dandruff
dandruff 2

Dandruff- is a chronic condition that is marked by skin flaking on scalp & itching. Itchiness due to dandruff often causes irritability and embarrassment. Dandruff does make your scalp itchy and flaky.

What causes dandruff?

  • Family history- strongly related to dandruff
  • Lifestyle factors including:
    • Incorrect skin care
    • Microtrauma
    • Stress
    • Excessive perspiration
  • Diet factors including:
    • Poor nutrition,
    • Alcoholism,
    • Food allergies
  • Environmental factors -
    • Pollution
    • Exposure to dust
    • UV light exposure
    • Climate changes- Cold, dry winters cause dandruff or making it worse
    • Bore water- having bisulphates
  • Hormonal factors include:
    • Increased sebaceous gland action (overactivity) at the time of puberty
    • Young adults with increased androgen levels, which is triggered by stress
  • Cosmetic factors :
    • Excessive use of harsh shampoos
    • Excessive use of hair dyes
    • Use of alkaline soaps

"Sometimes the flaking and itching that appears like dandruff is actually a medical condition, such as seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, fungal infections of the scalp, or eczema."

Does Dandruff cause Hair Loss?

Not directly, but the itching and scratching will cause weakening of hair roots and lead to mechanical loss of hair.

 

How  to get rid of Dandruff?

Hair and Scalp needs thorough examination through trichoscopy and other necessary tests and the root cause of dandruff should be diagnosed and treated accordingly.

The treatment aimed mainly to -

  1. Get relieved of symptoms
  2. Get rid of scale formation and
  3. Treatment of specific cause of dandruff

Symptomatic Treatment:

It is often achieved by frequent hair washing with normal shampoo (without any active ingredients).

The effect is due to the surfactants in the shampoo but is usually only transient.

Causal treatment: Reduction of Malassezia, Reduction of scalp inflammation and Reduction of skin cells proliferation.

  • anti- fungal-The most frequent antifungal agents are tea tree oil, piroctone olamine, zinc pyrithione, selenium disulphide, terbafine, and ketoconazole. All are active against yeast and reduce inflammation of the scalp.
  • anti-squamolytic agents- salicylic acid and coal tar which both reduce skin proliferation and promote desquamation

Prevention of Relapse is important by regular use of antifungal shampoos ,avoidance of provocative factors and proper nutritious food intake or taking hair supplements.