Say Goodbye to Dandruff

Sick of having a flaky scalp? Dandruff is caused by excess sebum or oil on thescalp and can be treated.

What causes dandruff?

Your scalp constantly sheds dead skin cells which usually get washed away when you shampoo your hair. You scalp can also host a fungus called pityrosporum ovale, which lives in the skin. Usually levels of this fungus are too low to do anything. However when your scalp is producing excess oil this fungus can accumulate which inflames your hair follicles and accelerate the shedding of your dead skin cells. This shedding falls off in large, oily flakes, which is better known as dandruff.

Treating dandruff

The best treatment for dandruff is to use dandruff shampoos. There are three types of dandruff shampoos to choose from. One contains salicylic acid to exfoliate the scalp, one containing selenium sulphide to sooth the scalp and one containing pyrithione zinc to get rid of the inflammation. The best way to get rid of dandruff is to rotate between all three of these shampoos by interspersing them with regular shampoo every second day. Using these three dandruff treatments is the most effective method because only using one active ingredient or shampoo gives the fungus a chance to adapt and build immunity towards the treatment. By rotating between the three it is less likely the fungus will become immune to the active ingredients. Make sure you always use a matching conditioner with the same active ingredients as the shampoo.

When you shampoo your hair make sure you massage your scalp vigorously (but make sure you don’t use your nails). This will loosen flakes so they get rinsed away. Leave the shampoo lather in your hair for about three to five minutes. Make sure you rinse thoroughly. If you find this treatment does not work then you will need to visit a dermatologist as your flaking may not be caused by dandruff. Your flaking may be caused by product build up on your scalpor you may have an extremely dry scalp.