Dandruff Facts

Dandruff is a common skin condition in teenagers and adults. It's normal for the skin to shed some cells, including the skin on your scalp. But when the process leaves white flakes on your dark clothing, it can be embarrassing. Here, you'll learn more about the causes of and treatments for dandruff.

Identification

Dandruff is composed of flakes of skin from the scalp that are visible on the hair or clothing. Flakes are usually small and white. If the flakes are large, clumpy, or a yellowish color, this may indicate a skin condition other than simple dandruff.

Causes

Dandruff may occur when the scalp is overly dry and irritated. Living in a hot, arid climate or in dry, cold conditions can contribute to developing dandruff. Shampooing too often or with too harsh a shampoo can also dry out the scalp and cause dandruff. Dandruff may also be caused by an over-growth of fungus, called malassezia, that normally exists in small amounts on the scalp. Shampooing too infrequently can leave the scalp greasy and feed the fungus. When there's an overgrowth of the fungus, dead cells clump together and form large flakes of dandruff.

Other conditions of the scalp

If you're self-diagnosing and treating your own dandruff and it doesn't respond to over-the-counter remedies, you may need to rule out other skin conditions that may cause the scalp to be dry, flaky, and itchy. For instance, you may be developing an itchy scalp because of an allergic reaction to a haircare product, or you may have harder-to-treat conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Lifestyle remedies

One lifestyle change that may reduce or eliminate dandruff is a diet rich in B vitamins, zinc, and unsaturated fats. Those lacking these nutrients tend to have dry skin all over the body, including the scalp. Shampooing once a day with a mild shampoo may also help. Shampooing more often will dry the scalp out, while not shampooing frequently enough can also be problematic for those dealing with dandruff.

OTC Treatments

A wide variety of over-the-counter dandruff shampoos are available, containing several different active ingredients. If one type doesn't work for treating dandruff, another might work better. Common active ingredients pyrithione, coal tar, salicylic acid, selenium sulfide, or ketoconazole. Tar-based shampoos slow down how fast the scalp sheds skin, while salicylic acid-based shampoos help slough off dead skin cells. Pyrithione and ketoconazole are anti-fungals that may help get rid of dandruff by reducing the growth of the malassezia fungus. Selenium sulfide slows down the rate of skin cell shedding and is a mild anti-fungal.

Prescription medications

If over-the-counter shampoos don't eliminate dandruff, your doctor may prescribe prescription-strength anti-fungal shampoo. Cortisone creams and gels may also be prescribed to calm the inflammation that can lead to persistent dandruff.

References

• Dandruff
• Dandruff (seborrhea)

Resources

• Dandruff