Dandruff is the condition of the scalp that usually happens when the scalp becomes more greasy or dry. However, people having dandruff usually consider it embarrassing and irritating. On an average scale, almost 50% of people are affected by dandruff. It doesn’t have any specific cause and can appear at any age.
Diagnosis of dandruff
Symptoms of dandruff may include:
• Itchy scalp and greasy skin patches
• skin flakes on your eyes, hair, and shoulders
• If you are feeling your skin is a kind of tight
• Red areas on your skin
• Flakes of ■■■■ skin in the hair
• Newborn babies can get a yellowish, thick rash on their scalp
These symptoms may appear in any part of the body like the ear, neck, eyebrows, hair, shoulders, and other body parts. Symptoms can cause more severe and complex conditions if you have skin problems or have any serious illness. These symptoms vary from one type of dandruff to another.
Causes of dandruff
There is no exact or particular cause of dandruff. Most of the time, it can happen because of an unknown cause. But usually, dandruff occurs because of the following factors:
1. Oily or dry skin:
People with drier and oilier skin effect dandruff. A cool breeze and more heated rooms make your skin more dry and flaky in winters and can cause dandruff. Using oily products can make your skin oily and greasy, which can also cause dandruff.
2. Yeast:
Dandruff can affect people allergic to yeast. Yeast is more likely to be used in winters. So, along with cold, dry weather and using yeast may cause dandruff. Dandruff caused by yeast can be severe if you have dry skin.
3. Improper shampooing:
Using irrelevant and local shampoo can cause contact dermatitis [11], making your hair skin itchy, and eventually, chances of dandruff increase.
4. Not doing enough hairbrush:
Apart from dandruff, hair is of ■■■■ importance. People rarely pay much attention to hair brushing. Also, dirty hair brushes can have dust, dust mites, bacteria, and yeast. Careless hair care routine can be a major cause of producing dandruff.
5. Using sensitive hair products:
Most of the hair products don’t suit people’s hair type and cause redness, itchiness. That leads to creating dandruff. Cheap quality hair products affect hair growth and increase the chance of dandruff.
6. Genetic issues and harmonic problems:
Hormones can control oil production. But when hormones get the change, they can cause dandruff. Hormones can be a minor reason, but not a major one.
Genetic issues can also be a reason. Microbes live on the scalp of your skin. Sometimes it activates your immune system and makes your cells flaking and dividing rapidly that can cause dandruff.
7. Skin types:
Some skin types like seborrheic, dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema can cause dandruff.
8. Improper oiling:
Doing more than enough oiling or not at all oiling, your hair is a major cause of dandruff. As more oiling can make your skin scalp more greasy, similarly, not all oiling can make your skin scalp dry. That is a major cause of dandruff.
9. Environmental factors:
Severe weather conditions like snowfall and winters can easily cause dandruff. Usually, in winter, dandruff conditions may get more severe and complex due to dry air and overheated rooms.
10. Improper Diet:
when someone is not consuming enough diet that contains Vitamin B, zinc, and some essential fats. Then you can easily be affected by dandruff.
11. Mental stress:
There is always a link between any skin problem and mental stress. Therefore, in the same way, mental stress can cause dandruff too. Not alone but along with some other factors.
Risk factors
Normally dandruff can not cause more problem, but some factors make it more complex and risky:
1. Age:
People of young are usually affected more by dandruff, which can be continued until their middle age. Old age people can also have dandruff, but there is no risk for them. Some people can easily get rid of dandruff, and some bear it for their whole life.
2. Serious illness:
Medical problems that can affect your nervous and immune system can cause a risk of dandruff. A weak immune system and ■■■ are the sure diseases that can cause dandruff.
3. Men:
Men are most affected by dandruff, so men hormones can be a sure thing for producing dandruff.
Types of dandruff:
Different factors can cause several types of dandruff. So if you think that all people have some dandruff, you are not right. People from age to age and from gender to gender can have different types of dandruff.
So before you treat with dandruff, you must know what kind of dandruff you have and then treat accordingly so it can not cause any other problem.
There are different types of dandruff:
1. Dry skin dandruff:
It is the most normal type of dandruff that is usually caused by severe weather conditions like winters. Your scalp can feel dry and tight. People having dry and curly hair go through this type of dandruff. This can easily be treated by moisturizing your hair either by using oils or a specific shampoo.
