but you can take steps to Reduce your risk:
Learn to manage stress. Stress affects your overall health, making you susceptible to a number of conditions and diseases. It can even help trigger Dandruff or exacerbate existing symptoms.

Shampoo often. If you tend to have an oily scalp, daily shampooing to remove the excess oil may help prevent Dandruff.
Cut back on styling products. Hair sprays, styling gels, mousses and hair waxes can all build up on your hair and scalp, making them oilier.
Eat a healthy diet. A diet that provides enough Zinc, B Vitamins and essential Fatty Acids may help prevent Dandruff.

Get a little Sunlight. Do not take Sunbath. Instead, just spend a little time outdoors. Sunlight may be good for Dandruff. But because exposure to Ultraviolet light damages the skin and increases the risk of skin Cancer.

Dandruff Misconceptions

Dandruff is sometimes confused with dried shampoo. This usually occurs when hair isn’t rinsed properly. Dandruff is not an organism like Lice; it is just dead skin that accumulates in the scalp. Dandruff is unlikely to be the cause of hair loss, although excess Sebum which is linked to Dandruff contains DHT (Dihydrotachysterol), the primary agent in Alopecia.