What is Dandruff? How to get rid of it?

Dandruff is one of the common hair problems faced by people of all ages. If not treated it can be embarrassing. So today let us see what causes it and how to get rid of it!

What is Dandruff?

Dandruff is scalp infection which leads to flakiness and itchiness. The Human Skin keeps on renewing new skin cells and sheds or pushes the old/dead cells out of the skin’s surface.If this rate of skin renewal is fast that leads to Dandruff.

Is Dandruff a serious issue?

Dandruff can easily be treated with good shampoos in mild cases.If not treated it could be become severe and lead to psoriasis or seborrhoeic dermatitis.

What are the signs of Dandruff?

These are the common and visible signs:

Itching.
White flakes on the hair/skin/shoulder/clothes.
Oily scalp.
Acne.

What causes Dandruff?

Dry skin.
Poor Hygiene.
Irritated Skin.
Certain skin conditions like Psoriasis, Eczema.
Yeast Allergies.
Allergies to chemicals in hair care products.
Malassezia is a type of fungus what lives on the scalp.Normally it does not cause any problem until it grows out of control leading to scalp infection.
Certain illness like Parkinson’s Disease,HIV,Heart conditions.
Diet.
Stress.

Treatment:

Seek a Dermatologist or Trichologist’s opinion for proper analysis and treatment.Most likely depending on the severity of dandruff you will be prescribed one of the below mentioned shampoos.

Cost:Rs 200-500.

How to get rid of Dandruff?

Anti-fungal and Anti-bacterial Shampoos reduce the activity of fungus and bring down the oiliness.Shampooing for a few weeks helps with Dandruff. But be sure use it as a leave-on-treatment for at least 5 minutes before you start rinsing your hair that way it increases the effectiveness of the shampoos.

Ketoconazole Shampoos like Nizoral.
Coal Tar Shampoos like Protar K,Ionil T,Neutrogena T Gel etc.
Zinc Pyrithione Shampoos like Head & Shoulders .
Salicylic acid based Shampoos like Salytar.
Selenium Sulphide Shampoos like Candid-TV.
Tea-Tree oil.

Are there are any Home Remedies to manage Dandruff?

Simple home remedies like :

Healthy Diet.
Better management of Stress.
Good Hygiene.
Minimise use of hair styling products.
Add few drops of Tea-Tree oil in your regular shampoo since it is considered anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
Add crushed Crocin/ Aspirin tablets in your regular shampoo. Crocin/Aspirin is nothing but salicylic acid.
Rubbing Baking soda on scalp reduces fungi activity.
Mix equal proportions of water ,cider vinegar and apply on scalp.Leave it for an hour and rinse with shampoo.If you do not get apple cider vinegar then humble lemon juice will do the trick. They are acidic in nature which makes fungi difficult to thrive in acidic medium.
Applying Coconut oil or Olive oil on scalp will moisturise the scalp and prevent scaling or flakiness.
Recent studies have shown Green tea helps with Dandruff.
Applying Aloe vera gel can soothe and minimise the scalp irritation.
Brush your hair everyday as it encourages shedding of old/dead cells.

Can Dandruff cause acne?

Unfortunately Yes! The excess oil from scalp and skin tends mix with dead skin cells and clog pores leading to inflammation causing acne.

Products & Availability:

Aroma Magic Soulflower,Khadi,Aloe Veda,Oriflame brands sell Tea Tree Oil.
There are many brands of Aloe vera gels available in India.My suggestion would be Aloe veda aloe vera skin nourishing gel since its contains highest percentage(98%) of Aloe vera and very economical.
Apple Cider Vinegar is available from brands like Vitamin Shoppe, HealthViva .It is available online.
Shampoos mentioned above are easily available in all medical stores and most of them are available over-the-counter i.e it is available without prescription.
You also buy them from sites like:

1)medplusbeauty.com
2)flipkart.com
3)healthkart.com
4)nykaa.com
5)healthkartplus.com