2. Oily skin dandruff:
This type of dandruff occurs when you do more than enough oiling to your hair. That can cause greasy scalp, itchiness, and dirty skin flakes. Mental stress and anxiety lead to the production of sebum oil, which leads to oily dandruff.
This type of dandruff needs proper consultation with your doctor. Also, doing proper oiling can be beneficial to get rid of oily dandruff.
3. Fungal dandruff:
A natural element named Funjal Malassezia exists on our skin and scalp. It needs an excessive amount of oil on the scalp to grow and produces oleic acid that further leads skin cells to the scalp together to produce white flaking.
It is also a serious dandruff condition, and you need to consult your doctor for proper meditation. You can also use antifungal shampoos to get rid of it.
4. Disease-related dandruff:
Skin conditions like eczema and seborrheic cause more production of such skin cells that can cause scaly skin. So when these skin cells come in contact with dirt can cause dandruff that can cause severe diseases.
Before it gets more severe, consult a doctor for proper treatment and products. If you do not treat it immediately, it can cause more complex issues for you.
Treatment
1. When to see a doctor:
Most people don’t consider dandruff a serious problem and try to use home remedies to get rid of it. Some people really get rid of it and home using natural products. But if you have a severe condition of dandruff, you cannot treat it at your home.
You have to consult a doctor immediately once you feel that home remedies are not enough. Don’t ignore and consider it a normal problem because it will not produce many symptoms and problems, but it can move toward a serious condition day by day.
2. Proper Hair-care routine:
Today, everyone has a busy schedule, and people don’t have enough time to pay attention to their skin and hair care routine. But it’s a very famous proverb: “Health is wealth.” So try to maintain a proper hair care routine.
Below is the step by step guide for a proper hair cair routine:
Step 1: Oiling before a shower. Usually, people don’t give a ■■■■ about oiling before shower or washing your hair. But it is a serious thing to consider. Hair growth completely depends upon how you treat your hair.
• Before washing your hair, do proper oiling to your hair. Massage for 4-5 minutes.
• Leave it for 3-3 hours or enough time you feel comfortable.
•. Oiling hydrates the dry scalp and helps in improving blood circulation. That helps to get rid of dandruff and also increases hair growth.
Step 2: Shampoo. Enough shampooing is essential to get rid of dandruff. But while selecting your shampoo, put quality over quantity.
• Before hair wash, brush your hair to get rid of tangled hair.
• Select a suitable shampoo that targets your hair needs.
• Shampoo and wash your hair properly.
Step 3: Conditioner. After a shower, if necessary, then apply a conditioner. It helps to moisturize your hair.
• Be very careful while choosing a conditioner.
• Conditioner plays an effective role in getting rid of dandruff hair and leave them straight.
Step 4: Air drying. Avoid hair drying by using a dryer machine. Hairdryer produces heat that can cause hair damage and hair breakage.
• Instead of the dryer, prefer air to dry your hair.
• Don’t tie your hair till they are dehydrated.
Step 5: Hair massage. Massages are always helpful as they help to control your stress and improve blood circulation.
• Before and after the shower, never forget to take a hair massage.
• Daily, before sleeping, try to give your hair a gentle massage with your fingertips.
Step 6: Bonus tip. Every week, try to wear a hair mask, either home-made or from a good-brand. These masks can be both home-made or from a good hair brand.
3. Lifestyle:
Even you are rich or poor, maintenance of a healthy and proper lifestyle is necessary. And when it comes to skin and hair care, your lifestyle plays a critical role. Here are some steps to maintain your lifestyle in a healthy way that can help you to get rid of dandruff and other hair problems
a) Don’t stress out. Though it’s human nature to be worried about any difficulty, you must know how to manage your stress level. Try to think positive and adopt some healthy activities. Because when you don’t get rid of mental stress, If will surely lead you to a lot of problems, including dandruff in a severe way and many more.
b) Healthy diet. It would help if you consumed diets daily that include zinc, vitamin B, and fats. They help in preventing dandruff. Else of this, anyone must take maintenance calories to stay healthy.
c) Sunlight. Sunlight is beneficial for preventing dandruff. But direct sunlight can damage, so instead of direct sunlight, try to take some outdoors to take enough vitamins. Also, don’t forget to wear sunscreens while going outside.
d) Suitable hair products. Always prefer quality over quantity. Be very careful while selecting your hair products. Avoid cheap products and always choose those products that suit your hair type and are enough to cover all the hair issues.
