Dandruff - Causes & Treatments

What Is Dandruff? Causes and Treatment

Those white flakes on the surface of your scalp can be really embarrassing.

Don’t worry, we are here to help you. Here’s everything you need to know about dandruff and how to get rid of those pesky white flakes.

What is Dandruff?

It’s not you, it’s your scalp.

Dandruff is a common skin condition that can lead to constant itching and irritation on your scalp. People with oily skin are usually at a higher risk of having dandruff. Okay, we don’t mean to creep you out but dandruff is a yeast-like fungus that grows on your scalp. It is more common amongst people who do not maintain proper hair care regimes and don’t follow proper standards of hygiene.

Causes of Dandruff :

Seborrheic dermatitis: Seborrheic dermatitis is one of the most common causes of dandruff. It is usually caused by a yeast infection which in this case is Malassezia.

Oily Scalp: Maintaining your scalps hygiene is at is a task but if you are blessed (read: cursed) with an oily scalp then you’re in for a ride. It is important for you to wash your hair at least twice or thrice a week with a shampoo that contains either salicylic acid, Zinc pyrithione or ketoconazole. Using this will make sure that there is no excess build up on your scalp.

Using wrong hair products: We all love trying out new hair products to get shiny and healthy hair but sometimes, a new hair product may not suit the profile of your scalp causing a reaction that may lead to dandruff(contact dermatitis). It could also be a result of using an alkaline shampoo.

Treatments :

Based on the severity of the condition you can opt for shampoos that can help you get rid of dandruff. In most cases, either a 1% ketoconazole shampoo or salicylic acid-based shampoo is recommended. But before you try these out you might want to check out your kitchen shelves for possible home remedies that can help cure dandruff.

Tea tree can work wonders as it soothes itching and helps reduce irritation on the scalp.

Here’s what you need to do :

Mix 5 drops of tea tree oil with 2 tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil. Massage it onto your scalp and leave it overnight. For better results wash it with Man Matters anti-dandruff shampoo.

Another ingredient that acts as an anti-dandruff agent is Fenugreek!

Just soak some fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind the seeds and add some neam leaves to the paste. Apply this paste for an hour and then wash it off using an anti-dandruff shampoo.

Follow proper hair hygiene and use these home remedies to keep those flakes at bay. In case, you don’t see a change then consult a trichologist or a dermatologist.