What Dandruff Is, and How to Get Rid of It
Around 50% of adults in the world have dandruff. Even though it’s absolutely harmless, it may become a serious cosmetic problem that affects our self-esteem and appearance.
5-Minute Crafts is going to explain why dandruff appears and what can help us get rid of it.
What dandruff is
Dandruff is a scalp problem when the skin flakes. The skin particles look like white flakes and are especially visible on dark hair. Sometimes, it can lead to itching.
The appearance of dandruff is usually connected with incredibly fast cell renewal. Healthy cells have a normal life cycle when they grow, become old, and are replaced with new ones when they die. When a person has dandruff, the life cycle of cells is faster. New cells are born faster and old ones are flaked faster.
Dandruff itself is not dangerous but many kinds of dandruff require long-term treatment. It may be really hard to get rid of this skin problem.
Why dandruff appears
Dandruff can appear due to various reasons.
- Dandruff can be a case of seborrheic dermatitis and develop due to Malassezia globosa. This microorganism is a part of the natural scalp flora and usually causes no trouble. But when the sebum production is increased, the fungi that eat it start reproducing very fast. The byproducts that appear cause the scalp cells to clump together and we see dandruff.
- Dandruff can appear due to the wrong hair care.
- Flaking might happen as a result of a very dry scalp, like, for example, during winter.
- Oily skin together with rare washing can lead to a build-up of sebum that results in dandruff.
- Hormonal problems, a weak immune system, and some skin diseases can lead to dandruff.
Most of the time, dandruff that appears due to bad care is easy to get rid of. But flaking that is a case of seborrhoea requires a very long treatment.
What can help you get rid of dandruff
❗ Only a dermatologist can prescribe good treatment. If you notice the first signs of flaking, it’s better to see a doctor as soon as possible.
- Regular scalp cleaning with soft shampoo can help get rid of sebum and dead cells and limit the appearance of dandruff.
- Medicated shampoos can help deal with more complex cases. To achieve the best result, you can use 2-3 different shampoos with different active ingredients. Such shampoos might contain zink, tar, salicylic acid, selenium sulfide, ketoconazole, and other things.
- You can get prescribed even more powerful anti-dandruff shampoos by your doctor.
