Dandruff flaking off onto your shoulder or clogging up your comb with oily, clumpy skin deposits often becomes an embarrassing nuisance. Stores make several commercial treatments available, but the most serious cases require a visit to your family doctor or dermatologist. Understanding what causes the condition helps treat or prevent it.
What Is Dandruff?
Dandruff arises from extensive shedding of skin cells on your scalp, according to Dr. Rob Hicks, writing for BBC Health. Though most people shed dead skin cells in small amounts, dandruff occurs when more skin cells than normal detach from the scalp, causing a buildup of dry or oily white flakes or deposits in your hair.
Common Causes
Dandruff deposits occur under two main conditions: an overly dry or overly oily scalp, according to Hicks. Harsh, dry winter weather often cause excessively dry skin, leading to white, flaky skin falling from your scalp. But under opposite conditions, when your scalp become too oily, skin cells also shed at a more rapid rate. If your scalp produces more than normal sebum, or natural skin oils, a fungus called pityrosporum thrives, Hicks notes. Such fungus contributes to dandruff development. The dry variety of dandruff appears as light white flakes that almost give the appearance of snowing when you run your hand through your hair, according to health and beauty website Daily Glow. The oily variety of dandruff manifests as white clumps that collect on combs or hairbrushes passed through your hair.
Common Remedies
For dandruff arising from dry skin, Daily Glow recommends avoiding high-heat hair dryers, allowing hair to air dry after showering. Avoiding the use of harsh shampoos that lack conditioners and not shampooing every day also keeps the scalp from drying out.
For the oily variety, BBC Health notes retailers carry a number of commercially available anti-dandruff shampoos. Many of these contain the active medical ingredient selenium sulfide, according to MayoClinic.com. Some of the anti-dandruff shampoos contain anti-fungal agents, and the strongest varieties require prescriptions from a doctor.
When to See Doctor
Dandruff may arise from conditions more serious than simple dry or oily scalp. If you exhaust all commercial shampoos and over-the-counter treatments and still experience dandruff, MayoClinic.com urges that you contact a doctor for possible prescription shampoos or other treatments. If you suffer red, inflamed skin on the scalp, it's also time to see your general practitioner, according to BBC Health. In some extreme cases, serious skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis, cause dandruff, requiring the care of a doctor.
Misconceptions
Hicks notes in his BBC Health article a number of myths surround dandruff and its health implications. Contrary to the beliefs of some people, dandruff isn't infectious, is not a factor contributing to baldness and doesn't arise from inadequate hygiene.
