What is Dandruff?
Your head might feel itchy. Small pieces of the skin around your head might start to flake off, or worse, stick around your scalp and shoulders. What’s going on?
Some people have experienced this exact condition, commonly known as dandruff. Dandruff is the unhealthy result of an unhealthy scalp—although the reasons for this imbalance may differ. There are flakes that could be flaky, scaly or even oily. Dandruff may flare up during cool seasons and also be aggravated by dry temperatures.
Having dandruff is more common than you might think. In fact, 37% of men and 27% of women experience dandruff. Your skin could be clear overall, but a severe disruption could be related to a number of factors—from genes to age to atmosphere to products to, yes, even a yeast infection on your scalp.
Causes of Dandruff
1. Seborrheic dermatitis is a medical condition of irritated skin.
Your dandruff could be a symptom of eczema or a larger skin issue. These conditions can exacerbate and overwork your skin organ, causing production of dandruff.
2. A yeast called malassezia is a certain fungus that lives on our scalps.
It feeds on sebum, and when overstimulated, can quicken cell turnover, leading these cells to rapidly “shed”—what we commonly see as dandruff flakes.
3. Could it be your behavior?
Having good hygiene is important, of course: You may not be brushing your hair enough, or you may be using the wrong shampoo that irritates your scalp. You may also be using skin care products that may be more hurtful than helpful. Do a hair product detox and reintroduce certain products to start a trial and error process and see how your scalp reacts.
4. Dandruff could be affected by internal factors, too.
For example, your diet may not have enough fatty acids that add healthy nutrition to your hungry scalp. Eat lots of moisture-rich foods with omega acids.
5. Mental stress also weakens your immune system.
In fact, your skin is the largest organ, so your hair can be affected by the overall health of your immune system. Stress shows up outwardly in different ways for different people.
6. Gender and age may play a role.
Dandruff tends to start appearing around middle age, but it can also be a life-long issue. Dandruff is also more common in men, as men tend to have oilier scalps.
Treatment of Dandruff
Depending on the cause, you may take care of your hair differently. But you can also take part in the targeted treatment of dandruff.
Try one of our Anti-Dandruff Shampoo or Conditioners. It’s gentle enough for all hair types, including color-treated or processed hair. If your hair smells good and looks healthy and flake-free, it can definitely do wonders for your confidence.
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