4. Home remedies to get rid of dandruff.
Natural home-made products are always better than anything. There are several home remedies available that can help prevent dandruff permanently.
Below are some home remedies that can help you to get rid of dandruff permanently:
1. Neem leaves.
• Neem leaves are beneficial for hair care. In most of the shampoos, neem is already present as an ingredient.
• Make a thick paste by grinding neem leaves with water.
• Apply this mixture to your hair and leave for 20-30 minutes.
• Rinse it off with the help of fresh lake warm water.
2. Orange peel.
• Orange peel has calcium, Vitamin A, and some other necessary fibers for the human body. Therefore when it comes to hair, it is excellent to get rid of dandruff.
• Make a thick paste by grinding orange peel with lemon juice.
• Apply this paste on your hair and leave for 20-30 minutes.
• Rinse this paste off by using any anti-dandruff shampoo.
3. Vinegar.
• From ancient times until now, vinegar always played a crucial role in our kitchen. From recipes to remedies, it can be used anywhere in any dish.
• Vinegar is very beneficial for skin scalp problems; for example, it helps eliminate skin itchiness and cure acne.
• Boil 2 cups of vinegar with 1 cup of water.
• Cool this mixture and then add 8 cups of water.
• Wash your hair scalp with this mixture.
• After rinsing it off with the help of shampoo.
4. Eggs Yolk
• Separate egg yolk from egg white part.
• Apply egg yolk on dry hair and scalp.
• Cover your hair with a shower cap.
• Leave this mixture for 30 minutes.
• Rinse it off with fresh water.
• To get rid of its odor, you may shampoo your hair twice.
5. Curd.
• Curd helps get rid of dandruff permanently.
• Mix curd with any hair oil and apply for 10-20 minutes.
• Rinse it off by using any shampoo.
Preventions for Dandruff
• Always keep your separate hairbrush.
• Try to wash your hair twice a week.
• Every month, visit a salon to get rid of split ends of your hair.
• Maintain a proper diet plan.
• Reduce the stress level.
Frequently asked questions
1. Should you scrap dandruff out of your hair?
No, scrapping dandruff out of your hair can not help out the problem. Instead of preventing dandruff, it can create worse conditions. So avoid scrapping dandruff and try other ways to get rid of it.
2. Difference between dandruff and dry scalp?
Dandruff and dry scalp both have almost the same symptoms, but both are two different conditions. A dry scalp can cause dandruff. There are many reasons to produce dandruff, but dry scalp usually happens when the skin does not have enough moisture.
3. Can dandruff make your hair skin?
Usually, dandruff doesn’t affect hair length and thickness instead of that.
Produce itchiness in your scalp that further leads to scratching. Scratching injures your hair growth and causes many hair problems.
4. Is dandruff a living thing or a ■■■■ cell?
No, dandruff is not a living organism; it is a ■■■■ cell that makes your scalp fall off. If you have dandruff, your scalp may look yellowish or red and feel itchy.
5. Why some people have big flakes of dandruff?
Dandruff caused by seborrhea skin type is severe and more complex. This skin type causes big flakes of dandruff that look very clear if you have dry skin. Your skin may have red patches and a yellowish appearance of dandruff.
6. Can everyone have dandruff?
Normally people of young age have dandruff. But from babies to old ones, everyone can be affected by it. Usually, one out of five has dandruff. But it also depends on how people treat it. People don’t use well methods to get rid of it and ignore its appearance, causing the worst condition.
Conclusion
Dandruff is a disorder of the scalp, and both genders can be affected by dandruff. There is no specific reason for dandruff. Dealing with dandruff is not difficult, but you must know all the right directions and methods to get rid of it.
Different types of dandruff are treated differently. If you don’t cure it properly, it can cause more complex conditions and lead to other hair problems.
Normally you don’t need a proper appointment to diagnose your type of dandruff, but if you really think that you are affected by some serious condition, see a doctor immediately and choose appropriate hair products to get rid of it.
Related more
14 proven tips to get rid of dandruff
Best home remedies for dry hair